Mediterranean, and, after assisting at the capture of the Spanish national vessel El Fuerte de Gibraltar, of 4 guns and 59 men, proceeded to the West Indies. After passing a few weeks off Lisbon in the Pomone 38, Capt. Wm. Grenville Lobb, he was again, in Sept. 1805, placed under the orders of the Hon. D. P. Bouverie in L’Aimable 32. Following the same Captain, as Master’s Mate, in Feb. 1806, into the Medusa 32, he took part in that frigate in all the operations in the Rio de la Plata, from Oct. 1806 until her return to England with Lieut.-General Whitelocke in Sept. 1807, including the capture of Maldonado and the island of Gorriti. Besides assisting at the capture of several privateers, we find him, in 1808, ordered to the coast of Labrador in fruitless pursuit, jointly with the Thalia 36, Capt. Thos. Manby, of two French frigates, and experiencing in consequence three months of great privation and hardship. On his subsequent arrival at the Cape of Good Hope in the Scipion 74, flag-ship of Hon. Robt. Stopford, he was nominated, 5 April, 1811, Acting-Lieutenant of the Racehorse 18, Capt. Jas. De Rippe, a circumstance which afforded him an opportunity, 20 May following, when in company off Madagascar with the 36-gun frigates Astraea, Phoenix [errata 1], and Galatea, of assisting, after a long and warmly-contested action with the French 40-gun frigates Rénommée, Clorinde, and Néréide, at the capture of the Rénommée, and, on 25 of the same month, of the Néréide and the settlement of Tamatave. He was confirmed a Lieutenant of the Racehorse 2 Jan. 1812, but was superseded in Nov. of the same year, and has not since been afloat. Lieut. Nichols is Senior of 1812.
NICHOLSON. (Lieutenant, 1845.)
Frederick Falkiner Nicholson passed his examination 29 March, 1843; served as Mate on board the Volage 26, Capt. Sir Wm. Dickson, and Dolphin brigantine, Lieut.-Commander Reginald Thos. John Levinge; and for his conduct in the action of the Parana, detailed in our memoir of the latter officer, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 18 Nov. 1845. His appointments have since been – 26 June, 1846, to the Vernon 50, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Sam. Hood Inglefield on the southeast coast of America – and, 4 Nov. 1846, to the Comus 18, Capt. Edwin Clayton Tennyson D’Eyncourt, on the same station, where he is still employed.
NICHOLSON. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 18; h-p., 24.)
Richard Adams Nicholson entered the Royal Naval College 14 May, 1805; and embarked, 23 Dec. 1808, on board the Orion 74, Capt. Sir Archibald Collingwood Dickson, employed in the Baltic and North Sea. In Dec. 1813 he removed to the Royal Sovereign 100, Capts. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild and Chas. Thurlow Smith, on the Mediterranean station; and in May, 1815, after having there served for 12 months as Master’s Mate in the Alcmène 38, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan, he took up a commission dated 18 of the preceding Feb. He has been in command, since 27 June, 1839, of a station in the Coast Guard.
He married, 9 April, 1839, Miss Catherine Strong, of Fratton, daughter of the late Mr. Rich. Strong, R.N.
NICKOLL. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 17; h-p., 32.)
Edward Nickoll entered the Navy, 2 Nov. 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Southampton 32, Capt. John Harvey, and in the following Dec. attained the rating of Midshipman. After assisting at the reduction of the Virgin Islands he followed Capt. Harvey, in June, 1801, into the Amphitrite frigate, in which ship he continued to serve with Capt. Fred. Warren off Lymington until the ensuing Oct. In Feb. 1803 he joined the Hussar 38, Capt. Philip Wilkinson, under whom, while returning with despatches from Ferrol, he was wrecked on the southernmost part of the Saintes, on the night of 8 Feb. 1804. In consequence of this misfortune he remained a prisoner in France until May, 1814. Returning then to England, he was employed for five months off Deal in the Monmouth 64, Capt. Wm. Wilkinson. He served next, from May to Aug. 1815, in the Heron sloop, Capt. Fras. Annesley, off Dungeness; and at the end of that period he took up a commission dated 27 of the preceding Feb. He has since been on half-pay. Agent – J. Hinxman.
NICKOLL. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 26; h-p., 17.)
James Harvey Nickoll entered the Navy, 2 Sept. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Agamemnon 64, Capt. John Harvey, previously to accompanying whom, in Sept. 1805, into the Canada 74, he fought in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets off Cape Finisterre. In Dec. 1807, on his return in the Canada from the West Indies, he joined the Éclair sloop, Capt. Chas. Gordon; and on subsequently proceeding with the latter officer, in the Caroline 36, to the East Indies, he assisted at the destruction, during the month of Nov. 1809, of more than 80 piratical vessels at Ras-al-Khyma and other ports in the Persian Gulf. On 18 Sept. 1810, having followed Capt. Gordon into the Ceylon, of 40 guns and 295 men, he was captured in that frigate off the Isle of France, after a violent intermittent night action of three hours, and a loss of 10 killed and 31 wounded, by the French ships Vénus of 44 guns and 380 men, and Victor of 16 guns. The Ceylon being retaken in the course of the same day by the Boadicea 33, in company with the Otter brig, Mr. Nickoll, who continued in her under the orders of Capts. Jas. Tomkinson and Wm. Paterson until May, 1811, was afforded an opportunity of co-operating in the reduction of the Mauritius. From the date last mentioned until July, 1815, we find him employed on the North American and Brazilian stations in the Valiant 74, Capts. Robt. Dudley Oliver and Zachary Mudge. He then found that he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 6 Feb. 1815. His next appointment was, 18 Sept. 1820, to the Wye 26, Capt. Peter Fisher, on the Home station, where he served for some months. He has been in command, since 3 April, 1833, of a station in the Coast Guard.
NICOLAS, C.B., K.H., K.F.M. (Captain, 1815. f-p., 29; h-p., 21.)
John Toup Nicolas, born 22 Feb. 1788, is eldest son of the late Retired Commander John Harris Nicolas, R.N.,[1] of East Looe, co. Cornwall, by Margaret, youngest daughter and co-heir of John Blake, Esq., and grand-daughter of the Rev. John Keigwin, Vicar of Landrake. He is brother of Paul Harris Nicolas, Esq., First-Lieutenant R.M., who served on board the Belleisle 74 at the battle of Trafalgar; of Lieut. Wm. Keigwin Nicolas, R.N.; and of Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, G.C.M.G., K.H., Lieutenant R.N. One of his uncles, Paul Harris Nicolas, an Alderman of East Looe, was father of the late Capt. Nicholas Harris Nicolas of the Royal Artillery; and another, the late Major Nicholas Harris Nicolas (who died in Nov. 1816), after having held a commission in the Royal Marines, and been severely wounded at the battle of Bunker’s Hill, removed into the line, became a Captain in the 44th and 89th regts., and, subsequently to the peace
- ↑ Commander J. H. Nicolas was born in 1758. He entered the Navy in 1772; served in the Orpheus 32 at the blockade of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia; attained the rank of Lieutenant in 1779; and between that period and 1786 was employed in the Ocean 90, as senior in the Buffalo 60, and in command, for two years, of the Sprightly cutter. From 1792 until 1798 he regulated the Impress service at Dartmouth in a manner most creditable to himself and satisfactory to the inhabitants. His prudent and spirited conduct on one occasion saved the town from being destroyed by fire. In 1798 he was appointed to command the Sea Fencibles on the coast of Devon; and from 1808 until 1810 he commanded the Résolue guard-ship at Plymouth, He was placed on the list of Retired Commanders 17 March, 1814, snd died 12 July, 1844.
