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MANX—MANTON—MAPLES.

Fras. Augustus Collier, and in the course of the same year was employed with the squadron on the coast of Holland. In 1833 he sailed for the West Indies, where, it appears, he continued to serve in the Vernon, and in the President 52, Pickle schooner, and Snake 16, until 1839, in July of which year he returned to England and passed his examination at the R.N. College. He had passed for seamanship 17 Sept. 1838. Joining next, in July, 1840, the Vanguard 80, Capt. Sir David Dunn, he proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he was afforded an opportunity of sharing in the ensuing operations on the coast of Syria. In 1843, being at the time off Lisbon, Mr. Mansfield landed with a party of seamen from the Vanguard and assisted in subduing an alarming fire and disturbance which had there simultaneously broken out. For this service he was presented by the Queen of Portugal with the Order of the Tower and Sword. After an attachment of 12 months to the Queen 110 and Trafalgar 120, both commanded by Capt. Wm. Fanshawe Martin, whom he accompanied in various experimental cruizes, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 1 Sept. 1845, and appointed, a few days afterwards. Additional of the Penelope steam-frigate, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Wm. Jones on the coast of Africa. He has been serving since 26 of the following Dec. on the same station, in the Waterwitch 10, Capt. Thos. Fras. Birch.



MANT. (Retired Commander, 1837. f-p., 15; h-p., 51.)

Joseph Bingham Mant was born 15 July, 1768, at Havant, in Hants, and died 2 March, 1845, at Padstow, co. Cornwall. He was brother-in-law, we believe, of General Miller, R.M.

This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy 3 Feb. 1779, and continued a student at that institution until Sept. 1782; on 12 of which month he embarked as Midshipman on board the Atlas 98, Capt. Geo. Vandeput, and proceeded off Gibraltar. He next, from 1783 to 1786, and for a short time in 1791, served on the Halifax and Channel stations in the Mercury and Marlborough, Capts. Stanhope and Bazely; and in 1794-5 he became in succession attached to the Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Hood, and Arethusa and Phaeton frigates, Capts. Mark Robinson and Hon. Robt. Stopford. On 6 Sept. 1796, Mr. Mant, who had acted for a period as Lieutenant of the Arethusa, was confirmed to that rank in the Firm gun-vessel. His succeeding appointments were, chiefly on the Home station, to the Cumberland 74, Capt. Rowley, Shannon frigate, Capt. Alex. Fraser, Powerful 74, Capt. Wm. O’Brien Drury, Dromedary store-ship, Capt. Thos. Leith, Valiant 74, Capt. John Cochet, Ruby 64, Capt. Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner, Atlas 98, Capt. Theophilus Jones, and Courageux 74, Capt. Chas. Boyles. He left the ship last mentioned in 1804 in consequence of ill health, and did not again go afloat. He accepted the rank of Retired Commander on the Senior List 26 Dec. 1837.

From 9 Oct. 1804 until July, 1812, Commander Mant was a Poor Knight of Windsor. He married, 14 Jan. 1813, Miss Jane Osborne, and by that lady had issue three sons and two daughters. His eldest son was drowned in the merchant-service in 1834; and his next, George, at present holds an appointment in the Excise.



MANTON. (Retired Commander, 1839. f-p., 19; h-p., 32.)

John Manton was born 14 May, 1782, in London, and died in July, 1846. He was son of John Manton, Esq., of co. Lincoln.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Agincourt 64, Capt. John Williamson, and after enacting a Midshipman’s part in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797, removed to the Romney 50, Capts. John Lawford and Sir Home Popliam. Being lent on his arrival in that ship at the Cape of Good Hope to the Spitfire tender, it was his lot, after conveying despatches to Bombay, to be wrecked in 1801 on a coral-reef in the Indian Ocean; in consequence whereof he was subjected, with the rest of the ship’s company, to the severest privations for nearly a whole month each person’s allowance of water, during that period, being restricted to half-a-pint a-day. The advent of a vessel sent to their assistance at length enabling them to be rescued, Mr. Manton rejoined the Romney, in which vessel he continued until May, 1803. Prior to the latter date he appears, on the occasion of a visit to the Red Sea, to have landed, for the purpose of procuring a supply of water, in the neighbourhood of Mount Felix, where his party, 11 in number, was suddenly attacked by a body of the natives, lying in ambush, who murdered all but himself and a Midshipman, the present Commander Wm. Savage. That officer was severely wounded in the head, and only escaped by being forcibly dragged to a boat by Mr. Manton, who succeeded in keeping the enemy at bay until they were both out of danger. In June, 1803, having returned to England,[1] he was received on board the Colossus 74, Capt. Geo. Martin; and on 17 March, 1806, after a servitude of 18 months off the port of Cadiz and in the Channel in the Polyphemus 64, and Audacious and Impétueux 74’s, each under the orders of Capt. John Lawford, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and appointed to the command of the Alphea schooner on the Bermuda and Newfoundland stations, where he continued until Feb. 1808. During the remainder of the war we find him employed, with intervals, in the Redpole 10, Capt. John Joyce, Impétueux 74, Capt. John Lawford, and Amelia and Niger 38’s, Capts. Hon. Fred. Paul Irby and Peter Rainier. He was wounded, in the Redfole, in an action with a French brig-of- war off _Bordeaux; accompanied, in the Impétueux, the expedition to the Walcheren; and when Senior of the Niger, and in company with the Tagus 38, assisted, 6 Jan. 1814, at the capture, among the Cape de Verde Islands, of the French 40-gun frigate Cérès. His conduct on the latter occasion afforded Capt. Rainier, who sent him home in command of the prize, an opportunity of recommending him to the notice of the Admiralty as a deserving officer.[2] During a subsequent cruize off the coast of Africa, Lieut. Manton was placed in charge of a Portuguese slaver, whose crew, with 50 of the negroes, rose in the night, and, after inflicting on him eight wounds in the head and hands, retook their vessel and carried the British prisoners to Pernambuco, where they were for a short time confined. His last appointment was, 7 April, 1820, to the Coast Guard, in which service he remained for a period of 21 months. He retired with the rank of Commander 15 July, 1839.

He married, in 1808, Elizabeth, daughter of John Wills, Esq., Government Contractor, of Plymouth, by whom he has issue two daughters.



MAPLES, C.B. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 29; h-p., 36.)

John Fordyce Maples died 12 May, 1847, at the Priory, Kilburn, aged 79.

This officer entered the Navy, 5 Oct. 1782, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Triumph 74, Capt. Peter Affleck, lying at Portsmouth; served, from Sept. 1784 to April, 1789, in the Hebe frigate, commanded in the Channel by Capt. Edw. Thornbrough; and after an intermediate attachment, as Master’s Mate, on the West India station, to the Blonde 32, Capt. Wm. Affleck, Centurion 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral P. Affleck, and Penelope 32, Capt. Bartholomew Sam. Rowley, was there nominated, 7 May, 1794, Acting-Lieutenant of the Europa 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Ford. On 16 April, 1793, at which period he was belonging to the Penelope, we find

  1. Before he left the East Indies Mr. Manton had the misfortune to receive a coup-de-soleil.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 881.