fought off Lissa; on which occasion a British squadron, carrying in the whole 156 guns and 879 men, completely routed, after a battle of six hours and a loss to the above ship of 15 men killed and 47 wounded, a Franco-Venetian armament, whose force amounted to 284 guns and 2655 men. On the victory being accomplished he was sent to Malta in charge of La Bellona, one of the captured French frigates. Accompanying Capt. Hoste as his First-Lieutenant, in Nov. 1811, into the Bacchante 38, he continued, in that frigate also, to share in a great variety of service in the Adriatic. On the night of 31 Aug. 1812, having been detached in command of the boats, he cut out from the port of Lema seven vessels laden with ship-timber for the Venetian government, together with La Tisiphone French national xebec, of 1 6-pounder, 2 3-pounders, and 28 men, one gun-boat, with a 9-pounder, 2 3-pounders, and 24 men, and another of 1 9-pounder and 20 men, intended for the protection of the trade on the coast of Istria, from Pola to Trieste. This service was fortunately executed without any loss, owing chiefly to the arrangements of Lieut. O’Brien, the gallantry and promptitude with which he led the boats to the attack, and the brave and determined support he received from those under his orders.[1] On 18 of the ensuing Sept. he was again sent, with the boats, six in number, containing 72 officers and men, to effect the capture of eight armed-vessels, carrying in the whole 8 long 12pounders, 6 swivels, and 104 men, and a convoy of 18 sail, laden chiefly with oil and almonds, which the Bacchante had chased between Tremiti and Vasto on the coast of Apulia. Leading to the attack with his accustomed valour, Lieut. O’Brien’s fearless exertions were again crowned with success; the enemy, notwithstanding a heavy fire of grape and musketry, were impetuously assailed, and driven in every direction from their vessels; while a party of marines, under Lieut. Wm. Haig, landing, forced the fugitives from a neighbouring wood, and thereby gave the coup-de-grace to the affair. “I want words,” says Capt. Hoste in his report to Rear-Admiral Fremantle, “to convey to you my admiration of the determined manner in which this service was performed.”[2] Its brave conductor was in consequence promoted to the rank of Commander 22 Jan. 1813; but before the receipt of his commission he appears to have been concerned in the achievement of two other exploits deserving of notice; the first in Nov. 1812, when, with the boats of the Bacchante, and Eagle and Achille 74’s, he brought off a large quantity of government oak-timber from the beach near Fesano, a small town in the vicinity of Pola, in face of 300 soldiers; and the second in Jan. 1813, on 6 of which month his prompt and judicious measures enabled him, after a good deal of firing and much resistance, to board, near Otranto, a gun-boat carrying 2 pivot-guns and 36 men, and then to pursue and capture two other vessels of a similar description.[3] In April, 1813, Capt. O’Brien left the Bacchante, receiving at the same time, for the cordial co-operation he had at all times afforded, the sincere and public thanks of Capt. Hoste, who availed himself of the opportunity of proclaiming “that his promotion, as it had been gained entirely by his own exertions, unassisted by interest, held to the remaining officers a striking example that meritorious service would meet its own reward.” He shortly afterwards returned to England a passenger in the Thunder bomb, Capt. Watkin Owen Pell; but it was not until 1818 that he again succeeded in procuring employment. Obtaining command, in Aug. of that year, of the Slaney 20, he sailed in the ensuing Dec. for the South American station, and in May, 1819, he reached Valparaiso. During his stay in the Pacific, a period of more than 12 months, it was Capt. O’Brien’s fortune to render many essential services to British commerce on the coasts of Chili and Peru. On his subsequent arrival in the Rio de la Plata, we find him hoisting for a short time the broad pendant of Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy; by whom, on his departure on service round Cape Horn, he was left Senior officer at Buenos Ayres. This happened at a very critical period, just as the latter state had been involved in war with the neighbouring provinces; and Capt. O’Brien had in consequence many harassing and perplexing duties to perform. One result, we may here observe, of the opening hostilities had been a manifesto published by the Buenos Ayrean government for the purpose of compelling all the British residents to organize themselves into a regiment. This measure, attended as it was likely to be with a large sacrifice of property, demanded of course strenuous opposition on the part of Capt. O’Brien; who, after a long and painful discussion, succeeded in extracting from the authorities a document, exempting every British resident from being drawn for military service, or in any way required to act hostilely against its recently-declared enemies. In Oct. 1821, having been advanced to Post-rank on 5 of the preceding March, he was superseded in the command of the Slaney. He took a passage home in the Owen Glendower frigate, and has not been since able to procure employment.
Capt. O’Brien married, 28 June, 1825, Hannah, youngest daughter of the late John Walmsley, Esq., of Castle-Meer, in Lancashire, and sister of Geo. Walmsley, Esq., of Bolesworth Castle, co. Chester, by whom he has had issue seven children. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
O’BRIEN. (Captain, 1829. f-p., 1 6; h-p., 24.)
Joseph O’Brien entered the Navy, 25 June, 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Edgar 74, Capts.- Jas. Macnamara and Stephen Poyntz, employed off Rochefort and in the Baltic and North Sea. In Aug. 1808 he was present, as Midshipman, at the embarkation of the Spanish troops under the Marquis de la Romana; and in March, 1810, he removed to the Berwick 74, Capts. Jas. Macnamara, Sir Robt. Laurie, and Edw. Brace, stationed at first off Flushing and Cherbourg, and then in the Mediterranean. In the latter ship, of which he was created a Lieutenant 1 Oct. 1814, he witnessed the fall of Genoa, and was present in 1815 at the siege of Gaeta. While next attached, between July and Nov. 1816, to the Impregnable 98, also commanded by Capt. Brace, Mr. O’Brien fought under the flag of Rear-Admiral David Milne at the bombardment of Algiers. His succeeding appointments were, on the West India station – 11 Dec. 1822, to the Gloucester 74, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen – 29 Dec. 1823, to the Pyramus 42, Capt. Fras. Newcombe – 10 Oct. 1824, to the command of the Renegade schooner – and, 1 Nov. following, to the Rattlesnake 28, Capts. Hugh Patton and John Leith. He was advanced (from the Isis 50, flag-ship of Sir Lawrence Wm. Halsted) to the command of the Beaver sloop 3 May, 1826; and next appointed (still in the West Indies) – 24 April, 1828, to the Espiègle 18 – and, 5 Jan. 1829, to the Slaney 20. Since his Post-promotion,which took place 8 Aug. in the latter year, the Captain has been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
O’BRIEN. (Lieut, 1838. f-p., 18; h-p., 8.)
Robert O’Brien, born 17 Aug. 1808, at Ardfry, co. Galway, is third son of Retired Rear-Admiral Robt. O’Brien (1837), of co. Clare, who commanded the Doris 42, in the East Indies, at the close of the war, and died about Jan. 1838, at Cheltenham, by his first-cousin Anne O’Brien, herself a first-cousin of the present Earl of Charlemont. He is grandson of the late, and first-cousin of the present. Sir Lucius O’Brien, Bart., of Dromoland, co. Clare. This officer entered the Royal Naval College 7 June, 1821; and embarked, in June, 1823, as Midshipman, on board the Ranger 28, Capt. Peter Fisher, employed at first in the Channel, and then in the Mediterranean. Between June, 1825, and March, 1828, in the course of which month he passed his examination, he served, on the South American
