A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Briggs, Stephen
BRIGGS. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 12; h-p., 34.)
Stephen Briggs entered the Navy, 1 March, 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Loire 38, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, stationed in the Channel. He joined, in June, 1802, the Cambrian 38, Capt. Wm. Bradley, at Halifax; there removed, as Midshipman, in Jan. 1804, to the Leander 50, flag-ship of Sir Andrew Mitchell [errata 1], afterwards commanded by Capt. John Talbot, under whom he assisted at the capture, 23 Feb. 1805, of the Ville de Milan, of 46 guns, and retaking of her prize the Cleopatra 32; and, on his subsequent transference to the Northumberland 74, bearing the flag of the Hon. Alex. Cochrane, was present, 6 Feb. 1806, in the battle off St. Domingo. His succeeding appointments were – 19 Nov. in the same year, as Acting Sub-Lieutenant, to the Maria 10, Lieut.-Commander John Anderson – 14 Jan. 1807, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the Galatea 32, Capt. Geo. Sayer, in which frigate he was confirmed 20 Oct. following – 13 Oct. and 6 Dec. 1808, to the command of the Mozambique 14, and Grenada 10 – and 7 April, 1813, after nearly two years of half-pay, to the Cleopatra 32, all on the West India station, where he obtained charge, 23 July ensuing, of a Signal station in the Saintes. Having been unemployed since 14 Dec. 1814, Mr. Briggs at length, on 30 April, 1844, accepted the rank he now holds. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.