April, 1823, and, again, 4 Sept. 1824, to the post of Agent for Transports Afloat – and, 8 April, 1825, to the command of the Vigilant cutter of 12 guns, on the Plymouth station. He was advanced to his present rank 7 May, 1828; and was subsequently, from 6 July, 1830, until 1833, and, again, from 20 March, 1835, until 1838, employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard.
The Commander, who is Chief Constable for co. Wilts, married, 21 June, 1819, Lydia, third daughter of John Dyer, Esq., Secretary of Greenwich Hospital. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
MERRIMAN. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 8; h-p., 33.)
Charles Merriman entered the Navy, 9 Oct. 1806, as Third-cl. Vol., on board the Pheasant 18, Capt. John Palmer; and in the course of 1807 was present at the storming of Monte Video, and in all the operations which preceded the evacuation of Spanish America by the British. He was employed during the next four years on the Home station, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, under Lord Amelius Beauclerk, in the Saturn and Royal Oak 74’s; and in the latter ship, in 1809, he accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren. He afterwards, until May, 1814, served, chiefly off the coasts of France, Spain, and Holland, in the Tigre and Rivoli 74’s, Capts. John Halliday and Graham Eden Hamond, Challenger 16, Capt. Fred. Edw. Vernon (now Harcourt), and Leveret sloop, Capt. Jonathan Christian. In the Challenger, Mr. Merriman, in 1813, co-operated in the attack upon St. Sebastian, and assisted at the capture of Le Flibustier French national brig, mounting 16 guns, a brass howitzer, and 4 swivels, and laden with treasure, arms, ammunition, and salt provisions. His last appointment was to the Coast Guard, in which service he continued from 27 Nov. 1821 until 17 Oct. 1822. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 27 Feb. 1815. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
METCALFE. (Commander, 1841.)
William Charles Metcalfe entered the Navy 7 Oct. 1824; served as Midshipman of the Asia 84, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Codrington, at the battle of Navarin, 20 Oct. 1827; passed his examination in 1832; and obtained his first commission 7 March, 1837. His succeeding appointments were – 24 of the same month, to the Malabar 74, Capts. Sir Wm. Augustus Montagu and Edw. Harvey, with whom he served, on the Lisbon and North America and West India stations, until paid off in the following year – and 7 Nov. 1839, to the Blonde 42, Capt. Thos. Bourchier. For his conduct in that ship during the campaign in China, where he witnessed the first and second capture of Canton, he wag advanced to his present rank 8 Oct. 1841. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
METHERELL. (Lieut., 1823. f-p., 25; h-p., 12.)
Richard Roe Metherell entered the Navy, in May, 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Arethusa 38, Capts. Robt. Mends and Fras. Holmes Coffin, with whom he continued actively employed on the north coast of Spain, and on the African and West India stations, until July, 1813 – the last two years and two months in the capacity of Midshipman. He then removed to the Cyndus 38, Capts. Fred. Langford and Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer; and, after an intermediate servitude on the Home, West India, and Halifax stations, was next, from May to Oct. 1816, attached to the Impregnable 104, and Berwick 74, flag-ships at Plymouth of Sir John Thos. Duckworth. Between May, 1818, and Oct. 1819, we find him officiating as Master’s Mate, in the East Indies and at the Cape of Good Hope, of the Phaeton 46, Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon. He subsequently, in Nov. 1820, joined the Surinam 18, Capts. Wm. M‘Kenzie Godfrey, Alfred Matthews, and Chas. Crole, employed at first on the Barbadoes, and then on the Jamaica station; where he was confirmed a Lieutenant, 27 March, 1823, in the Tyne 26, Capts. John Edw. Walcott and John Walter Roberts. He left that vessel in Jan. 1824; and was afterwards appointed – 25 Oct. 1827, to the Britomart 10, Capts. Russell Henry Manners and Edw. John Johnson, employed on the Plymouth and Lisbon stations – 22 Aug. 1831 and 29 Feb. 1832, as Senior, to the Ariadne 28, and Columbine 18, Capts. Chas. Phillips and Henry Ommanney Love, both in the West Indies, whence he returned in March, 1834 – and 18 Nov. 1835, to the Coast Guard, in which service he remained until 1843. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
MEYNELL. (Lieutenant, 1846.)
Francis Meynell served as Midshipman, during the campaign in China, on board the Calliope 26, Capt. Thos. Herbert, and was mentioned for the assistance he rendered at the capture, 13 March, 1841, of the last fort protecting the approaches to the city of Canton.[1] He passed his examination 17 Dec. 1842; and after having served for upwards of two years on the coast of Africa, as Mate, in the Penelope steamer. Commodore Wm. Jones, Rapid 10, Lieut.-Commander Edw. Chas. Earle, and Star 6, Capt. Robt. John Wallace Dunlop, was presented with a commission dated 15 Jan. 1846, and reappointed, in the capacity of Additional-Lieutenant, to the Penelope. He went on half-pay soon afterwards, and has not been since employed.
MEYNELL. (Capt., 1816. f-p., 12; h-p., 32.)
Henry Meynell is second son of the late Hugo Meynell, Esq., of Hoar Cross, by Hon. Elizabeth Ingram, daughter and co-heiress of Viscount Irwin, whose elder daughter married the second Marquess of Hertford. Capt. Meynell is next brother of the present Hugo Chas. Meynell-lngram, of Temple Newsam, co. York, and Hoar Cross, co. Stafford, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for the latter shire, and High Sheriff in 1826; and brother-in-law of Wm. Beckett, Esq., of Kirkstall Grange, co. York, M.P. for Leeds, and Lieut.-Colonel of the Yorkshire Hussars.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 June, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Isis 50, Capts. Wm. Grenville Lobb and John Acworth Ommanney, bearing the successive flags of Vice-Admirals Jas. Gambier and Sir Erasmus Gower at Newfoundland, where he remained until Feb. 1805. Between the following month and July, 1806, we again find him serving with Capt. Lobb, chiefly in the capacity of Midshipman, in the Pomone 38 and Captain 74, on the Lisbon and Home stations. Towards the close of the year last mentioned he joined, first the Boreas 22, Capt. Robt. Scott, and then the Lavinia 40, Capt. Lord Wm. Stuart, in which frigate, it appears, he continued employed at Home and in the Mediterranean until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 8 Nov. 1809. He witnessed in consequence the surrender of a frigate and store-ship, contributed to the cutting-out of several vessels from under the enemy’s batteries, carried a prize on one occasion to Malta, and assisted, we believe, in forcing the passage between the batteries of Flushing and Cadsand during the expedition to the Walcheren. Obtaining an appointment, 16 Jan. 1810, to the Theban 36, Capt. Stephen Thos. Digby, Mr. Meynell, after cruizing for a considerable time in the Channel (where he commanded the boats at the capture, 2 Feb. 1811, of a French merchant-brig lying aground under two batteries near Dieppe[2]), sailed with convoy for the East Indies and China;[3]
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1503.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 205.
- ↑ The following is an extract from a letter addressed to the author by an officer who was on board the Theban at the period to which it refers:– “On 18 March, 1811, the Theban having been ordered to Portsmouth to refit, entered the harbour under royals; let go the anchor off the Perseverance hulk at half-past eleven o’clock; and by half-past twelve that is to say in one hour – the ship was secured to the hulk and completely stripped to the lower masts, the sails and rigging made up, with the yards and small spars on board the hulk. Capt. H. Meynell was the Senior Lieutenant then doing duty.”
