Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/372

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

358

FINUCANE—FIOTT—FISHBOURNE—FISHER.

subsequently attacked by the French, he co-operated in its defence, in the capacity of Adjutant and Town-major; but, in the midst of the operations, he was struck by the sun, and laid up for three months with an attack of yellow fever. Removing with Capt. Maude, in Nov. 1808, into the Jason 32, Mr. Finlayson, on 22 Jan. 1809, assisted, with the Cleopatra 32, in capturing the French frigate La Topaze of 38 guns; as First-Lieutenant of which ship (afterwards named Jewel and then Alcmene) he assisted, in the course of the same and of the following year, at the reduction of Martinique, the Saintes, and Guadaloupe. His next appointments were, also as Senior-Lieutenant – 8 June, 1810, to the Papillion 18, Capt. Jas. Hay, in which vessel he saw much active service during the siege of Cadiz – and, 24 Sept. 1814, to the Myrtle 20, Capt. Arth. Batt Bingham, on the Cork station. Commander Finlayson, who had been on half-pay since 30 Nov. 1815, accepted the rank he now holds 18 Jan. 184,5.

From 1816 until 1840 he was constantly employed in the merchant service, and during the last 16 years of that period had the command of various steamers. He is married, and has issue. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



FINUCANE. (Lieut., 1820. f-p., 9; h-p., 27.)

Henry Augustus Finucane entered the Navy, 2 Aug. 1811, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Owen Glendower 36, Capt. Brian Hodgson; and, from Sept. following until Dec. 1814, served, latterly as Midshipman, in the Menelaus 38, Capt. Sir Peter Parker, on the Mediterranean and North American stations. While in the last-named vessel, he appears to have been exposed, 29 May, 1812, to a fire from the batteries on Pointe Ecampebarion, during an attempt made by her to cut off a French frigate and brig from entering Toulon. Until his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 30 Nov. 1820, he was afterwards employed, chiefly on the Home station, in the Eurotas 38, Capts. Robt. Bloye and Jas. Lillicrap, Hebrus 36, Capt. Edm. Palmer, Rivoli 74, Capts. Sir Chas. Ogle and Aiskew Paffard Hollis, Queen Charlotte 100, Capt. Thos. Briggs, and Royal George yacht, Capt. Sir Chas. Paget. Lieut. Funicane, whose next appointment was, 2 Feb. 1841, to the Coast Guard, left that service in 1842; but for a short time in 1846 was again employed in it. Agent – J. Hinxman.



FIOTT. (Lieutenant, 1810.)

William Edward Fiott entered the Navy, 27 May, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Agamemnon 64, Capt. Robt. Devereux Fancourt, under whom he bore a part in the action off Copenhagen 2 April, 1801. Removing, in 1802, to the Amphion 32, Capts. Rich. Hen. Alex. Bennett, Alex. Eraser, Thos. Masterman Hardy, and Sam. Sutton, he accompanied Lord Nelson in that frigate to the Mediterranean in 1803; after which he became Midshipman, in 1804, of the Ambuscade 32, Capt. Wm. D’Urban, and Acting-Lieutenant, in 1805, of the Montagu 74, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway. On next joining the Téméraire 98, Capt. Elias Harvey, he shared, we believe, in the battle of Trafalgar. The remaining years of the war he passed on board the Chiffonne 36, Capt. Pat. Campbell, Prince 98, Capts. Rich. Grindall and Wm. Lechmere, Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough, Eagle 74, Capt. Chas. Rowley, Bucephalus 36, Capt. Chas. Pelly, Marlborough 74, Capt. Mat. Henry Scott, Chatham 74, bearing the flag of the same officer, and Leander 50, Capt. Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, on the Mediterranean, North Sea, East India, Home, and American stations. The Bucephalus formed part of the expedition to the Walcheren in 1809. Lieut. Fiott, whose commission bears date 27 April, 1810, and who left the Leander in 1814, was lastly appointed, in March and Oct. 1823, to the Phaeton 46, Capt. Henry Evelyn Pitfield Sturt, and to the command of the Renegade 4 both attached to the force in the West Indies.



FISHBOURNE. (Commander, 1841.)

Edmund Gardiner Fishbourne entered the Navy 1 Feb. 1824; passed his examination in 1830; and obtained his first commission l April, 1835. His ensuing appointments were, on the African station – 24 Nov. 1835, to the Thalia 46, Capt. Robt. Wauchope – 12 July, 1836, to the Pylades 18, Capt. Wm. Langford Castle – 22 Jan. 1838, as Senior-Lieutenant, to the Scout 18, Capt. Robt. Craigie – and, 15 Sept. 1840, in a similar capacity, to the Albert steamer, Capt. Henry Dundas Trotter, in which he attended the unfortunate expedition to the Niger. While employed on the latter service he was promoted to the rank of Commander 1 Nov. 1841, and appointed to the Soudan, another steamer. He has been on half-pay since 1842.



FISHER. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 8; h-p., 32.)

Henry Fisher was born 20 April, 1793, at Westwood, near Bath.

This officer entered the Navy, 20 Feb. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Nemesis 28, Capt. Philip Somerville, employed on the Newfoundland and North Sea stations; and oh next joining the Rota 38, commanded by the same Captain, attended, as Midshipman, the expedition to the Scheldt in Aug. 1809. From Oct. 1812 until Aug. 1814 he served, as Master’s Mate, and latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, under Sir John Gore, in the Revenge 74; during his attachment to which ship he appears to have taken part in several boat affairs, particularly on the night of 8 Nov. 1813, when he assisted in cutting out a privateer in the harbour of Palamos.[1] While afterwards serving with Sir Jas. Athol Wood in the Pompée 80, Mr. Fisher was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 28 Feb. 1815. Since his return to England, in the following Sept., he has not been afloat.

Lieut. Fisher is at present Superintendent of Police at Bristol. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.



FISHER. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 17; h-p., 33.)

John Fisher entered the Navy, in 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Puissant 74, Capt. Allen, guard-ship at Portsmouth. In May, 1800, he became Midshipman of the Stately 64, Capt. Geo. Scott, on the Mediterranean station, where he witnessed the fall of Genoa in 1800; served, during the Egyptian expedition of 1801, at the landing of the troops in Aboukir Bay, as also with the army in the battles of 13 and 21 March; and was wounded in the cheek while co-operating in the defence of Porto Ferrajo, in the island of Elba. After an attachment of a few months to the Adamant 50, Capt. Geo. Burlton, and Success 32, Capt. G. Scott, he obtained a Lieutenancy, 6 Aug. 1805, in the Trompeuse 18, Capt. Wm. Brooking Dolling, and, on 11 Jan. 1806, was next appointed to the Resolution 74, commanded also by Capt. Burlton; under whom ho served, in ,1808, at the blockade of the Russian squadron in the Tagus, and assisted, in Jan. 1809, at the destruction of three transports under a heavy fire from the enemy’s batteries, besides witnessing the embarkation of the remains of Sir John Moore’s army at Corunna. On the latter occasion Mr. Fisher brought home, in a transport which had been abandoned by her crew, a company of the 9th Regt. of Infantry, under the command of the present Sir Wm. Maynard Gomm, which but for him would have been captured. For this service he received the thanks of the Lords of the Admiralty. . He was afterwards employed, on the Halifax and West India stations, in the Martin 18, Capt. John Evans, and Dragon 74, bearing the flag of Sir Eras. Laforey. In March, 1814, he became Acting-Commander of the Goree 18, at Bermuda; and on 7 June following he was confirmed

  1. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 124.