at Cork, destined to the Tagus. In June following, he was paid off from that ship; and on the 25th of the same month promoted to the rank of commander.
This officer married, first, in 1822, his cousin, the only surviving daughter of the Rev. Henry Cotes, vicar of Bedlington, co. Durham; and secondly, April 29th, 1828, Frances Anne Hussey, youngest daughter of the late Samuel Huthwaite, Esq., of Hartley Lodge, co. Northumberland.
WILLIAM RAMSAY, Esq.
[Commander.]
Was made lieutenant into the Brazen 26, Captain William Shepheard, on the St. Helena station, Sept. 8th, 1821; and appointed first of the Atholl 28, Captain Alexander Gordon, fitting out for the coast of Africa, May 13th, 1829. The following is an account of a gallant action which led to his further promotion:–
“On the 22d April, 1831, the Black Joke brig, tender to the Dryad frigate. Commodore Hayes, C.B., anchored at Fernando Po, where her commander, Lieutenant William Ramsay, learned from Mr. Mather, commanding one of the colonial vessels, that he had just left, in the Old Calabar river, a large armed Spanish slave-brig, supposed to be almost ready for sea: he described her as the finest slaver that had been on the coast for some years, carrying one pivot and four broadside guns, with a crew of about seventy picked men, some of whom were reported to be English. The vessel appeared by her movements to be in complete man-of-war order, but as no one was permitted to go on board, her interior arrangements could not be exactly ascertained. Mr. Mather had dined on shore several times in company with her officers, and he stated, that in course of conversation, they made no secret of their intention of fighting if necessary, and even laughed at the idea of being taken by the Black Joke, with whose force[1] they were well acquainted; and as for the two gun-brigs that were on the station, they were totally out of the question, on account of their bad sailing.
“The Black Joke immediately proceeded to the Old Calabar, and commenced a strict blockade, anchoring every night at the entrance of- ↑ One pivot long 18-pounder and one carronade of the same calibre, with a complement of forty-four officers and men.
