manded by Capt. Edm. Nagle. For his conduct in the latter ship during an action of 40 minutes which preceded the surrender of La Révolutionnaire of 44 guns and 351 men, 8 of whom were killed and 5 wounded, with a loss to the British of 3 killed and 5 wounded, Mr. Oliver was made Commander, 21 Oct. 1794 (the date of the occurrence), into the Terror bomb, at Portsmouth. He removed, 3 Nov. following, to the Hazard sloop; and, after a servitude of a year and five months in that vessel on the coast of Ireland, he was posted, 30 April, 1796, into the Nonsuch, lying in the river Humber. His subsequent appointments were – 2 Feb. 1798, to the Nemesis 28 – 26 March, 1799, to the Mermaid 32 – 23 March, 1803 (having left the Mermaid in the preceding July), to the Melpomène 38 – 22 Oct. 1805, for twelve months, to the Mars 74 – and, 2 May, 1810, to the Valiant 74. In the Nemesis Capt. Oliver escorted convoy to Quebec; and in the Mermaid he made a voyage to the Mediterranean; where, previously to his return with Lord Hutchinson, the conqueror of Egypt, to England, he effected the capture of three corvettes and upwards of 70 sail of vessels, and chased the largest frigate in the possession of France into Toulon.[1] While in command of the Melpomène[2] we find him in 1804-5 engaged in blockading the French coast, and on two occasions conducting the bombardment of Havre de Grace. [3] On 28 July, 1806, being at the time in the Mars, he made prize, off the coast of France, after a chase of more than 150 miles, and in presence of three other heavy French frigates, of Le Rhin of 44 guns and 318 men.[4] While in the Valiant, the command of which ship he resigned in July, 1814, Capt. Oliver cruized in the North Sea, Channel, and West Indies, assisted at the capture, 17 June, 1813, of the Porcupine letter-of-marque, of 20 guns and 72 men, and was a considerable time employed at the blockade of New York, New London, and other places on the American coast. He became a Rear-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819; a Vice-Admiral 22 July, 1830; and a full Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.
He married, 19 June, 1805, Mary, daughter of the late Sir Chas. Saxton, Bart., Commissioner of the Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth, by whom he has issue five sons and one daughter. One of the sons, Richard Aldworth, is a Commander R.N. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
OLIVER. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 26; h-p., 7.)
William Browne Oliver, born 12 March, 1802, is son of Commander Jas. Oliver, R.N.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 1 Aug. 1814, and embarked, 21 June, 1817, as a Volunteer, on board the Tamar 26, Capts. Thos. Rich. Toker and Hon. John Gordon, attached to the force at Newfoundland. In Dec. 1819 he removed, as Midshipman, to the Redpole 10, Capts. Wm. Devereux Evance, Patrick Duff, Henry Hay, and Rich. Anderson, employed at first in the Channel and then in the Mediterranean; whence, in the summer of 1822, he returned to England in the Larne 20, Capt. Robt. Tait. After a servitude of four years in South America as a passed Midshipman and Mate in the Tartar 42, Capt. Thos. Brown, and Diamond 46, Capt. Lord Napier, he joined, in Dec. 1826, the Pyramus 42, Capt. Geo. Rose Sartorius, on the Channel station; and he was next, in Jan. 1828, appointed to the Terror bomb, Capt. David Hope. For his exertions in saving that vessel when shortly afterwards cast away on the coast of Portugal, and the great assistance he afforded throughout the laborious operations which took place before she was rendered fit to return to England, he was sent in the following summer to the Mediterranean on promotion in the Meteor bomb, also commanded by Capt. Hope (whose Memoir see). He was there made Lieutenant, 25 Aug. 1829, into the Erebus bomb, Capt. Philip Broke; and he was subsequently appointed – in July, 1830, as a Student, to the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth, where he remained one year – 11 Oct. 1832, to the Serpent 16, Capts. John Chas. Symonds, Mark Halpen Sweny, and Evan Nepean, of which sloop, stationed for upwards of three years in the West Indies, he was for a long time First-Lieutenant and twice Acting-Commander – and 3 April, 1837, to the command (as a reward for meritorious conduct) of the Fair Rosamond schooner of 2 guns, fitting for the coast of Africa. In the latter vessel, in which he continued until 1 Oct. 1840, Lieut. Oliver, who went through scenes of great mortality, was most active in his efforts in the cause of freedom, and captured not less than nine slavers. He was in consequence advanced to his present rank 23 Nov. 1841. Since 18 July, 1845, he has been employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. We may add that he has thoroughly qualified himself in the art of steam navigation.
OLIVER. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 18; h-p., 35.)
William Sandford Oliver died in 1845.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 Jan. 1793, as a Supernumerary, on board the Polyphemus 64, employed in the North Sea; and from the following Oct. until June, 1799, served as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Cerberus 32, Capts. John Drew and Jas. Macnamara, on the Irish station; where, in Nov. 1797, he assisted at the capture of the privateers Epervier of 16 guns and 145 men, and Rénard of 18 guns and 189 men, besides sharing in an action with the Buonaparte, another privateer of 32 guns and 250 men. After acting for a short time in the Channel as Lieutenant of the Bellona and Russel 74’s, he was confirmed, 26 Sept. 1799, into the Seagull, Capts. Henry Wray and Thos. Lavie, on the Guernsey station. His succeeding appointments were – 24 Nov. 1800, to the Royal George 100, in the Channel – 3 Jan. 1801, to the Hussar 38, Capts. Lord Viscount Garlies and Wm. Brown, on the Irish station, where he remained until July, 1802 – 27 Sept. 1803, to the Terrible 74, Capt. Lord Henry Paulet, attached to the Channel Fleet – 8 Nov. 1804, to the Severn 40, bearing the flag of the Prince de Bouillon off Jersey – in April, 1805, for a passage to Gibraltar, to the Queen 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral John Knight – in May following, to the San Juan 74, as Flag-Lieutenant to the latter officer at the place last mentioned – and 14 May, 1806, and 6 Dec. 1811, to the command of the Spider and Martial brigs in the Mediterranean and North Sea. He went on half-pay in March, 1812; became a Retired Commander on the Junior List 26 Nov. 1830; and was transferred, 3 May, 1844, to the Senior List.
OMMANNEY. (Captain, 1846.)
Erasmus Ommanney is son of the late Sir Fras. Molyneux Ommanney, Kt., M.P. for Barnstaple, the well-known Navy Agent; and nephew of Vice-Admiral Sir John Acworth Ommanney, K.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy 15 July, 1826; passed his examination in 1833; and obtained his first commission 10 Dec. 1835. His succeeding appointments were – 28 Dec. 1835, to the Cove, Capt. Jas. Clark Ross, employed on particular service – 7 Oct. 1836, to the Pique 36, Capt. Henry John Rous, attached to the force off Lisbon – and, 18 Oct. 1837, to the Donegal 78, as Flag-Lieutenant to his uncle Sir J. A. Ommanney, on the station last named, where he continued during a further period of three years. He was advanced to the rank of Commander 9 Oct. 1840; and from 28 Aug. 1841 until paid off at the close of 1844, was employed in that capacity
- ↑ He also made prize, 1 June, 1800, of La Cruelle brig, of 6 guns and 43 men. – Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 784.
- ↑ The Melpomène happening to be in dock at Portsmouth on the eve of Lord Nelson’s final departure from England, Capt. Oliver repaired to the George Hotel for the purpose of there taking leave of his Lordship, and of expressing his regret that the repairs required by his ship would prevent his accompanying him. In reply to Captain Oliver’s observation his Lordship exclaimed, – “hope you will come in time to tow some of the rascals.” The words were prophetic, for the Melpomène actually joined the fleet the morning after the battle of Trafalgar, and had the good fortune to rescue one of the captured ships of the line, by towing her off the land.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1804, pp. 898, 938.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1806, p. 1009.
