A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bishop, George
BISHOP. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 13; h-p., 29.)
George Bishop entered the Navy, 10 Feb. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Narcissus 32, Capt. Ross Donnelly. In Jan. 1806, he assisted at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, and about the same period was present at the destruction of the Napoléon privateer, of 32 guns and 250 men, and capture of the 46-gun frigate Volontaire. Mr. Bishop, who had attained the rating of Midshipman, next accompanied the expedition to the Rio de la Plata, where he witnessed the taking of Buenos Ayres, and where he continued to serve, in the Neptune lugger, Capt. John Thompson, Diadem 64, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Home Popham, Snd Leda 38, Capt. Robt. Honyman, until the final evacuation of Spanish America in 1807. We are informed that towards the close of the latter year he was also present at the bombardment of Copenhagen and seizure of the Danish fleet. He became attached, in March, 1808, to the Swiftsure 74, flagship on the North American station of Sir John Borlase Warren; rejoined Capt. Thompson, in June, 1809, as Master’s Mate, on board the Halifax; and in the following October was transferred, with the same officer, to the Colibri 18, of which sloop he acted for some time as Master. At the commencement of the war with the United States in 1812, the Colibri was the vessel that, on 12 July, brought away from New York the formal declaration of hostilities, and, with it, the British Ambassador, Mr. Foster, and Consul, Col. Barclay. In the course of that and the following months she captured six privateers, carrying in the whole 31 guns and 283 men. On 18 Sept. in the same year Mr. Bishop was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant; and, on 16 of the ensuing Nov., he was appointed to the Statira 38, Capt. Hassard Stackpoole. During the pursuit, in April [errata 1] 1813, of four large armed schooners, in the Chesapeake, by the boats of a squadron under Lieut. Jas. Polkinghorne, he commanded that frigate’s cutter, and, supported by Lieut. Matthew Liddon in the launch of the Maidstone, boarded and carried, in most gallant style, the largest of the enemy’s vessels, the Dolphin, of 12 guns and 98 men.[1] On leaving the Statira, in Aug. 1814, he joined the Tiber 38, Capt. Jas. Rich. Dacres, with whom he served on the Cork, Channel, and Newfoundland stations, until 14 Sept. 1817. He has since been on half-pay.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 995.