85
BLACK—BLACKER—BLACKMORE.
1805 Mr. Black resumed his professional duties, as Master’s Mate, in the Hercule 74, flag-ship at Jamaica of Vice-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres, from which he was promoted, 26 Feb. 1806, to a Sub-Lieutenancy in the Reindeer 18, Capt. John Fife. Being at length made full Lieutenant, 27 May, 1807, in the Pelican 18, Capts. Wm. Ward, Isaac Hawkins Morrison, and Edw. Henry A’Court, he co-operated in the ensuing bombardment of Copenhagen; and, in 1810, commanded the boats of that sloop in a night-attack on an armed felucca, carrying 50 men, in Campeachy Bay, which vessel, together with all the other craft in the harbour, he succeeded in bringing out, although opposed by the heavy fire of several forts and the small arms of the various crews. He had previously taken part in many expeditions of a similar nature, and on one occasion had been very severely wounded. He was placed on half-pay in 1812; and, unable to procure further employment, accepted the rank he now holds 10 Feb. 1843.
Commander Black married, 13 Aug. 1813, Miss Jane Currie, and has issue a son and three daughters.
BLACK. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)
John Reddie Black, born, 25 Jan. 1787, at Dysart, co. Fife, is son of the late Jas. Black, Esq., R.N.; brother of Lieut. Jas. Black, R.N., who died while serving in the West Indies; and nephew of Lieut. John Black, R.N., who died in 1814, having held a commission for 44 years.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1797, as A.B., on board the Pincher gun-brig, commanded by his father, in which vessel he served on the North Sea station, latterly as Midshipman, until discharged, on the death of that gentleman, in 1802. He reembarked in 1808, in the last-mentioned capacity, on board the Trident 64, Capts. R. B. Campbell and Rich. Budd Vincent, on the Mediterranean station; and afterwards became attached to the Herald sloop, Capt. Geo. Jackson, Dauntless sloop, Capt. Barker, Edinburgh 74, Capt. Robt. Rolles, and Furieuse 36, Capt. Wm. Mounsey. In the latter ship Mr. Black was at the capture of the island of Ponza, 26 Feb. 1813, and for his very meritorious conduct on that occasion, particularly in superintending the debarkation of the 10th Regt., was honourably noticed in the despatches of Capt. Chas. Napier, the Senior Officer.[1] He subsequently served, as Master’s Mate (he had passed his examination in 1811), in the Nereus 42, Capt. Manley Hall Dixon; was in the Tagus 36, Capt. Philip Pipon, at the capture of the 40-gun frigate Cérès, 6 Jan. 1814; became Acting-Lieutenant, 20 June following, of the Isis 50, flag-ship at the Brazils of Rear-Admiral Manley Dixon; and, on 29 Nov., was confirmed into the Albacore 16, Capt. Theobald Jones, in which sloop he served until paid off in 1815. Mr. Black, who till then had taken an active part in many cutting-out affairs, was next appointed – 25 April, 1826, to the Ramillies 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot, lying in the Downs for the purposes of the Coast Blockade, in which service he appears to have been employed for the period of two years. He subsequently officiated from 3 Oct. 1840, until early in 1843, as Agent for Transports afloat, on the Mediterranean, West India, and Cape stations. He has since been on half-pay.
He married, 22 July, 1818, Sophia, daughter of Jas. Hurdis, Esq., of Seaford, co. Sussex, and sister of Capt. G. C. Hurdis, R.N., by whom he has issue two sons. Agent – J. Hinxman.
BLACK. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p., 8; h-p., 32.)
Matthew Black entered the Navy, 2 Sept. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Monmouth 64, Capt. Edw. Durnford King, and sailed shortly afterwards for the East Indies with the flag of Rear-Admiral Wm. O’Brien Drury. While subsequently employed in the North Sea, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, from Sept. 1808, to March, 1812, of the Stately 64, and Saturn and Armada 74’s, Capts. Wm. Cumberland, Adam Mackenzie, and John Ferris Devonshire, he assisted at the cutting-out of some Danish gun-boats and the re-capture of a Russian ship. He was next employed for some months with Capt. Devonshire, at the defence of Cadiz, in the St. Albans 64; after which he removed to the Ramillies 74, commanded at Chatham by Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy, and then, in Dec. of the same year, joined the Plover 18, Capts. Colin Campbell and John Skekel. He was promoted to a Lieutenancy in the latter vessel 10 June, 1814, and, previously to being paid off in Jan. 1815, visited Quebec, and served on the African and Newfoundland stations. He has not since been employed.
BLACK. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 22; h-p., 32.)
William Black entered the Navy, 13 April, 1793, as A.B., on board the Leviathan 74, Capt. Lord Hugh Seymour, in which ship we find him present at the ensuing investment of Toulon, and in Lord Howe’s action of 1 June, 1794. He next served for three years under the flag of the same officer in the Sans Pareil 80, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Second Master, and was with him in Lord Bridport’s action with the French fleet off Ile de Groix, 23 June, 1795. He was subsequently, for a short period in 1798-9, lent, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the Penelope 36, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, but eventually rejoined Lord Seymour, who had been nominated Commander-in-Chief in the Leeward Islands, and, on 16 Aug. in the latter year, was appointed in the same capacity to the Unité 38, Capt. John Poo Beresford, under whom he witnessed the surrender of the Dutch colony of Surinam. In March, 1800, he again became attached to Lord Seymour’s flag-ship, the Prince of Wales 98, and, on 13 July, 1801, was confirmed into the Sans Pareil, into which that nobleman had shifted his flag. Mr. Black’s subsequent appointments were – 5 April, 1803, after a short interval of half-pay, to the Prince 98, Capt. Rich. Grindall, in the Channel – 3 July, 1804, to the Aeolus 32, Capt. Lord Wm. FitzRoy, under whom he fought in Sir Rich. Strachan’s action, 4 Nov. 1805 – 6 May, 1806, as First Lieutenant, to the Egyptienne 40, Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, with the boats of which ship under his orders he took, we are told, a letter-of-marque of greatly superior force – 28 April, 1807, in a similar capacity, to the Cambrian 40, commanded by the same Captain, in which frigate he attended the expedition to Copenhagen in Aug. and Sept. following – and, 27 May, 1808, to the Polyphemus 64, as Flag -Lieutenant to the Rear-Admiral Bartholomew Sam. Rowley, Commanderin-Chief on the Jamaica station. He was promoted to the command, 5 Nov. 1809, of the Racoon sloop, and was employed, for upwards of four years, in cruizing, chiefly on the eastern and western coasts of South America. In Jan. 1815, Capt. Black returned home, and was placed on half-pay, having been previously advanced to Post-rank, 7 June, 1814. He accepted the retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
BLACKER. (Lieutenant, 1830.)
Frederick Blacker entered the Navy 2 July, 1807; passed his examination in 1814; and obtained his commission 22 July, 1830. He has not since been employed.
BLACKMORE. (Lieut., 1823. f-p., 12; h-p., 24.)
Charles Blackmore entered the Navy, 31 May, 1811, as a Supernumerary, on board the Caledonia 120, flag-ship in the Mediterranean of Sir Edw. Pellew; removed shortly afterwards to the Fame 74, Capt. Walter Bathurst; and subsequently served, as Fst.-cl. Vol. and Midshipman, on the Mediterranean, Home, West India, and North American stations, in the Cerberus 32, Capt. Henry Whitby, Cambrian 40, Capt. Chas. Bullen, Briton 46, Capt. Sir Thos. Staines, Ister 42, Capt.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 1146.
