Bligh, and Robt. Dudley Oliver. In the Racoon and Elk Lieut. Parsons served at the blockade of St. Domingo and Curaçoa; and in the latter vessel,under Capt. Dacres, he fought in an action with 11 Spanish gun-boats on the Spanish Main. While attached to the Valiant he commanded her boats at the cutting out of a convoy from Basque Roads; besides contributing, under Capt. Bligh, to the capture, near Belleisle, 3 Feb. 1810, of the French 40-gun frigate Cannonière, laden with the spoil of the principal prizes which the enemy had taken in the East Indies during the three preceding years. The state of his health obliging him to seek half-pay in Dec. 1810, he was not again officially employed until 1841. Since 1 Nov. in that year he has been in discharge of the duties of Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel, and has been once wrecked.
Lieut. Parsons is the author of an interesting work, entitled ‘Nelsonian Reminiscences,’ published in 1843 by Saunders and Otley. The volume contains a more elaborate statement of his services than we have been able to find space for. He married in 1812, and has a family of eight children now living.
PARSONS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 24; h-p., 20.)
John Parsons, born 7 Oct. 1791, at Portsmouth, is brother of Lieut. Wm. Parsons, R.N., and of Geo. Parsons, Esq., Master R.N. (1825); nephew of the late Retired Commander Wm. Parsons, R.N.; and cousin of Capt. Sam. Hellard, R.N. Two other of his relatives, an uncle and a cousin, were present at the battle of Trafalgar, where the former was killed.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 May, 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Defiance 74, Capts. Philip Chas. Durham and Hon. Henry Hotham; under the former of whom he fought, in 1805, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action and in the battle of Trafalgar. In July, 1808, after having been for six months attached as Midshipman (a rating he had attained 22 Oct. 1805) to the Gladiator 44, flag-ship of Sir Isaac Coffin at Portsmouth, he joined the Podargus 14, Capt. Wm. Hellard; in which vessel, in the course of the following month, he witnessed the surrender of the Russian squadron in the River Tagus, and assisted, agreeably to the convention of Cintra, in embarking for France the French army defeated at Vimiera. On the night of 15 Aug. 1809, while engaged in landing papers for distribution along the French coast, Mr. Parsons fell into the hands of the enemy, who marched him in chains to Havre-de-Grace, where he was for three months confined to a dungeon, with no other sustenance than bread and water, and in the hourly expectation of being shot. Pardoned at length in consideration of his youth, he was sent, still in chains, to Arras; in the gaol at which place, owing to a subsequent attempt at escape, he was for four months imprisoned. He was then ordered to Verdun, where he remained until Dec. 1813. On 25 of that month, favoured by fortune, he succeeded in accomplishing a flight, in the course whereof; concealed in a cart under a heap of crockery ware, he passed through the centre of the French army on its road to Russia. On reaching the island of South Beveland, after traversing Belgium and Holland, he was taken by the Dutch, but was released the next day in consequence of the latter having declared for the Prince of Orange. Arriving at last in England he was received, in April, 1814, as Master’s Mate, on board the Wolverene 16, Capts. Chas. Kerr and Geo. Guy Burton; in the launch of which vessel, armed with a carronade, he co-operated in the attack upon Baltimore. In Dec. of the same year he removed to the Venerable 74, bearing the flag in the West Indies of Rear-Admiral Durham, his former Captain; and while detached, shortly afterwards, in the Flying Fish tender, he aided in beating off a large American schooner. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place 3 Feb. 1815; from May to Sept. in which year we find him employed, on the same station, in the Crescent 38, Capt. John Quilliam. He subsequently commanded, for upwards of two years, the Duke of Bedford Indiaman, of 720 tons. His last appointments appear to have been – 5 Jan. 1829, as Senior-Lieutenant, for nine months, to the Alligator 28, Capt. Chas. Philip Yorke, on the Leith station – 14 Feb. 1831, in a similar capacity, to the North Star 28, Capts. Lord Wm. Paget and Hon. Geo. Rolle Walpole Trefusis, with whom he served in the West Indies until the close of 1833 – 6 June, 1834, to the command, which he retained until 15 March, 1842, of the Seagull Falmouth-packet – and, 28 June, 1847, to that, which he still holds, of the Crane, another Falmouth packet.
Lieut. Parsons married, 27 Feb. 1834, Miss Anne Rebecca Read, of Norfolk Street, Southsea; and has issue one daughter.
PARSONS. (Captain, 1828. f-p., 21; h-p., 29.)
Robert White Parsons entered the Navy, in the summer of 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Marlborough 74, Capts. Joseph Ellison and Thos. Sotheby. In Jan. 1801, after having been for three years and a half employed, part of the time as Midshipman, on the Channel and Mediterranean stations, he joined the Topaze frigate, Capts. Stephen G. Church and Robt. Honyman, attached to the force in the West Indies. Removing with Capt. Honyman, in Dec. 1802, to the Leda 38, he served in that vessel during 18 months in the North Sea and off Boulogne. He then sailed in the Culloden 74, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew, for the East Indies; where he was nominated, 20 March, 1805, Acting-Lieutenant of the Victor sloop, Capts. Geo. Bell, Wm. Wells, and Thos. Groube. While in the latter vessel, to which he was confirmed 11 April, 1806, he fought in an action with a body of Malay pirates, and, we believe, contributed to the annihilation, in Dec. 1807, of the dockyard and stores at Griessee, in the island of Java, and of all the naval force remaining to Holland in the East Indies. His appointments, after he left the Victor, were – 9 Aug. 1808, to the Terpsichore frigate, Capt. Jas. Murray Gordon, also on the Indian station – 6 Nov. 1809, to the Dannemark 74, Capt. Jas. Bissett, in the West Indies – 27 Dec. 1810, to the Diana 38, Capts. Chas. Grant and Wm. Ferris, employed in the Channel and off the coast of France – 12 Oct. 1812, after six months of half-pay, to the Armada 74, Capt. Chas. Grant, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in Sept. 1814 – and, 25 March, 1815, to the Boyne 98, bearing the flag of Lord Exmouth on the same station. On 25 Aug. 1811, being then in the Diana under Capt. Ferris, he headed the boarders of that ship, and was mentioned for the great assistance he afforded his Captain, at the capture, in the mouth of the River Gironde, of the (lately British) gun-brig Teazer, mounting 12 18-pounder carronades and 2 long 18- pounders, with 85 men.[1] In Dec. 1813 Mr. Parsons, while serving in the Armada, commanded the boats of that ship in the unsuccessful attempt made by Sir Josias Rowley to obtain possession of Leghorn.[2] Attaining the rank of Commander 7 Nov. 1816, he served in that capacity, from 2 July, 1825, until posted 11 Nov. 1828, on board the Dispatch 18, on the Irish station, where he captured a smuggling lugger, under French colours, with 400 bales of tobacco on board. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Parsons married, 28 Sept. 1829, Frances, daughter of the late Fras. Adams, Esq., of Norton Malreward and Stookwood House, Somerset.
PARSONS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 26; h-p., 18.)
Timothy Parsons entered the Navy, 21 Oct. 1803, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Busy sloop, Capt. Timothy Clinch, fitting for the West Indies; where, on following the same officer into the Osprey 18, he assisted at the capture, 17 May, 1805, of the Teaser French privateer, of 7 guns and 51 men. He continued to serve in the Osprey, under Capt. Rich.
