66
BEDFORD—BEDWELL—BEECHEY.
in 1829-30, attached to the Victory 104, Capt. Hon. Geo. Elliot, at Portsmouth; passed his examination in the course of the latter year; then joined the Protector, and afterwards the Fairy, both engaged, under Capt. Wm. Hewett, in the survey of the North Sea; obtained his first commission 19 Dec. 1834; and, on 9 Dec. 1835, assumed command of the Raven, employed in surveying the coast of Africa, in which vessel he continued until the close of 1838. He was advanced to his present rank 14 Sept. 1843; and, since 1 July, 1844, has been conducting, as Additional-Commander of the Cyclops and Crocodile, the survey of the West Coast of Ireland.
He married, 13 Sept. 1839, Eliza, youngest daughter of the late Lieut. Wm. Renwick, R.N., of Greenwich Hospital.
BEDFORD. (Lieutenant, 1826.)
John William Bedford entered the Navy 10 March, 1817; served during the Burmese War as Midshipman of the Alligator 28, Capt. Thos. Alexander, and Larne 20, Capt. Fred. Marryat; passed his examination in 1825; and obtained his commission 18 Dec. 1826. He was appointed, 16 June, 1842, to the Niagara 20, Capt. Williams Sandom, on the Lakes of Canada; assumed command, 3 April, 1843, of the Mohawk steam-vessel, on Lake Ontario; and since 20 Nov. in the same year has been in charge of a station in the Coast Guard. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
BEDFORD. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
Robert Tench Bedford is brother of Lieut. D. B. Bedford, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 1 Sept. 1827; passed his examination 11 Nov. 1834; and served as Mate of the Hastings 72, Capt. John Lawrence, throughout the Syrian campaign of 1840. On 2 Oct. in that year he accompanied Capt. Hen. John Worth in the attack on the castle of Beyrout, and was present with him at the gallant destruction of the train which had been laid to the magazine; and in the course of the same day he was employed in the boats, under Capt. Fras. Decimus Hastings, in a renewed and very successful attempt made to remove the powder there located.[1] Since his promotion, which took place 23 Oct. 1841, at which period he was serving on board the Illustrious 72, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Adam, on the North America and West India station, Mr. Bedford’s appointments have been – on 30 of the latter month, to the Vanguard 80, Capt. Sir Dav. Dunn, in the Mediterranean – 22 Feb. 1842, to the Queen 110, in which ship, and the Formidable 84, he officiated for a considerable time as Flag-Lieutenant on the same station to Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen – and, 9 Dec. 1845, to the Superb 80, Capt. Armar Lowry Corry, now attached to the Squadron in the Channel.
Lieut. Bedford was appointed Gentleman Usher in Residence to the Queen Dowager 2 Jan. 1846.
BEDWELL. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 9; h-p., 32.)
Edward Parker Bedwell entered the Navy, 17 Dec. 1806, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Ceres, Lieut.Commander Geo. Wastell Hooper; on removing from which ship, as Midshipman, to the Cherub 18, Capt. Geo. Ravenshaw, he co-operated with the Swedes at the defence of Stralsund and the island of Rugen – attended the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen – and, early in 1808, proceeded with convoy to the West Indies. In Nov. following he joined L’Epervier 18, Capt. Alex. Nesbitt; and he continued to serve on the same station until 1812, as Master’s Mate, successively, of the Snap 16, Capt. Thos. Barclay, Peruvian 18, Capts. Fras. Dickinson and Amos Freeman Westropp, Mercury 32, Capt. Westropp, and Helena 18, Capt. Henry Montresor. During that period he assisted at the reduction of the French and Dutch islands of Martinique, Guadeloupe, the Saintes, St. Martin’s, and St. Eustatius; and was also instrumental to the capture and destruction of many of the enemy’s armed vessels, privateers, and merchantmen, particularly of the French national brig Le Cygne of 18 guns, which was driven on shore under the batteries of Pearl Rook, Martinique, after a contest of four hours, and ultimately annihilated; of the Yankee American privateer, taken after a chase of 12 hours; and of the Portsea East Indiaman, recaptured by the Helena. In Feb. 1813, soon after his return home, Mr. Bedwell jomed the Success troop-ship, Capt. Thos. Barclay, and proceeded to the Chesapeake, where he witnessed, also as Master’s Mate, the attack on Craney Island and Hampton. On his removal, in Dec. following, to La Hogue 74, Capt. Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel, he served, as Midshipman, at the blockade of New London. He next aided, in the boats, at the total destruction, 8th April, 1814, near Pettipague Point, of 27 of the enemy’s vessels, together with all their dockyards and stores, a service which obtained from the Commander-in-Chief a public letter of thanks; and, on 31 May, while endeavouring, in the yawl, to destroy a ship under Long Island, he received two severe gun-shot wounds, from the effects of which he still suffers, the balls never having been extracted. We should not omit to state that, for his conduct on a previous occasion, when nearly thrown overboard during a mutiny in a prize of which he had charge to Bermuda, Mr. Bedwell had been highly complimented by Capt. Skipsey, President of the court-martial which subsequently sentenced the ringleaders. After serving for some months in the West Indies, on board La Pique 36, Capt. Hon. Anthony Maitland, he returned to England, and was paid off 22 July, 1815; antecedently to which, on 28 Feb., he had been promoted to his present rank. He has not since been employed.
Lieut. Bedwell, in consideration of his wounds, was presented with a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund. He married, 5 Nov. 1830, Harriet, daughter of the Rev. Wm. Creasy Drew, Rector of Sandingham-cum-Bavingley, and of North Runcton, co. Norfolk, by whom he has issue.
BEDWELL. (Lieut., 1821. f-p., 13; h-p., 24.)
Frederick Bedwell entered the Navy, 8 Sept. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Woolwich, Master-Commander Rich. Turner, employed in the Mediterranean; and, from Dec. 1811, until May, 1815, as Midshipman of the Grampus 50, and Marlborough, Sceptre, and Albion 74’s, was the constant companion of the present Sir Geo. Cockburn in all his operations at the defence of Cadiz and in the Chesapeake. We soon afterwards find him, on being appointed with the same gallant officer to the Northumberland 74, escorting, as Master’s Mate, Napoleon Buonaparte to St. Helena. After a brief attachment, in the autumn of 1816, to the Weymouth store-ship, Master-Commander Rich. Turner, he sailed on a surveying expedition to New South Wales, and, while there, was promoted into the Bathurst sloop, Capt. Philip Parker King, 7 July, 1821. He has been on half-pay since 1823.
BEECHEY, F.R.S., &c. (Captain, 1827. f-p., .30; h-p., 11.)
Frederick William Beechey, born 17 Feb. 1796, is son of the late Sir Wm. Beechey, Kt.; brother of Commander Rich. Brydges Beechey, R.N.; and brother-in-law of Lord Grantley.
This officer entered the Navy, 7 July, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Hibernia 110, bearing the flag in the Channel of Earl St. Vincent; attained the rating of Midshipman 8 Jan. 1807; and, until Jan. 1803, continued to serve in the same ship with Capts. Tristram Robt. Ricketts, Wm. Bedford, John Conn, and Chas. Marsh Schomberg; under the latter of whom and the flag of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, he escorted to a certain distance the Royal Family of Portugal on its flight to the Brazils in Nov. 1807. He next, for a short period, joined, with Capt. Schomberg, the Minotaur 74, stationed off Lisbon; then accompanied the same officer and Sir W. S. Smith to Rio Janeiro in the Foudroyant 80; and, after a further attachment with Capt. Schomberg to the President
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1840, p. 2610.
