MARK ROBINSON LUCAS, Esq.
[Commander.]
Was made a lieutenant on the 28th Mar. 1799; and afterwards principally employed in the command of small vessels. On the 24th May 1808, being then off the island of Bornholm, in the Swan hired cutter, mounting ten 12-pounder carronades, he addressed the following to Vice-Admiral Sir James Saumarez:–
“To-day, at noon, I observed a cutter-rigged vessel standing out from the land towards me. I hove to, and hoisted a Danish jack for a pilot, which decoyed her so far from the shore that I was enabled to come up with her before she could reach the land. At two o’clock I gave chase, and at four had the satisfaction of getting within gun-shot of her. She then commenced her fire, immediately on which the battery on the shore opened, we being only about a mile from the beach. The enemy, attempting to get a long gun in her stern to bear upon me, she was caught in the wind, which enabled me to get within musket-shot, and, after an action of twenty minutes, she blew up and sunk. The state of the weather, being nearly calm under the land, the fire of the battery, and several boats coming from the shore, I was under the necessity of quitting the wreck without saving the life of any one of her crew. The Danish cutter appeared to be a vessel of about 120 tons, mounting eight or ten guns, and apparently full of men. I am happy to add, not a man under my command was hurt, nor did the Swan receive the least damage.”
In 1809, Lieutenant Lucas was removed from the Swan to the Censor gun-brig. On the 25th July 1810, his boats cut out from the harbour of Stralsund, a French privateer pierced for four guns, with a crew of forty men, three of whom only were on board. On the 11th Nov. 1811, he captured the French lugger Heureuse Etoile, of four guns and twelve men, on the Baltic station. In Sept. 1815, he was appointed to the Surly cutter; and in 1810, to the Mermaid revenue cruiser. He obtained the rank of commander, July 19th, 1831; and died at Harwich in 1834.