moved to the San Domingo 74, flag-ship of Sir John Borlase Warren on the coast of North America, we find Mr. Pearse serving with the boats of a squadron containing 105 men, under the orders of Lieut. Jas. Polkinghorne, at the capture, 15 miles up the Rappahannock river, of four schooners, carrying in the whole 31 guns and 219 men – an exploit whose achievement inflicted on the British a loss of 2 killed and 11 wounded, and on the enemy of 6 killed and 10 wounded. He was made Lieutenant 22 July, 1813, into the Barrosa 36, Capts. Wm. Henry Shirreff, Wm. M‘Culloch, and John Maxwell, with the latter of whom he returned home from the West Indies in Oct. 1815; and was subsequently appointed – in the course of 1818, to the Cyrus 20, Capt. Wm. Fairbrother Carroll, Spencer 74, Capt. Sam. Campbell Rowley, and Tonnant 80 and Windsor Castle 74, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, with whom he served at Plymouth until May, 1821 – on 18 of the latter month, as Senior, to the Gannet 18, Capt. Wm. Simpson, stationed on the coast of Ireland, where he remained until Sept. 1824, and made prize, in the boats, of a large smuggling lugger, carrying 10 guns – 15 March, 1825, 21 Oct. 1828, and 25 Feb. 1831, in a similar capacity, to the Ranger 28, Capt. Lord Henry Fred. Thynne, Melville 74, Capts. Alex. Wilmot Schomberg, Henry Hill, and Christopher John Williams Nesham, and St. Vincent 120, Capt. Humphrey Fleming Senhouse, in which ships, the latter bearing the flag of Hon. Sir H. Hotham, he was continuously employed, with the exception of a few months in 1828, on the South American and Mediterranean stations, until May, 1834 – 17 Nov. following, and, after eight months of half-pay, 14 June, 1836, to the command of the Blazer and Firefly steamers, both also in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in Sept. 1839 [errata 1] – and, 6 Jan. 1840, as First, to the Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir H. F. Senhouse. For his services in the latter ship during the campaign in China, where he had charge of the rocket-boats[1] at the capture of the Bogue forts, and was mentioned for his conduct at the head of a division of seamen at the capture of the forts above Canton,[2] he was advanced to the rank of Commander 8 June, 1841, and appointed to the Nimrod 20; from which vessel, after having effected the destruction of four batteries and a war-junk in the harbour of Kelon, in the island of Formosa, he was transferred, 16 Oct. in the same year, to the Cruizer 16. Since his arrival home from the East Indies in March, 1843, he has been on half-pay. His elevation to Post-rank took place 8 Jan. 1846. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
PEARSE. (Lieut., 1807. f-p., 38; h-p., 21.)
Thomas Pearse died 16 July, 1846. He was son of Mr. Thos. Pearse, Master’s Mate of H.M.S. Apollo, who was killed in action with the French frigate Oiseau at the close of the first American war, by Mary Elizabeth, fourth daughter of Geo. Wm. Hambly, Esq., of Stonehouse, Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, about 1787, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Pegasus 28, commanded by H.R.H. Prince William Henry, with whom he served for a short time in the West Indies. Re-embarking, 26 May, 1793, on board the London 98, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, he cruized in that ship on the Channel station until transferred as Midshipman, in March, 1794, to the Eurydice 24, Capt. Fras. Cole. On 8 of the following month we find him present, in company with the Crescent 36 and Druid 32, the former commanded by Sir Jas. Saumarez, in an action fought off Guernsey with a powerful French squadron, from whom the British contrived in a very skilful manner to effect their escape. While attached, next, from Sept. 1794 until Dec. 1801, to the Galatea 36, Capts. Rich. Goodwin Keats and Hon. Geo. Byng, he took part in Lord Bridport’s action, 23 June, 1795, was wounded during the ensuing expedition to Quiberon, and assisted at the capture or destruction of, among other vessels. La Révolutionnaire of 44 guns and 351 men, Le Jean Bart of 18 guns, L’Expédition of 16 guns, L’Eveille of 18 guns, L’Etoile of 30 guns (one of five French frigates in escort of a provision fleet of 70 sail). La Proserpine of 42 guns and 348 men, L’Andromaque of 44 guns and 300 men, and Le Ranger of 14 guns. From. Jan. to Oct. 1802 Mr. Pearse served in the West Indies as Master’s Mate of the Majestic 74, Capt. Davidge Gould. In the early part of the following year he successively joined the Penelope 36, Capt. Wm. Broughton, and Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Nelson; by whom he was nominated, 12 Aug. in the same year, Acting-Lieutenant of the Halcyon 16, Capts. Henry Whitmarsh Pearse and Thos. Stamp – the first promotion made by his Lordship out of the Victory; in which ship, during her passage to the Mediterranean, Mr. Pearse had aided in making prize of the French 32-gun frigate Embuscade. Continuing in the Halcyon until the peace, he took part in numerous engagements with the gun-boats in the Gut of Gibraltar, and saw a vast deal of other active service. In Sept. 1804 he assisted at the capture of L’Espérance French privateer of 10 guns and 54 men; and in the summer of 1806 he contributed, after the battle of Maida, to the destruction of the enemy’s batteries along the coast of Calabria, and the reduction of the town of Reggio. On 13 Dec. in the same year it was his lot to he again wounded in an action fought with great spirit for three hours, between the Halcyon, singly, and three Spanish vessels of far superior force, which terminated in the capture of one of the latter, the Neptuno of 14 guns and 72 men – the other two, La Virgine de Solidad brig of 14 guns and 78 men, and El Vives xebec of 12 guns and 65 men, being put to flight.[3] In consideration of the part taken by him in the affair, Mr. Pearse was presented with a sword by the Patriotic Society, and on 1 Aug. 1807 was confirmed in his appointment to the Halcyon. He afterwards accompanied Admiral Gambier in the expedition against Copenhagen; assisted, in Sept. 1808, in capturing, in Diamante Bay, a flotilla of 38 vessels; commanded the Halcyon’s boats at the destruction, in May, 1809, of the enemy’s forts on the small islands of Gianuti and Pianosa; and in 1810 co-operated in the defence of Messina and in the second capture of the town of Reggio. His last appointments afloat were – 30 July, 1812, to the Primrose 18, Capt. Chas. Geo. Rodney Phillott, with whom he served on the North Sea and North American stations until Dec, 1813 – and 10 Feb. 1814, to the Sybille 44, Capts. Jas. Sanders and Thos. Forrest, which frigate, after having made a voyage to Spitzbergen, his health obliged him to leave in the following Oct. In 1825 he was placed in command of the Ordinary at Woolwich; in 1828 he was nominated Warden of Deptford Dockyard; and from 6 April, 1830, until 1841, he was again employed at Woolwich as Warden and Director of Police. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 25 June, 1841.
PEARSE. (Lieutenant, 1833.)
William Pearse entered the Navy, 28 Feb. 1815, as Midshipman, on board the Abundance store-ship. Master Commander Josiah Oake, with whom he visited North America, the West Indies, and Mediterranean. Between 1817 and 1824 we find him serving, the last two years as a passed Midshipman, in the Prévoyante 10, Master Commander Stokes, Hyperion 42, Capt. Thos. Searle, and Valorous 26, Capt. Jas. Murray, on the Home, North and South American, and West India stations. He then became in succession attached, in the capacity of Mate, to the Eden 26, Capt. John Lawrence, and Hussar 46 and Barham 50, flag-ships of Sir Chas. Ogle and Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming. In the Eden he made a second voyage to the Mediterranean; and in the Hussar and Barham he was again em-
