301
DOUGLAS—DOW—DOWDEN—DOWN.
Lord Adolphus FitzClarence. He has been employed, since 2 Nov. in the latter year, on board the Geyser steam-sloop, Capt. Fras. Thos. Brown.
DOUGLAS. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 14; h-p., 6.)
William Manners Wellington Douglas, born 21 June, 1814, is eldest son of Capt. Peter John Douglas, R.N.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College in Aug. 1827; and embarked, 15 Aug. 1829, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Briton 46, Capt. Hon. Wm. Gordon, whom he ultimately accompanied to the West Indies. In May, 1830, he there removed to the Blanche 46, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Arthur Farquhar; from which ship he appears to have been subsequently lent, from Feb. 1832, to Jan. 1833, to the Ariadne 28, Capt. Chas. Phillips. Towards the close of the latter year Mr. Douglas sailed for the Mediterranean in the Thunderer 84, Capt.Wm. Furlong Wise. Having passed his examination 24 June, 1834, he next joined the Trinculo 16, Capts. Jas. Rich. Booth and Henry Joseph Puget, stationed off the coast of Africa; where, up the river Bonny, with the assistance of a prize-slaver under Mr. Fiddes, Master’s Assistant, we find him, in Dec. 1835, very gallantly repelling, in a pinnace with only 10 hands, an attack made upon him by 13 large canoes full of armed men. He afterwards served in the West Indies on board the Melville and Cornwallis 74’s, bearing the flags in succession of Sir Peter Halkett and Sir Chas. Paget; of which latter ship he was confirmed a Lieutenant 30 Jan. 1839. His next appointments were – 22 Oct. 1839, to the Stag 46, Commodore Thos. Ball Sulivan – and, 26 June and 10 Oct. 1841, to the Winchester 52, and Seringapatam 46, each bearing the broad pendant of his father. Since his last promotion, which took place 12 Nov. in the latter year. Commander Douglas has been on half-pay.
He married, 10 Jan. 1843, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Edw. Hawes, Esq., of Woodford, co. Essex. Agents – Pettet and Newton.
DOW. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p., 14; h-p., 27.)
William Dow, born 23 May, 1794, in the island of Antigua, is fourth son of Archibald Dow, Esq. This officer entered the Navy, 28 July, 1806, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal William 100, Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle, bearing the flag at Spithead of Admiral Montagu. On 17 Dec. 1808, he became Midshipman of the Christian VII. 80, Capt. Joseph Sydney Yorke, flag-ship afterwards of Sir Edw. Pellew, with whom he removed, in 1811, to the Caledonia 120. From Nov. 1812, to March, 1814, Mr. Dow was employed next in the Undaunted 38, Capts. Rich. Thomas and Thos. Ussher. He served, during that period, in the boats under Lieut. Aaron Tozer, at the storming and capture, 18 March, 1813, of a battery of 6 guns at Carri, near Marseilles – was at the taking, in open day, of two settees, within pistol-shot distance of a battery on Cape Croisette, on which occasion the boats sustained a severe loss – contributed, on 31 of the same month, to the gallant capture and destruction, by the boats of the Undaunted, Volontaire, and Redwing, of two strong batteries and 14 sail of vessels, at Morjean – was further present, 2 May following, with the boats of the Undaunted, Volontaire, and Repulse, at the cutting-out of a well-protected convoy in the same harbour – and, besides figuring in other dashing affairs, again served in the boats on 9 Nov. and assisted in escalading a vigorously defended tower at Fort Nouvelle, where seven French vessels, lying under the protection of several batteries, were destroyed. For these services, Mr. Dow was appointed, 26 May, 1814, Acting-Lieutenant of the Castor 32, Capt. Chas. Dilkes, to which frigate he was confirmed 17 June following. Being paid off in Sept. 1815, after having visited the West Indies, and been employed the last eight months as First-Lieutenant, he subsequently joined, 14 Feb. 1825, in the latter capacity, the Doris 42, Capt. Sir John Gordon Sinclair, with whom he served on the South American station until 1829. His next appointment was to the command, 11 March, 1836, of the Carbon steam-vessel; in which, after conveying a body of marine artillery to join the force under Lord John Hay on the coast of Spain, he proceeded to the West Indies; whence in consequence of two severe attacks of yellow fever, which deprived him of the use of his limbs, he invalided home, in Oct. of the same year. He has not since been afloat.
Lieut. Dow married, 18 Jan. 1830, Caroline, third daughter of Sam. Enderby, Esq. of Croom’s Hill, Blackheath, co. Kent, by whom he has issue four daughters. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
DOWDEN. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 13; h-p., 31.)
William Gibbs Dowden entered the Navy, 30 Sept. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Repulse 74, Capts. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge and John Halliday, with whom he successively served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until Feb. 1811. The Repulse, during that period, bore a part in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805 – was with Sir John Duckworth at the passage of the Dardanells, in Feb. 1807 – accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, in Aug. 1803 – and, on 30 Aug. 1810, most gallantly rescued the Philomel sloop from capture, by interposing herself between that vessel and an advanced division of the Toulon fleet, which she compelled to put back. After a further attachment to the Montagu 74, Capt. John Halliday, and Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew, Mr. Dowden was promoted, 16 June, 1812, to a Lieutenancy in the Cephalus 18. Being next appointed, 27 Nov. 1813, to the Edinburgh 74, Capt. Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, he witnessed the unsuccessful attack on Leghorn, in Dec. of the same year, and was present, in March and April, 1814, at the surrender of the fortress of Santa Maria, with the enemy’s other forts and defences in the Gulf of Spezia, and also of the town of Genoa. On 17 June, 1815, Mr. Dowden, who had been appointed, 24 Dec. 1814, to the Pilot 18, Capt. John Toup Nicolas, contributed to the defeat, near Cape Corse, of the French corvette Légère of 28 guns, who made off at the close of a valiant conflict of two hours, in which the British vessel sustained a loss, besides being otherwise disabled, of 1 man killed and 15 wounded, and the Frenchman of 22 killed and 79 wounded. He has been on half-pay since 12 July, 1816. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
DOWN. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 18; h-p., 36.)
Edward Augustus Down, born 16 Feb. 1777, is son of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, who was Midshipman of the Royal Charlotte yacht, Capt. Sir Peter Dennis, when that vessel brought the late Queen Charlotte to England in 1760.
This officer entered the Navy, 30 April, 1793, as Ordinary, on board the Prince 98, Capt. Cuthbert Collingwood, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Geo. Bowyer; on accompanying whom, as Midshipman, into the Barfleur 98, he served in Lord Howe’s actions of 29 May and 1 June, 1794. He afterwards successively followed Capt. Collingwood into the Hector and Excellent 74’s; and in the latter ship was wounded while participating, as Master’s Mate, in the victory gained by Sir John Jervis over the Spanish fleet, 14 Feb. 1797.[1] After serving for a short time with Lord St. Vincent, in the Ville de Paris 110, Mr. Down was promoted to a Lieutenancy, 26 Dec. 1798, in the Santa Dorothea 36, Capt. Hugh Downman; from which ship we find him transferred, in April, 1799, to the Vincejo 18, Capts. Geo. Long, Robt. Yarker, Geo. Chas. Mackenzie, and Jas. Prevost; under the first of whom, while at the blockade of Malta, he witnessed, among other captures, that of Le Guillaume Tell of 84 guns, 31 March, 1800. From 6 Dec. 1803, to May, 1804, he next, in the Utrecht 64, officiated
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1797, p. 212.
