A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bridges, Philip Henry
BRIDGES. (Captain, 1827. f-p., 23; h-p., 28.)
Philip Henry Bridges entered the Navy, in May, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Bristol, Lieut.-Commander Sibley; was next employed for five years, as Midshipman, in the Agamemnon 64, Capt. Robt. Devereux Fancourt, in the Channel, North Sea, and Baltic; removed, in April, 1802, to the Jalouse 18, Capt. Christopher Strachey, lying at Sheerness; passed his examination in the course of the same year; and, after a further servitude, as Admiralty-Midshipman, in the Amazon 38, Capt. Sam. Sutton, and Loire 38, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, was promoted – for his gallant conduct, on 27 June, 1803, at the cutting out, under the batteries of Ile de Bas, by two boats of the latter frigate, of Le Venteux national brig, of 10 guns and 82 men, after a sanguinary deck-fight of 10 minutes – to a Lieutenancy in, we believe, the Tartarus bomb, Capt. Fras. Temple, 4 July following. He next served – from 1804 until 1807, in the Veteran 64, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, flag-ship, afterwards, of Rear-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres, Franchise 38, Capt. Chas. Dashwood, and Pique 36, Capt. Chas. Bayne Hodgson Ross, all on the Jamaica station – from Jan. 1808 to June 1810, in the Foxhound 18, Capt. Pitt-Barnaby Greene, Pompée 80, Capt. Geo. Cockburn, both in the Channel, and Aigle frigate, Capt. Geo. Wolfe, with whom he assisted, 12 April, 1809, at, the destruction of the shipping in Aix Roads, and, in August following, in the expedition to the Scheldt – and, from Jan. 1811, to Oct. 1815, in the Hussar, Leda, and Theban frigates, Capts. Jas. Coutts Crawford, Geo. Sayer, and Sam. Leslie, on the East India station, where he was present, under Capt. Crawford, at the reduction of Java, in Aug. 1811. On 8 Dec. 1815, Lieut. Bridges was promoted to the acting-command of the Zebra sloop. He was confirmed into the Challenger, of 18 guns, 15 Nov. 1816; brought home and paid off the Trincomalee, of 46 guns, 26 April, 1819; became Second-Captain of the Prince Regent 120, flag-ship at Chatham of Sir Robt. Moorsom, 12 May, 1827; and obtained his Post-commission 29 Sept. following. He has since been on half-pay.
For his “distinguished merit” at the capture of Le Venteux the Patriotic Fund voted Capt. Bridges a sword of 30l. value. Agent – J. Hinxman.