of rejoining his patron, Capt. Scott, who had been just appointed to the Marlborough 74. Being, on his arrival, transferred to the Amethyst 36, Capt. Jacob Walton, he had the misfortune, on 16 of the following Feb., to be wrecked in that ship in Plymouth Sound. In April, 1811, a few weeks after he had been received on board the Marlborough, he was transferred to the Victory 100, bearing the flag of Sir Jas. Saumarez in the Baltic. In Sept. of the same year, with one of two boats under his command, he attacked, boarded, and assisted in carrying two Danish gun-vessels strongly posted among the rocks in Wingo Sound, where the British sustained a loss of 3 men wounded, and the enemy, who were five times more numerous than their assailants, of 2 killed and 5 wounded. For his conduct on the occasion Mr. Purcell received the thanks of Sir Jas. Saumarez, who nominated him, 9 Nov. ensuing Acting-Lieutenant of the Marlborough – an appointment which the Admiralty confirmed 4 Dec. in the same year. His succeeding appointments were – in the course of 1812, to the Muros schooner, Capt. Jas. Aberdour, again to the Marlborough, and to the Chatham 74, bearing the flag of his friend, then Rear-Admiral Scott, all on the Home station – 28 April, 1815, to the Argo 44, as Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Scott in the Downs – 6 Feb. 1816 (six months after he had left the Argo) to the Rivoli 74, Capt. Chas. Ogle, lying at Portsmouth – 24 July following, as First, to the Driver sloop, Capts. John Ross and Chas. Hope Reid, under whom he was frequently sent away in boats for the suppression of smuggling on the west coast of Scotland – and, 7 Sept. 1818, to the Tribune 42, Capt. Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, employed at first on the Irish station (where he encountered many narrow escapes while in pursuit of contraband traders) and afterwards in the West Indies. In June, 1820, being then at Barbadoes, he was placed in acting command of the Falmouth 20. In that vessel, his appointment to which was confirmed 9 Sept. following, he continued for three years on the West India station, whence he returned to England, and was paid off in July, 1823. During his passage home orders were sent to the Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica to place his name on the Admiralty list for promotion; but as it was not in his power to return thither he was doomed to remain without promotion until 25 Aug. 1828; previously to which period he had been appointed Second Captain of the Gloucester 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton. Although possessed of the strongest testimonials, he has not been since able to procure employment. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
PURCHAS. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 12; h-p., 31.)
William Purchas was born 1 Aug. 1790, at Milton, co. Cambridge.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 July, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Aeolus 32, Capt. Lord Wm. FitzRoy, with whom, after sharing in Sir Rich. Strachan’s action and co-operating, as Midshipman, in the reduction of Martinique, he proceeded to Halifax and thence returned to England in Dec. 1809 in the Squirrel 20. During the nine following months he served on the North Sea station in the Bellona 74, Capt. John Erskine Douglas; and from Sept. 1810 until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 6 Feb. 1812, we find him employed off Lisbon in the Macedonian 38, Capts. Lord Wm. FitzRoy and Wm. Waldegrave, North Star 20, Capt. Thos. Coe, and Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley. His next appointments were – 23 March, 1812, again to the Barfleur – 6 March and 29 July, 1814, to the Alcmène 38 and Rivoli 74, Capts. Jerem. Coghlan and Edw. Stirling Dickson – and 31 May, 1815, to the Partridge sloop, Capt. John Miller Adye. In those four ships he was stationed principally in the Mediterranean, where he assisted, in the Alcmène, at the capture of a large convoy under the guns of Porto Maurizio and at the reduction of Genoa; and, in the Rivoli, at the capture of La Melpomène, French frigate of 44 guns, after a brave defence of 15 minutes, 30 April, 1815. In March, 1816, he returned to England.
From 12 Jan. 1820, until obliged by ill health to resign, 4 Feb. 1841, Lieut. Purchas filled an appointment in the Excise. He married 7 Jan. 1817, and has issue two sons and three daughters. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
PURCHAS. (Capt., 1828. f-p., 17; h-p., 27.)
William Jardine Purchas, born in 1788, at Cambridge, is second and youngest son of John Purchas, Esq., of that place, by Elizabeth Sharpe, daughter of a clergyman in co. Suffolk; and brother of Capt. John Purchas, who served as a Subaltern of H.M.’s 20th Regt. at the battle of Maida, commanded a company of the 76th during the Peninsular war, and fell before Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, towards the close of the late contest between Great Britain and America.
This officer entered the Navy, 7 Nov. 1803 (under the auspices of Admiral Sir Henry Trollope), as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Hero 74, Capts. Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner and John Poo Beresford; as Midshipman of which ship we find him present in Sir Robt. Calder and Sir Rich. Strachan’s actions, 22 July and 4 Nov. 1805, and at the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. In June, 1807, he removed to the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Lord Gardner in the Channel; and in June, 1808, he was again placed under the orders of his first Captain, whose flag was flying in the North Sea on board the Bellerophon 74. For his conduct as Senior Midshipman in the boats of that and other ships at the brilliant capture, 7 Aug. 1809 [errata 1], of the six Russian gun-boats mentioned in our history of the services of Capt. Chas. Allen, he was promoted, as soon as he had passed his examination, to a Lieutenancy, 9 Dec. in the same year, in the Erebus sloop, Capts. Wm. Autridge, Geo. Brine, and Henry Jas. Lyford, on the Baltic station. Independently of the affair last mentioned, Mr. Purchas appears, during his servitude in the Bellerophon, to have acted a part in many affairs of a cutting-out description. His appointments after he left the Erebus were – 13 Oct. 1813, to the Carnation 18, Capt. Geo. Bentham, on the Jamaica station, whence he returned in June, 1815 – 25 March, 1817, to the Alert sloop, Capt. John Smith, in the North Sea – and 5 Sept. following to the Scamander 42, Capt. Wm. Elliott, in the Leeward Islands. Being advanced, shortly after the paying off of the Scamander, to the rank of Commander, 7 Dec. 1818, Capt. Purchas was in that capacity appointed, 9 Sept. 1824, to the Esk 20, fitting for the coast of Africa, where, between 17 July, 1825, and 8 Feb. 1827, he succeeded in capturing nine Brazilian, Dutch, and Spanish vessels, carrying in the whole 2249 slaves. He subsequently assisted in completing the establishment at Fernando Po; conveyed stock from St. Helena to Ascension; and brought home a quantity of gold-dust and ivory, with which he arrived at Spithead 1 May, 1828. In consideration of the representation made by the present Sir Fras. Aug. Collier, then Commodore of the squadron employed on the coast of Africa, that the Esk had captured more slaves than any other vessel of her class, and had invalided and lost fewer men having only buried 4 in three years – Capt. Purchas was awarded a Post commission bearing date 16 of the same month. May, 1828. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Purchas is a Magistrate for the borough and county of Cambridge. He married, 18 Aug. 1820, Jane, youngest daughter of the late Wm. Hills, Esq., of Chancery Lane, London.
PURCHES. (Lieut., 1804. f-p., 21; h-p., 31.)
James Uzuld Purches was born 27 Aug. 1783. He is nephew of the late Capt. Azariah Uzuld, R.N. This officer entered the Navy, 25 July, 1795, as Midshipman, on board the Actaeon 44, armée en flûte, commanded by his uncle, Capt. Uzuld, em-
