A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Boyd, David
BOYD. (Commander, 1815. f-p., 21; h-p., 33.)
David Boyd entered the Navy, 13 Jan. 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Boston, of 38 guns and 204 men, Capt. Geo. Wm. Augustus Courtenay, and on 31 July following, when off New Jersey, participated, as Midshipman, in a close-fought action of two hours with the French frigate Embuscade, of 38 guns and 327 men, which terminated in a loss to the British of 10 men, including their Captain, killed, and 24 wounded, and to the enemy of 50 killed and wounded. He continued thenceforward to serve with Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris in the same ship, and the Lively 32, until wrecked on Rota Point, near Cadiz, 12 April, 1798. We then find him joining the Ville de Paris 110, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent, by whom, in the following Oct., he was promoted into the Bellerophon 74, Capt. Hen. D’Esterre Darby, employed in the Mediterranean. Being officially promoted on 30 May, 1800, and appointed with Capt. Darby to the Spencer 74, Mr. Boyd, in July, 1801, took part in Sir Jas. Saumarez’s actions off Algesiras and Cadiz. His subsequent appointments were – 9 Nov. 1803, to the Franchise 38, Capt. Hon. John Murray – in 1804-5-6) to the Theseus, Hercule, and Veteran, flag-ships on the Jamaica station of Vice-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres – next, to the command of the Veteran’s tender, the Gracieuse schooner, in which, when in company with another vessel, he captured, after a running fight, the Spanish privater Juliana, of 5 guns and 83 men, 27 Dec. 1807[1] – 12 March, 1808, and 28 July, 1813, to the command, on the West India and North American stations, of the Firefly and St. Lawrence schooners – and, 1 Oct. 1814, to the Acting-command of the Alban sloop. He was confirmed to the latter vessel 7 Feb. 1815, but went on half-pay in the following Sept., and has not since been employed.
Commander Boyd is Senior of 1815. Agent – Frederick Dufaur.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1808, p. 415.