Walter Wales, on the Home station, until Dec. 1812 – the last four years and a half in the capacity of Midshipman; and he was next, until Aug. 1815, when he took up a commission bearing date 2 March in that year, employed in the Bellona 74, Capt. Geo. McKinley, Horatio 38, Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon, and Leven 20, Capt. Buckland Stirling Bluett. In the Bellona he made a voyage to St. Helena; in the Horatio he was engaged in protecting the Greenland whale-fishery against the American cruizers; and in the Leven he co-operated in 1815 with the royalists on the coast of La Vendée. He has been in charge, since 29 Aug. 1833, of a station in the Coast Guard.
PARSONS. (Retired Commander, 1836. f-p., 20; h-p., 40.)
William Parsons died in 1846. He was uncle of the present Lieuts. John and Wm. Parsons, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1787, as Fst.-cl. Boy, on board the Diligente, Capt. Anthony Hunt, lying at Portsmouth. After serving for two years with Capt. Sir Fras. Hartwell in the Bellona 74, and for a short time with Capt. Geo. Brisac in the Scourge sloop, which vessel was compelled to throw part of her guns overboard in a gale of wind off Cape Clear, he became, in 1792, Midshipman of the Terrible 74, Capt. Skeffington Lutwidge, under whom we find him, in the following year, present at the occupation of Toulon. On next joining the Modeste frigate, Capt. Thos. Byam Martin, he assisted at the reduction, in 1794, of the island of Corsica; after which he removed to the Proserpine 28, Capt. Alex. Fraser, and was on board that vessel when she took the ground on the Haak Sands, and was obliged, before she could be hove off, to have her mainmast cut away and every moveable thing thrown overboard. He was made Lieutenant, 18 Feb. 1796, into the Venus 32, Capt. Thos. Graves, at Newfoundland; and was afterwards appointed – 6 Feb. 1797, to the Shark sloop, Capts. John O’Brien and Fred. Warren, on the same station – 25 Jan. 1799, to the Venerable 74, Capt. Sir Wm. Geo. Fairfax, attached to the Channel fleet – in March, 1801, as Senior, to the Druid frigate, Capt. Chas. Apthorp, under whom he partook of the ensuing operations in Egypt – 21 March, 1804 (after two years of half-pay), to the Chichester 44, Capt. Joseph Spear, on the Home station – 16 Aug. 1805, to the Favorite 18, Capt. John Davie, on the coast of Africa – 29 May, 1806, for six months, to the Courageux 74, Capt. Jas. Bissett, in which ship he visited the West Indies and North America – and, in Nov. 1807, to the Sea Fencibles in Ireland. Mr. Parsons was serving on board the Venus when the French Admiral Richery appeared off St. John’s, Newfoundland; where, in expectation that the enemy would land, he was intrusted with a command on shore. When Senior of the Favorite he distinguished himself, 28 Dec. 1805, by his zeal and perseverance, at the capture, after an action of 20 minutes, of Le Général Blanchard French privateer, of 16 guns and 130 men, 11 of whom were killed and 25 wounded;[1] and on 6 of the following month he was in the same vessel when taken by a French squadron under M. L’Hermite. He was immediately, however, sent in a cartel to England; during the whole period of his passage whither, two months and two days, he was limited, with the rest, to half a pint of water a-day. He left the Sea Fencibles, on the occasion of the corps being disbanded in 1810, and was not afterwards employed. He accepted the rank of Retired Commander on the Junior List 26 Nov. 1830: and on the Senior 1 Dec. 1836.
PARSONS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 18; h-p., 23.)
William Parsons (b) was born 12 Aug. 1794, at Portsea, co. Hants. He is brother of Lieut. John Parsons, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Dec. 1806, as L.M.j, on board the Milbrook 16, Lieut.-Commander Jas. Leach; which vessel, until wrecked in a storm 26 March, 1808, was very actively employed off the coasts of Spain and Portugal; where she captured a Spanish polacca ship, retook the Badger brig, of London, drove on shore a Spanish gun-boat and her prize, and was on one occasion totally dismasted and compelled to part with her guns. After serving for short periods on board the Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Cotton, Mediator 44, Capt. Geo. Wm. Blarney, and Desperate bomb, Lieut.-Commanders Jas. Leach and Robt. Ellary, Mr. Parsons (who had been engaged, in the boats of the Desperate, on secret service on the coast of France) joined, in March, 1809, the Podargus 14, Capt. Wm. Hellard; under whom, while holding the rating of Midshipman, he aided, at different times, in driving on shore, on the French coast, a lugger privateer, a schooner with naval stores on board, and another privateer, together with her prize an English ship. In effecting the latter service he was for an hour and a-half under fire of the batteries at Dieppe. Following Capt. Hellard, in Nov. 1810, into the Snake 18, he was soon afterwards involved in that vessel in a running action, on the coast of Norway, with five Danish brigs-of-war, from which, however, although at one time completely surrounded, she effected a very gallant escape. In Nov. 1811, the Snake, being caught in a gale of wind, drifted as far to the northward as lat. 73° 38'. When subsequently, in the early part of 1812, on a cruize between the Orkney and Shetland islands, Mr. Parsons, during another gale, volunteered in the most handsome manner to put off in a boat to the assistance of a vessel in distress. He accordingly made two trips, and had the good fortune to rescue the whole of the crew, consisting of 11 persons; although, on reaching the Snake the second time, the boat was stove and lost. Continuing in the same sloop, with Capts. Geo. Robbin and Joseph Gale, until July, 1815, at which period he was presented with a commission, bearing date 21 of the preceding Feb., Mr. Parsons was afforded an opportunity of making a voyage to the West Indies, and of cruizing for some time on the coast of Ireland and in the Downs. In the winter of 1814 he intrepidly jumped overboard at night and saved the life of a seaman; and on 15 Dec. in the same year he was washed in a gale of wind out of the fore-rigging, and fractured his left arm. After having been for several years employed in the East India trade, Lieut. Parsons succeeded, 3 Jan. 1838, in obtaining the command, which he still holds, of a station in the Coast Guard. Since he has been in that service he has been the means of convicting 12 smugglers, three of whom he captured with his own bands. He has also received an English silver and a French gold medal for his exertions in having saved the crew, eight in number, of a French vessel on shore in a gale of wind under St. Alban’s Head; together with a letter of thanks for the rescue of 12 Englishmen wrecked at the same place.
The Lieutenant married, 26 Aug. 1822, Eliza, daughter of Mr. Goble, a Master in the merchant service, by whom he has issue eight children. His eldest son, William F. Parsons, is a Second-Master in the R.N. (1845). Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
PARTRIDGE. (Lieutenant, 1846.)
Frederick John Partridge, born 21 Nov. 1821, is third son of John Partridge, Esq., of Bishop’s Wood, co. Hereford, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for that shire, and in the commission of the Peace for Monmouthshire, of which county he was High Sheriff in 1824, by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Edw. Ives, Esq., of Titchfield House, Hants. His eldest brother, William, a barrister-at-law, is also a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for co. Hereford.
This officer served on board the Pique 36, Capt. Edw. Boxer, and was mentioned for his conduct during the operations of 1840 on the coast of Syria.[2] He passed his examination 16 Dec. 1844; officiated
