Queen off Walmer, and at the Cape of Good Hope – and 16 Sept. 1845, to the post of Commodore at Jamaica, where he continued with his broad pendant in the Imaum 72 until the period of his death. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
PRINGLE. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 15; h-p., 35.)
James Pringle is son of Jas. Pringle, Esq., of Torwoodlee, Melrose, N.B.
This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Phaeton 38, Capt. Hon. Robt. Stopford; in which ship, while cruizing in the Bay of Biscay, he came into action, 22 March, 1798, with a French frigate. He continued employed with Capt. Stopford, as Midshipman, in the Excellent and Spencer 74’s, on the West India and Channel stations, until Nov. 1803; and after a further servitude in the Centaur 74, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Sam. Hood at Barbadoes, was there made Lieutenant, 6 March, 1804, into the Amsterdam. On 22 Dec. following he obtained acting-command of the Pert sloop, also in the West Indies; where, the appointment being confirmed 9 Oct. 1805, he continued until obliged, in Jan. 1807, to invalid. Joining next, in Nov. of the latter year, the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Pringle contrived in that vessel to capture – 12 Jan. 1809, L’Espérance of 14 guns and 54 men, off Cherbourg; 19 June, 1810, L’Intrépide of 6 guns and 47 men, off Marseilles; and, 6 Nov. 1811, L’Invincible of 2 guns and 33 men, off Malaga – all of them privateers. On the occasion of a disastrous yet most valorous attack made, 13 Dec. 1810, by the boats of a squadron under Capt. Fras. Wm. Fane, upon the enemy’s shipping in the Mole of Palamos, we find him eliciting the especial praise of the senior officer for his good conduct both at the landing and at the withdrawal of the men.[1] He was afterwards very actively employed on the coast of Valencia and Tarragona under the orders of the present Sir Edw. Codrington.[2] On 19 Jan. 1812 he was taken prisoner by a party of the enemy’s dragoons in the neighbourhood of the latter place;[3] but he was soon liberated by the Baron d’Eroles, then commanding a division of the Catalan army. During his captivity he witnessed the defeat of 800 French infantry, occupying an advantageous position behind the walls of Villa Succa. Attaining Post-rank 1 June, 1812, Capt. Pringle in the following Sept. left the Sparrowhawk. He accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846.
PRIOR. (Lieutenant, 1829.)
Thomas Henry Prior entered the Navy 31 Dec. 1806; passed his examination in 1821; obtained his commission 23 Feb. 1829; served in the Coast Guard from 27 March, 1834, until the early part of 1841 and from 1 Sept. in the latter year until 1846 was employed as Admiralty Agent on board a contract steam-vessel. In 1840 he received a silver medal from the Shipwreck Society, and the thanks of the Royal Humane Society, for his exertions in saving the crews of three vessels wrecked on the beach between Bearshide and Black Rock, co. Cornwall.
PRITCHARD. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
John Appleby Pritchard entered the Navy 19 Aug. 1827; passed his examination 11 Feb. 1834; obtained charge, 12 Dec. 1839, of a station in the Coast Guard; and on 27 July, 1842, a few months after his removal to the Royal George yacht, Capt. Lord Adolphus FitzClarence, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He has since been serving as Additional in the Illustrious 72, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Adam in North America and the West Indies; also in the Coast Guard; and in command of the Camelion and Vulcan revenue-vessels. He married, 11 June, 1840, Selina Maria, daughter of Emeric Essex Vidal, Esq., Purser and Paymaster R.N. (1808), by whom he has issue. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
PRITCHARD. (Commander, 1828. f-p., 16;[4] h-p., 31.)
John White Pritchard is brother of Capt. Sam. Perkins Pritchard, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 9 Dec. 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Gladiator, Lieut.-Commander John Bell Connolly, lying at Portsmouth. In March, 1801, he became Midshipman of the Prince George 98, flag-ship in the Channel of Sir Chas. Cotton, with whom he continued until April, 1802. On the renewal of hostilities in 1803, he was received in succession on board the Russel 74, Capt. Thos. Williams, Prince of Wales 98, Capt. John Giffard, and Britannia 100, Captain, afterwards Rear-Admiral, the Earl of Northesk, under whom he officiated as Aide-de-Camp at the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805. In May, 1806, he removed to the Captain 74, Capt. Wm. Grenville Lobb, at Portsmouth; and he next, in June of the same year and Nov. 1807, joined the Boadicea 38, Capt. John Maitland, and Saturn 74, Capt. Lord Amelius Beauclerk. In the Boadicea he was at first employed on the Cork station, and subsequently in affording protection to the whale-fishery in the neighbourhood of Greenland. After serving for two months as Acting-Lieutenant in the Glory 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway, and Éclair sloop, Capt. Chas. Kempthome Quash, for a shorter time as Midshipman in the Hibernia 110, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton, and again for upwards of five months as Acting-Lieutenant in the Plantagenet 74, Capt. Wm. Bradley, on the Home, Lisbon, and Baltic stations, he was confirmed to that rank, 22 Sept. 1808, in the ship last mentioned, then commanded by Capt. Thos. Eyles. He left her in Jan. 1810, and was subsequently appointed – 5 June in the same year, to the Derwent 18, Capt. Geo. Manners Sutton, with whom he served in the Channel and off Guernsey until Oct. 1812 – 14 May, 1813, to the Akbar 50, Capt. Sir Arch. Collingwood Dickson, on the Brazilian station, whence he returned in Sept. 1814 – 9 March, 1818, to the Transport service, as an Agent afloat – and, 30 April, 1827, as Senior, to the Britannia 120, bearing the flag of the Earl of Northesk at Plymouth. He was advanced to his present rank 24 Jan. 1828; and was lastly, from 30 March, 1835, until 1838, employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard.
Commander Pritchard married, 9 July, 1810, Miss J. M. Appleby, of Soberton; a lady by whom he has issue.
PRITCHARD. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 20; h-p., 30.)
Richard Davison Pritchard was born 30 May, 1788, at Newington, near London. He is next brother of Capt. Sam. Perkins Pritchard, R.N. This officer entered the Navy, 12 Aug. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Prince 98, Capt. Thos. Larcom, successive flag-ship in the Channel of Sir Roger Curtis and Sir Chas. Cotton, the latter of whom he followed, in the summer of 1800, into the Prince George 98. Between Sept. 1802 and Dec. 1806 he served as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, chiefly in the West Indies and off Cadiz, in the Blenheim 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Sir Sam. Hood, and in the Royal Sovereign 100 and Ocean 98, flag-ships of Lord Collingwood. In the capacity of Master’s Mate he commanded the forecastle of the Royal Sovereign at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805. On leaving the Ocean, as above, he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Dexterous gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Robt. Tomlinson; in the boats of which vessel we find him effecting the capture, 22 June, 1807, although with but 14 men under his orders, of 2 gun-boats, carrying between them 4 guns and 55 men. The exploit was achieved close to Appes
