under Capts. Henry Martin Blackwood and Leonard Chas. Rook, until wrecked, off Santa Maura, 11 Oct. 1828. Mr. Massingberd had been previously, 11 Oct. 1827, wounded in a boat-engagement with pirates. Having passed his examination 20 June, 1828, he was successively nominated Mate – in Feb. 1829, of the Prince Regent, flag-ship at the time of Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood at Chatham – in Nov. 1829 of the Volage 28, Capt. Lord Colchester, under whom he escorted the ex-Emperor and Empress of Brazil to Cherbourg, and was employed during the winter of 1832 in enforcing the Dutch embargo – in Feb. 1834 (he had been on shore since Jan. 1833) of the Salamander steamer, Capt. Wm. Langford Castle, engaged on Home service – and in Sept. 1835 (six months after the latter vessel had been paid off), of the Rodney 92, Capt. Hyde Parker, stationed in the Mediterranean, whence he invalided in June, 1836. Being at length promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 10 Jan. 1837, Mr. Massingberd, on 21 of the same month, obtained an appointment in that capacity to the Pelorus 16, Capt. Fras. Harding; which vessel, after a very useful career in the East Indies, had the misfortune to be wrecked, at Port Essington, 25 Nov. 1839. For his subsequent services in China, as Senior-Lieutenant of the Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir Thos. Herbert, Mr. Massingberd, who remained in that ship from 20 June, 1841, until paid off in March, 1843, was promoted to the rank of Commander by commission dated 23 Dec. 1842.[1] He has been in command, since 17 Nov. 1846, of the Alecto steam-sloop, of 200 horse-power, on the south-east coast of America.
He married, 3 Sept. 1844, Julia, eldest daughter of Moses Gutteres, Esq., of Belmont, near Sidmouth, Devon. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
MASTERMAN. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 31.)
Charles Henry Masterman was born 20 Nov. 1791, at Chepstow, co. Monmouth. He is first-cousin of Commander Henry Marshall, R.N.; and has lost three brothers in the service of their country.
This officer entered the Navy, 21 May, 1807, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Cambrian 40, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, lying at Portsmouth; and on becoming Midshipman, soon afterwards, of the Zebra bomb, Capt. Wm. Bowles, accompanied the expedition to Copenhagen, where he was for nearly two months employed with the in-shore squadron. In Nov. of the same year he rejoined Capt. Paget on board the Cambrian, commanded next by Capts. Rich. Budd Vincent and Fras. Wm. Fane. After serving in the Channel and Mediterranean, in that vessel and also in the Hind 28, Capts. R. B. Vincent and Geo. Miller Bligh, and Woolwich 44, Capt. Fras. Beaufort, he returned to England in May, 1809, and in the course of the next month was received into the Royal Oak 74, Capt. Lord Amelius Beauclerk, and Stately 64, bearing the flag in the Baltic of Rear-Admiral Thos. Bertie. In the latter ship, when commanded, in 1811, by Capt. Edw. Stirling Dickson, we find Mr. Masterman cooperating in the defence of Cadiz, and assisting in landing the troops previous to the battle of Barossa. From Aug. in that year until his return home in July, 1814, he again served with Capt. Bowles in the Aquilon and Ceres frigates, on the Baltic and South American stations. In the boats of the former vessel, commanded by Lieut. Sam. Sparshott, he aided in destroying a convoy off the Island of Rugen. On leaving the Ceres, he successively joined, on the Home and West India stations, the Nymphen 36, Capt. Matt. Smith, Montagu 74, Capt. Peter Heywood, Warrior 74, flagship of Rear-Admiral J. E. Douglas, Shark sloop, Capt. Alex. Campbell, and Drake 10, Capt. Gregory Grant. The Drake, of which vessel he had been constituted an acting and a confirmed Lieutenant 26 May and 14 July, 1815, he left in Sept. of that year. With the exception of a short time passed about 1825 in the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, he has not been since employed.
Lieut. Masterman is married, and has two sons living. His third son, Samuel, died at the Upper School, Greenwich, in 1839, aged 13.
MASTERS. (Retired Commander, 1841. f-p., 15; h-p., 33.)
James Masters entered the Navy, 23 Aug. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Defiance 74, Capt. Thos. Revell Shivers, attached to the Channel fleet; with which he continued to serve, as Midshipman of the Windsor Castle 98, flag-ship of Sir Andw. Mitchell, and Malta 84, Capt. Albemarle Bertie, until April, 1802; when he again joined Sir A. Mitchell in the Cambrian 40, at Newfoundland. In the following Dec. he removed to the Leander 50, Capts. Jas. Oughton, John Talbot, Alex. Skene, and Henry Whitby; and while in that ship, under Capt. Talbot, be assisted at the taking, 23 Feb. 1805, of La Ville de Milan French frigate of 46 guns, and the simultaneous recapture of her prize, the Cleopatra 32. He was confirmed a Lieutenant, after having acted for four months as such, in the Halifax sloop, Capt. Jas. Townshend, 22 Sept. 1806; and was subsequently appointed – 19 Nov. 1808, to the Bellona 74, Capt. John Erskine Douglas, employed on the Home station, where, in April, 1809, he witnessed the destruction of the shipping in Aix Roads – and, 21 Nov. 1810 and 14 April, 1813, as Senior, to the Lavinia and Niobe frigates, Capts. Geo. Digby and Wm. Augustas Montagu. In those vessels he served in the Mediterranean and off Cadiz and Lisbon until June, 1814. He accepted his present rank 29 Jan. 1841.
MASTERS. (Lieut., 1809. f-p., 9; h-p., 35.)
Thomas James Poole Masters is son of Wm. Masters, Esq., Solicitor, of Hampstead, co. Middlesex.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 Oct. 1803, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Repulse 74, Capt. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge; and was employed during the two following years, the greater part of the time as Midshipman, in the North Sea and off Rochefort and Ferrol, being afforded an opportunity during that period of sharing in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805. In Jan. 1806 he removed to the Iris 32, commanded by Capt. Thos. Lavie; on accompanying whom into the Blanche of 46 guns and 265 men, he assisted, 19 July in the same year, at the capture, off the Faeroe Islands, of the Guerrière French frigate of 50 guns and 317 men, after a severe action, in which the British bad but 4 men wounded, and the enemy 50 killed and wounded. For his gallantry in achieving this exploit Capt. Lavie received the honour of Knighthood. Mr. Masters continued in the Blanche until wrecked, off Ushant, on the night of 4 March, 1807; on which occasion, after floating for many hours on a spar, he was washed on shore, and taken prisoner. At first he was placed en parole at Verdun; whence, owing to his having taken part with a British seaman, he was removed to Givet, and there kept for many months in solitary confinement, subjected the whole time to very cruel treatment. He at length, however, 25 Nov. 1808, contrived to make his escape from the Porte Chaussée, Verdun; and in Jan. 1809 he had the good fortune to reach Trieste; having in the meanwhile travelled not less than 1800 miles on foot, and in disguise, through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and a small part of Austria. He had also crossed the Alps, and had all but perished in the snows on Mount St. Gothard; and, having no passport, had been twice taken up on suspicion. On setting out he had but 18 Napoleons in his possession; and he accomplished the last 500 miles with but 25 francs; eating bread but once a-day, sleeping often in woods among the wolves, and enduring all kinds of hardships and privations. On arriving at Trieste, as above, he contrived to get on board the Unité 36, Capt. Pat.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1843, p. 2950.
