Royal Naval Biography/Maxwell, George Berkeley

2337118Royal Naval Biography — Maxwell, George BerkeleyJohn Marshall


GEORGE BERKELEY MAXWELL, Esq.
[Captain of 1830.]

This officer served his time as midshipman on board the Amphion frigate, under the auspices of the present Rear-Admiral Samuel Sutton and the late Captain Sir William Hoste; was promoted from that ship into the Bulwark 74, Captain (now Vice-Admiral) the Hon. Charles Elphinstone Fleeming, Sept. 22d, 1807; and soon afterwards removed to the Astraea 32, Captain Edmund Heywood, in which frigate he suffered shipwreck, near the island of Anegada, in the West Indies, May 24th, 1808. His subsequent appointments were, to the Victory, San Josef, and Queen Charlotte, first-rates, bearing the flags of Sir James (now Lord De) Saumarez, Sir Charles Cotton, and Viscount Keith, commanders-in-chief on the Baltic, Mediterranean, and Channel stations. He was advanced to the rank of commander, June 15th, 1814.

From this period. Captain Maxwell remained unemployed until April 7th, 1829, when he was appointed to the Herald yacht. In this ship he conveyed Lady Heytesbury to St. Petersburgh; William Turner, Esq. (Envoy Extraordinary) to Carthagena; and Lord Aylmer to Quebec, from whence he brought home Lieutenant-General Sir James Kempt, in Nov. 1830; on the 20th of which month he was promoted to the rank of captain.

This officer married, May 10th, 1821, Laetitia, daughter of John Clerk, of Bownham[errata 1] House, co. Gloucester; and has several children.




  1. Original: Downham was amended to Bownham