A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bickerstaff, Francis
BICKERSTAFF. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p.,16; h-p., 26.)
Francis Bickerstaff entered the Navy, 17 March, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Malabar 50, Capts. Robt. Hall and John Ayscough; and, on 2 Jan. 1806, served in the boats of that ship at the destruction, off the island of Cuba (the Wolfe 18, in company), of the two French privateers, Le Régulateur and Napoléon, of 5 guns each, and a crew united of 146 men, after a well-contested action of an hour and three quarters. On next joining, with Capt. Ayscough, the Success 32, we agaan find him contributing, in the boats, to the capture, 20 Nov. following, under a destructive shower of grape and musketry from the crew, 50 in number, who had landed on the same island and posted themselves on an eminence, of Le Vengeur, another privateer, lashed to the shore. Being transferred, m May, 1807, to the Superb 74, commanded by the late Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats, Mr. Bickerstaff attended the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen – then went to the Mediterranean in pursuit of a French squadron which had effected its escape from Rochefort – witnessed the embarkation from Nyeborg, in Aug. 1808, of the Spanish army under the Marquess de la Romana – was in the Superb when, frozen up at Gottenborg in Jan. 1809, she was only extricated by a canal being cut through four miles of ice – and, in the following August, accompanied the force sent to the Walcheren, during the operations against which island he appears to have been employed in a flat-bottomed boat with the van frigates off Bathz. After oiiiciating for a few months as Supernumerary-Midshipman of the Puissant 74, sheer-hulk at Spithead, Capt. Robt. Hall, he became attached, in Feb. 1810, to the Blake 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington; and, during his continuance in that ship, was much engaged on harassing night-duty at the defence of Cadiz, and was present at the siege of Tarragona in May and June, 1811. From the Blake Mr. Bickerstaff removed, 3 Sept. 1812, to the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew on the Mediterranean station, where he came frequently into collision with the French fleet, and with the enemy’s batteries on the Iles d’Hières. Having passed his examination 12 Aug. 1811, he became Acting-Lieutenant, 4 Jan. 1814, of the Aigle 36, Capt. Sir John Louis, and, being confirmed in the appointment by commission dated 16 March in the same year, co-operated in the reduction of Genoa, and was otherwise actively employed in the Mediterranean, and subsequently on the coast of North America, until paid off, 17 Aug. 1815. Since that period, with the exception of a command in the Coast Guard, which he held from 27 March, 1829, until 10 Oct. 1834, Mr. Bickerstaff has been unemployed.