A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Browne, George
BROWNE.[1] (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 11; h-p., 39.)
George Browne was born, 15 Jan. 1784, at Bridgewater, co. Somerset.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 July, 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Royal George 100, flagship in the Channel of Lord Bridport, under the auspices of Sir Chas. Morice Pole, then Captain of the Fleet. In July, 1799, he removed to the Boadicea 38, Capt. Rich. Goodwin Keats, commanding the advanced squadron off Brest, and, in July, 1800, he rejoined Sir C. M. Pole in the Agincourt 64, on that officer being appointed Governor of Newfoundland. He subsequently served with him, in the St. George 98, on the Baltic, Cadiz, and West India stations, until paid off 27 July, 1802. At the renewal of hostilities Mr. Browne, in the Amphion 32, accompanied Lord Nelson to the Mediterranean, and there followed him, as Signal-Midshipman, 31 July, 1803, into the Victory 100. On 1 Aug. 1804, he was promoted by his Lordship to be one of his Signal-Lieutenants, an appointment which the Admiralty confirmed 18 Oct. in the same year. In the summer of 1805 he went to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined fleets of France and Spain, and, when closing with the enemy off Trafalgar, on the memorable 21 Oct., he was the officer who had the honour of receiving verbally from Lord Nelson his last immortal signal, “England expects,” &c. He was immediately afterwards sent to take charge of the foremost guns on the middle-deck, with an assurance from the hero of promotion, all hopes of which however were quickly blighted by the fall of the lamented chief. After attending the funeral of his friend, Mr. Browne returned to the Mediterranean in the Ocean 98, as Flag-Lieutenant to Lord Collingwood, with whom he removed, in 1809, to the Ville de Paris 110. On the death of that nobleman, which took place 7 March, 1810, he returned home with his remains, and in consequence of a strong recommendation in his favour, forwarded by the late Admiral a few days only previous to his demise, was advanced to the rank of Commander by commission dated back to the day on which the melancholy event occurred. Unable thenceforth to procure employment, he accepted his present rank 28 Sept. 1840.
Capt. Browne is in the Commission of the Peace for the co. of Somerset, and a J.P. for the borough of Bridgewater. He married, in 1814, the daughter of Thos. Pyke, Esq., of the latter place, by whom he has issue. It may be as well to add that, finding it impossible to obtain an appointment in the Navy, Capt. Browne entered as a student at the Inner Temple, was called to the bar in 1821, practised for some years at Exeter with great success, and ultimately became manager of the West of England and South Wales District Banks.
- ↑ Brown in the Navy List.