A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bishop, William
BISHOP. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 11; h-p., 32.)
William Bishop entered the Navy, in May, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Queen 98, Capt. Manley Dixon, attached to the fleet in the Channel, and afterwards flag-ship in the Mediterranean and off Cadiz of Rear-Admirals John Knight and Sir Rich. Hussey Bickerton, as also, immediately subsequent to the battle of Trafalgar, of Lord Collingwood – previously to joining whom she appears to have had a slight brush with the batteries, and the Argonaute 74, at the entrance of the Bay of Cadiz. In Nov. 1805, Mr. Bishop removed, as Midshipman, to the Royal Sovereign 100, Capt. Fras. Pender; and, in 1806, he proceeded, in the Canada 74, Capt. John Harvey, to the West Indies, where for three years he served with Capt. Wm. Chas. Fahie, in the Ethation 36, and Belleisle, Pompée, and Abercromby 74’s. He witnessed, while in the Ethation, the surrender, 21 and 25 Dec. 1807, of the Danish islands of St. Thomas and Santa Croix – was present in the Belleisle, at the reduction of Martinique, in Feb. 1809 – and, on 17 April ensuing, in the Pompée, assisted at the capture, after an arduous chase of two days, and a close action of an hour and a quarter, in which the latter ship, who was supported by the Castor 32, lost 9 men killed and 30 wounded, of the D’Haupoult, of 74 guns and 680 men, of whom between 80 and 90 were killed and wounded. Mr. Bishop was next transferred in succession, as Master’s Mate, to the Heureux 74, Capt. F. Halliday, with whom he returned home, and Salvador del Mundo, bearing the flag at Plymouth of Admiral Wm. Young; and, on 1 Oct. 1810, was made Lieutenant into the Perlen 38, Capt. Norborne Thompson, employed in the West Indies. His subsequent appointments were – 23 Sept. 1811, to the Fortunée 36, Capts. Henry Vansittart and Geo. Fras. Seymour, under the former of whom, while cruizing on the Home station, he contributed to the capture, 11 Oct. in the same year, of a notorious privateer, Le Vice-Amiral Martin, of 18 guns and 140 men – and 16 Sept. 1813, to the Pactolus 38, Capt. Hon. Fred. Wm. Aylmer, in which frigate he served in the Bay of Biscay and on the coast of North America. He has been on half-pay since 1815. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.