Nightingale cutter in the Channel, where he cruized until some time in 1826. Obtaining a second promotal commission 2 March, 1827, Capt. Kitchen, on 6 July, 1830, was appointed to a three-years’ Inspectorship in the Coast Guard at Harwich. In the following winter he so distinguished himself by his exertions in suppressing riots and extinguishing incendiary fires, that he elicited the thanks of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, of the Duke of Grafton, Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, of Lord Maynard, Lord-Lieutenant of Essex, and of the Magistrates of Suffolk and Essex. The Duke of Grafton, indeed, and Lord Maynard were so impressed with the value of his services, that they strongly recommended him to the notice of Lord Minto, then First Lord of the Admiralty; who, however, retired from office without conferring upon Capt. Kitchen the promotion which, we understand, he had been in consequence induced to promise. His last appointments were – 9 March, 1842, to the Second-Captaincy of the Queen 110, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. W. C. K. Owen in the Mediterranean – and, 17 Feb. 1844, to the command of the Devastation steam-sloop on the same station, whence he returned home and was paid off at the close of 1845. He acquired his present rank 9 Nov. 1846, and is now unemployed.
He married, in 1820, Miss Bell, of Shields, co. Durham. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
KNAPMAN. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 22; h-p., 22.)
Edward Knapman, born in 1794, is brother of Lieut. John Knapman, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in Sept. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Magnanime 44, Capt. John Broughton. In 1804, after he had assisted at the bombardment of Havre de Grace, he removed, as Midshipman, to the Spartiate 74, Capt. Sir Fras. Laforey, under whom he fought and bled at Trafalgar, being there wounded in the leg and arm, and in consequence presented with a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund.[1] With the exception of a few months passed, in 1810-11, in the Dictator 64, Capts. Rich. Harrison Pearson and Robt. Williams, on the Baltic station, where he served in the boats at the capture of three Danish luggers, Mr. Knapman continued with Sir F. Laforey in the Spartiate, and in the Dragon, another 74, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 21 March, 1812, latterly in the West Indies; previously, however, to proceeding whither he assisted, in the former ship, at the reduction of the islands of Ischia and Procida in 1809. His appointments have since been – 11 Feb. 1813, to the Royal Sovereign 100, Capts. Jas. Bissett and Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, by the former of whom he was placed in command of gun-boat No. 16, and sent to co-operate in the siege of St. Sebastian – 11 April, 1814, to the Achates sloop, Capts. Isaac Hawkins Morrison and Thos. Lambe Polden Laugharne, with whom he cruized in the Bay of Biscay and Channel until paid off in Nov. 1815 – .5 Dec. 1826, to the Windsor Castle 74, guard-ship at Plymouth, Capt. Edw. Durnford King, of whose tender, the Leveret 10, he was intrusted with the charge – 20 Dec. 1827, to the Erebus steamer, Capt. Geo. Haye, from which vessel, stationed in the Mediterranean, he was superseded at his own request – 7 July, 1836, to the Ordinary at Plymouth, where he was for three years employed with his name on the books of the San Josef 110, Capts. Rich. Thomas, John Hancock, and Joseph Needham Tayler – and, 6 April, 1841, to the Coast Guard, in which service he is now employed.
He married, 22 Aug. 1822, the second daughter of K. Burgoyne Watts, Esq., of Treburifoot, co. Cornwall, by whom he has issue five sons and three daughters.
KNAPMAN. (Lieutenant, 1809.)
John Knapman is brother of Lieut. Edw. Knapman, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1801, as Midshipman, on board the Prince of Wales 98, Capt. Wm. Prowse, bearing the flag of Sir Robt. Calder in the Channel, where, in 1802, he joined the Sirius 36, also commanded by Capt. Prowse. In 1803 he removed to the Téméraire 98, Capt. Elias Harvey, and from that ship, after he had fought at Trafalgar, he was draughted, in March, 1806, into the Achille 74, Capt. Rich. King. On 25 of the following Sept. we find him present at the capture, off Rochefort, of four heavy French frigates by a squadron under the orders of Sir Sam. Hood. He was next, between 1807 and his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 14 Sept. 1809, employed, off Cape Finisterre, Cadiz, and Toulon, in the Tonnant 80, and Ocean 98, flag-ships of Admirals E. Harvey and Lord Collingwood. During the remainder of the war he served on the Mediterranean and Home stations in the Nettuno (afterwards Cretan), Favourite, Electra, and Albacore sloops, and Cressy 74, Capts. Chas. Fred. Payne, Benj. Clement, H. Gregory, Henry Thos. Davies, and Chas. Dashwood. Under Capt. Davies of the Albacore, Lieut. Knapman took part, 18 Dec. 1812, in a gallant action, in which that vessel, when in company with the 14-gun schooner Pickle, 12-gun sloop Borer, and 4-gun cutter Landrail, beat off the French 40-gun frigate La Gloire, with a loss to herself of 1 Lieutenant killed and 6 or 7 men wounded. Through the influence of his late Majesty he obtained, 20 Nov. 1827, an appointment in the Coast Guard, which he retained until 18 Dec. 1832. He has since been on half-pay.
He is married and has issue.
KNEVITT. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 18; h-p., 25.)
Thomas Lepard Knevitt was born 16 Feb. 1780. His only brother, a Midshipman of the Bulwark 74, was drowned in Cawsand Bay in 1813.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 Aug. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Penguin 18, Capt. Geo. Morris, with whom he continued to serve in the Elk, Renard, and Magnet sloops, on the Jamaica and Baltic stations, nearly the whole time as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until wrecked on the ice, 11 Jan. 1809. He then joined the Sceptre 74, Capts. Joseph Bingham and Sam. Jas. Ballard, and while in that ship was employed in the expedition to the Walcheren, where, in a gun-boat, he assisted at thp landing of the troops. Proceeding next to the West Indies, he there, on 18 Dec. 1809, served in the boats of a squadron under Lieut. John Wyborn at the destruction of the two French 40-gun frigates 'Loire' and Seine, and of the batteries in L’Anse la Barque, Guadeloupe, by which they had been protected. During the operations which led to the reduction of the latter island Mr. Knevitt landed with 100 seamen under the orders of Lieut. Elliot; but that officer being killed at the onset, the command devolved upon him, and he retained it until the island was thoroughly conquered. In March, 1811, a few months after he had passed his examination, he removed to the Vengeur 74, flagship of Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke off Cherbourg; and in the following Dec. we find him joining the Bulwark 74, bearing at first the broad pendant of Sir Rich. King, and afterwards the flag of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham, on the Home station. On 16 and 20 Jan. 1814, being at the time on his passage to the West Indies with the last-mentioned officer in the Venerable 74, we find him contributing to the capture, not without opposition, of the French frigates Iphigénie and Alcmène, of 44 guns each.[2] On the latter occasion he led the boarders, and received the French Captain’s sword; and on 28 of the ensuing month, as a reward for his distinguished conduct, he was promoted to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Palma 38, Capt. Jas. Andrew Worth. He was officially promoted 1 Feb. 1815, and was afterwards appointed – 19 Oct. 1824, to the Coast Blockade, in which service he continued, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, and Hyperion 42, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm.
