of a boat belonging to that ship, and in the most gallant manner boarded and carried an enemy’s brig under a furious cannonade from the batteries at Marseilles. On 7 of the same month he attacked a French national schooner of the largest class, with a fleet of coasting vessels under her protection; two of the latter were taken, and several driven on shore; but unfortunately, just as he was about to board the schooner, a squall of wind arose, and she was enabled to effect her escape, notwithstanding that he made every effort again to close with her, and; resolutely continued the chase as long as the most distant hope remained of doing so, although his boat had already suffered a severe loss, and he himself had had his thigh-bone fractured. Inconsequence of his wound, for which he now receives a pension of 91l. 5s., he was under the necessity, in the ensuing July, of invaliding. His next appointments were – 6 June, 1815, for a few months, to the Albion 74, Capts. Philip Somerville and Jas. Walker, employed at Portsmouth and Sheerness – and 16 Dec. 1818, to the command, which he retained for about three years, of the Pioneek 10, on the Home station. As Commander, a rank he attained 24 April, 1828, Capt. Oldrey, from 14 March, 1831, until paid off at the close of 1832, served in the West Indies on board the Hyacinth 18. He attained his present rank 28 June, 1838, but has not been since afloat.
OLIVER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 14; h-p., 27.)
George Colin Oliver entered the Navy, in May, 1806, as a Supernumerary, on board the Milan 38, Capt. Sir Robt. Laurie, then on the point of sailing for Newfoundland, where, in the course of the same year, he successively joined the Leander 50 and Leopard 50, both commanded by Capt. Salusbury Pryce Humphreys. On 22 June, 1807, he was present, we believe, in the latter ship when she compelled the U.S. frigate Chesapeake to surrender, in consequence of a refusal on the part of the American Captain to allow her to be searched by the British for deserters. Between 1808 and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 3 March, 1815, we find him employed on the Halifax, Mediterranean, and Home stations, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Swiftsure 74, flag-ship of Sir John Borlase Warren, Laurestinus 24 and Orlando 36, both commanded by Capt. John Clavell, and Nautilus 18, Capts. Thos. Dench and John Bradley. His succeeding appointments were – 17 Oct. 1818, to the Rochfort 80, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Fras. Fremantle and Sir Graham Moore in the Mediterranean – 7 Nov. 1821, to the Racehorse 18, Capt. Hon. Chas. Abbot (now Lord Colchester), on the same station, whence he returned to England and was paid off about Feb. 1822 – and, 23 Dec. 1825, to the Spartiate 74, Capt. Fred. Warren, lying at Portsmouth. Since the close of 1826, at which period be was superseded from the last-mentioned ship at his own request, Lieut. Oliver has been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
OLIVER. (Commander, 1813.)
James Oliver entered the Navy, in 1782, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Otter sloop, Capt. Elias Harvey, stationed in the Baltic. From 1783 until 1785, and from 1788 until 1790, he served at Newfoundland and Gibraltar in the Merlin, Capt. Geo. Lumsdaine, and Mercury, Capt. Montgomery; and on 8 June, 1797, he was promoted to a Lieutenancy in the Alcmène 32, Capts. Wm. Brown, Geo. Hope, Henry Digby, and John Tremayne Rodd. Continuing in that ship for a period of nearly four years, he contributed to the capture, 26 June, 1799, after a long chase and running fight, of the French privateer Courageux, of 28 guns and 253 men. He also, 18 July following, assisted, in partial command of the Alcmène’s boats, at the capture (although protected by two forts and a detached gun in Vivero harbour, on the north coast of Spain) of La Felicidad, a ship of about 800 tons, pierced for 22 guns, with a cargo of hemp, lower masts, and ship timber;[1] and of El Bisarro brig, laden with timber and iron. His appointments, after he left the Alcmène, were – for a few months in 1801, to the Vlieter 44, Capt. Wm. Birchall, off Harwich – 2 Dec. 1803 and 27 Feb. 1807, to the Bacchante 20 (which ship he left in April, 1806) and Franchise 36, both commanded by Capt. Chas. Dashwood – 24 Sept. 1809, to the Polyphemus 64, flag-ship at Jamaica of Vice-Admiral Bartholomew Sam. Rowley – 26 Jan. 1810, to the command of the Découverte schooner, on the same station, whence he invalided in Dec. 1810 – in Oct. 1811, to the Hibernia 120, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew in the Mediterranean – in the following month, to the command of the Carlotta brig – and, 29 Oct. 1813, as Senior, to the Sultan 74, Capt. John West, attached to the force in the Channel. On 3 April, 1805, being at the time First-Lieutenant of the Bacchante, Mr. Oliver assisted at the capture of the Spanish war-schooner Elizabeth, of 10 guns and 47 men. Two days afterwards he was sent with two boats, containing about 35 seamen and marines, to cut out three notorious French privateers reported to be in the harbour of Mariel, near the Havana, the entrance to which was defended by a round tower nearly 40 feet high, armed at the top with 3 long 24-pounders, surrounded with numerous loop-holes for musketry, and garrisoned by a Spanish Captain and 30 soldiers. Being discovered during his approach, Lieut. Oliver, who was in the foremost boat, immediately landed, and, with a degree of gallantry as irresistible as it was heroic, rushed, through a tremendous fire that badly wounded 1 of the only 13 men with him, to the foot of the tower, which, without further loss, he scaled and carried. Having performed this noble exploit, left a Sergeant of Marines and 6 men as a guard at the fort, and been joined by his other boat, under the orders of Lieut. John Campbell, he proceeded in search of the privateers, but to his mortification found that they had sailed the day before on a cruize. Although thus disappointed, he contrived nevertheless to obtain possession of, and bring off, two schooners laden with sugar, notwithstanding that they were lying alongside a wharf, under repeated discharges of musketry from the troops and militia, who were pouring down in numbers from the adjacent country.[2] In spite, however, of the glowing terms in which his conduct on this occasion was reported by Capt. Dashwood, Lieut. Oliver was suffered to remain unpromoted for upwards of eight years. During that period he was present, in the Franchise, at the bombardment of Copenhagen in Sept. 1807, and at the capture, in Dec. 1808, of the town of Samana, St. Domingo, almost the last port of refuge on the station for the enemy’s privateers. In the Découverte he sustained so serious an injury in the left eye, from arduous and active service, as to be obliged, as above stated, to invalid; and, in April, 1812, he had the misfortune to lose the Carlotta on the coast of Sicily, on which occasion, through exertion and fatigue in saving a quantity of specie, he again lost the use of his eye. His advancement to the rank of Commander at length took place 4 Dec. 1813, since which period, however, he has not been able to procure employment.
His son, Wm. Browne Oliver, is a Commander R.N.
OLIVER. (Commander, 1844.)
Richard Aldworth Oliver is son of Admiral Oliver.
This officer entered the Navy (from the Royal Naval College) 26 April, 1825; passed his examination in 1830; and obtained his first commission 28 June,
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1799, p. 984. The part taken in the above affair by the subject of the present narrative has been erroneously attributed by Mr. James, in his ‘Naval History,’ to the late Retired-Commander Wm. Sandford Oliver.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1805, pp. 772-3. The conduct of this achievement, too, is by Mr. James ascribed, in error, to the late Commander Thos. Oliver.
