the Pantaloon 10, on the coast of Africa, whence he returned in 1844. He has not been since afloat. He was left a widower 21 June, 1846. Agent – J. Chippendale.
LAPIDGE, K.I.C., K.S.F. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 32; h-p., 12.)
William Frederick Lapidge entered the Navy, 10 Nov. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Plantagenet 74, Capts. Hon. Michael De Courcy, Fras. Pender, and Wm. Bradley, in which ship, with the exception of a voyage to St. Helena, he served on the Channel station until July, 1807. After attending the expeditions to Copenhagen and the Walcheren as Midshipman of the Dictator 64 and Audacious 74, both commanded by Capt. Donald Campbell, he joined, in Nov. 1809, the Impérieuse 38, Capts. Thos. Garth and Hon. Henry Duncan, and proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he remained employed, chiefly as Master’s Mate, Acting-Master, and Acting-Lieutenant of the same ship, and as Lieutenant (commission dated 9 April, 1814)of the Franchise 36, and Florida 20, until the summer of 1816. He was on board the Impérieuse at the destruction, 27 June, 1812, of a French convoy under the batteries of Languelia and Alassio; and he was in her, on 17 of the ensuing Aug., in a spirited skirmish with a Neapolitan squadron in the Bay of Naples. After he left the Florida, Mr. Lapidge’s appointments in the capacity of Lieutenant were – 23 Oct. 1819, to the Raleigh 18, Capt. Wm. Augustus Baumgardt, whom he accompanied to the West Indies – 27 June, 1822, and 23 Oct. 1823, to the Superb 74, and Ocean 80, guard-ships at Plymouth, Capts. Adam Mackenzie, Lucius Ferdinand Hardyman, and John Sykes – 9 Jan. 1827, to the Spartiate 78, Capt. Fred. Warren – and in 1830-1, to the successive command of the Messenger and Carron steamers, Vigilant ketch, and Leveret brig. In the last vessel he appears to have been employed during the civil war in Portugal. Being awarded a second promotal commission 2 Oct. 1833, Capt. Lapidge, on 21 of the following Nov., obtained command of the Ringdove 16. The services performed by him in that vessel on the north coast of Spain, particularly at the defence of Portugalete and the siege of Bilbao in Nov. and Dec. 1836, were acknowledged by the Queen Regent, who created him a Commander of Isabella la Catolica, and presented him with the second class of San Fernando. He attained Post-rank 6 Jan. 1837, but did not leave the Ringdove until the following April. His last appointment was, 23 Nov. 1843, to the Cyclops steam-frigate, in which we find him employed on particular service, and on the S.E. coast of America and Channel stations, until paid off at the commencement of 1847.
Capt. Lapidge married, in 1817, a sister of the late Capt. Sir Wm. Elliott, R.N., C.B. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
LARCOM. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 20; h-p., 19.)
Joseph Pafford Dickson Larcom, born 14 Sept. 1795, is son of Commissioner Joseph Larcom, of Malta Dockyard, who had been promoted to the rank of Commander for his conduct as First of the Thunderer 74 in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794, and died at Gibraltar, on his way to England, 17 Feb. 1818; and nephew of the present Vice-Admiral Geo. M‘Kinley, and of the late Vice-Admiral A. P. Hollis, and the late Capt. Thos. Larcom, R.N., who commanded the Russel 74 in Lord Bridport’s action in 1795, and was afterwards Flag-Captain to Rear-Admirals Sir Chas. Cotton and Cuthbert Collingwood, in the Prince 98, and Triumph 74.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 13 Feb. 1808; and embarked, 22 June, 1810, as a Supermumerary, on board the San Josef 110, Capt. R. J. Neve, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton, Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean; where, from the following Sept. until the close of 1817, he was successively employed on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Fras. Beaufort, Satellite sloop, Capt. Walter Bathurst, Frederickstein frigate, Capt. F. Beaufort, Thames 32, and Euryalus 36, both commanded by Capt. Chas. Napier, Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Lord Exmouth, Castor 32, Capt. Chas. Dilkes, Aboukir 74, Capt. Norborne Thompson, Paulina sloop, Capt. Rowland Mainwaring, Woodlark 10, Capt. Wm. Cutfield, Satellite again, Capt. Jas. Murray, and Albion 74, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Vinicombe Penrose. In May, 1813, being then Midshipman of the Euryalus, Mr. Larcom served in the boats of that ship, and the Berwick 74, at the capture and destruction of La Fortune xebec of 10 guns, 4 swivels, and 95 men, and of 22 vessels collected under the batteries in the harbour of Cavalacie. The 26 Sept. 1814 was marked by his promotion to a Lieutenancy in the Castor. His appointments, after he left the Albion, were – 28 Nov. 1820, to the Atholl 28, Capt. Henry Bourchier, fitting for the Halifax station, whence he returned in 1824 – 7 March, 1825, to the Aurora 46, Capts. John Maxwell and Chas. John Austen, employed off Lisbon and in the West Indies – and, in 1828-9, to the Druid 46, Mersey 26, and Icarus 10, Capts. Williams Sandom, Geo. Wm. Conway Courtenay, and Hon. Thos. Best, all on the Jamaica station. He was there promoted, 8 Aug. 1829, to the command of the Harpy 10, which vessel he paid off 11 June, 1831; and from 10 June, 1841, until advanced, 23 Nov. following, to Post-rank, he had command of the Scout 18, on the Mediterranean station. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Larcom married, 17 Sept. 1844, his cousin, Westmoreland Jane, youngest daughter of Vice-Admiral M‘Kinley. Agent – J. Hinxman.
LARKE. (Retired Commander, 1834. f-p., 18; h-p., 33.)
William Larke entered the Navy, 10 Jan. 1796, as A.B., on board the Hebe 38, Capt. Matt. Henry Scott, and sailed for the West Indies, where, in the course of the same year, he assisted, as Midshipman, at the re-conquest of Ste. Lucie, and the suppression of an insurrection in the islands of St. Vincent and Grenada. On his return to Europe, in the following Nov., he joined the Prince George 98, successive flag-ship of Admirals Wm. Parker and Sir Chas. Thompson, under the former of whom he took part in the action off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797. After a servitude of four years with Earl St. Vincent and Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, as Master’s Mate, in the Ville de Paris 110, and of two months with Capt. JohnWm. Spranger, as a Supernumerary, in the Aeolus, on the Mediterranean, Channel, and West India stations, Mr. Larke was nominated, 2 March, 1802, Acting-Lieutenant of the Brunswick 74, Capt. Geo. Hopewell Stephens. He was officially promoted 1 July following, and, in May, 1804, after an intermediate employment, for short periods, in the Magnificent 74, Capt. Wm. Henry Jervis, and in the Sea Fencibles at Cromer, in Norfolk, he was invested with the Governorship of the R.N. Hospital at North Yarmouth, where he continued until 30 Sept. 1814. He accepted his present rank 7 July, 1834.
LAROCHE. (Captain on Retired Half-pay, 1800. f-p., 22; h-p., 43.)
Christopher Laroche is second son of the late Henry Laroche, Esq., of Halburton, Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 Feb. 1782, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Trusty 50, Capt. Jas. Bradley, on the Home station, where, and in the West Indies and Mediterranean, he further, until Sept. 1793, served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Alexander and Powerful 74’s, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Fitzherbert, Europa 50, flag-ship of Admirals Gambier and Innes, Porcupine sloop, Capt. Herbert Sawyer, Orion, Powerful, and Orion again, Capts. Hyde Parker, Andw. Sutherland, and Chas. Chamberlayne, Berwick 74, Capts. H. Parker and Roger Curtis, and Victory 100, bearing the flag of Lord Hood. While in the latter ship, Mr. Laroche, whose promotion to the
