Royal Naval Biography/Wodehouse, Philip

2142083Royal Naval Biography — Wodehouse, PhilipJohn Marshall


HON. PHILIP WODEHOUSE,
Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

The family of Wodehouse is of great antiquity, one of them hearing received knighthood in the time of Henry I.; from whom descended John Wodehouse, who attended Henry V. in 1415, to the battle of Agincourt, and for his valour, was rewarded by the king with a pension; and among other honors, as a perpetual mark of distinction, had assigned him the crest now borne by the family, as well as the arms and supporters. His descendants have intermarried with some of the first families in the kingdom.

The subject of this sketch is the second son of Lord Wodehouse, by Sophia, only child of Charles Berkeley, of Bruton Abbey, co. Somerset, Esq. brother of the last Lord Berkeley, of Stratton, and wa; born in the year 1773. He entered the naval service at an early age; obtained the rank of Lieutenant in 1794; served as such on the Mediterranean station under Sir John Jervis; was promoted to the command of the Albicore sloop early in 1796; and subsequently commanded the Peterell, a vessel of the same class, and the Aurora of 28 guns. His post commission bears date Dec. 23, 1796.

In 1797, we find Captain Wodehouse in la Mignonne frigate, one of the prizes taken at Toulon, and afterwards burnt at Porto Ferrajo, being found unserviceable. His next appointment was to the Volage, of 24 guns, which ship he quitted at the Leeward Islands, in 1799. He afterwards commanded in succession the Brilliant, Iris, and Resistance frigates.

In the spring of 1804, our officer was appointed to superintend the Harwich district of Sea Fencibles, on which service he continued until the month of August in the following year, when he obtained the command of the Intrepid, a 64-gun ship; and from that vessel removed, towards the close of the year 1807, into the Cumberland, a new 74.

In Oct. 1809, the Cumberland formed part of Lord Collingwood’s fleet in the Mediterranean, and assisted at the destruction of two French line-of-battle ships near Frontignan[1]; and the capture of a fleet of transports in Rosas Bay[2]. She was subsequently stationed at Sicily for the protection of that island.

About the autumn of 1811, Captain Wodehouse was appointed Resident Commissioner at Halifax, where he remained until advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, Aug. 12, 1819. He married, in 1814, the second daughter of Governor Cameron, of New Providence.