A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Burbidge, William Cave
BURBIDGE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 14; h-p., 39.)
William Cave Burbidge was born 30 March, 1789, at Market Harborough, co. Leicester.
This officer entered the Navy, in Feb. 1794, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Alfred 74, Capt. John Bazely, one of the Victorious fleet on the memorable 1st of June. In Nov. 1794, he accompanied the same officer into the Blenheim 74, and, after sharing with him in Admiral Hotham’s partial engagement with the French fleet off Hyeres, 13 July, 1795, when the Alcide 74 was captured from the enemy, took part, under his successor, Capt. Thos. Lennox Frederick, in the battle off Cape St. Vincent, 14 Feb. 1797. He returned home in the following Nov. in the San Josef 110, and was paid off; but he did not resume active service until 1 Jan. 1807, when he joined the Nassau 64, Capt. Robt. Campbell. In that ship he attended the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen, where he received a severe uncompensated wound in the head, and (on the Nassau’s hard-wrought extrication from a mass of ice in which she had been blocked up during the winter) he was present, 22 March, 1808, in company with the Stately 64, at the capture and destruction, on the coast of Zealand, of the Danish 74, Prindts Christian-Frederic, after a running fight of great length and obstinacy, in which the Nassau suffered a loss of 9 men killed and 16 wounded. Between Nov. 1809, and Dec. 1810, Mr. Burbidge next served, off Cherbourg and in the Gulf of Finland, as Master’s Mate of the Owen Glendower 36, and Stately 64, Capts. Wm. Selby and Robt. Campbell. He was then transferred with the latter officer, in the same capacity, to the Tremendous 74, flag-ship afterwards of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, in which he continued to be employed on the Home and Mediterranean stations until April, 1815. During that period he served in a battery at the reduction of Trieste in 1813, and, pending the siege of Venice, was much engaged with the flotilla at the mouths of the Po. Having passed his examination 10 Feb. 1812, Mr. Burbidge received, on leaving the Tremendous, a commission, dated back to 28 Feb. 1815, appointing him to the Alcmene 38, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan, from which frigate he was paid off in Nov. following. For his conduct, in Oct. 1822, in saving H.M. cutter Vigilant and all her crew, when ashore on the rocks in the Bay of Douglas, Isle of Man, Lieut. Burbidge was appointed by the Admiralty, 25 Jan. 1823, to the Coast Guard. He was superseded from the Coast Blockade, to which he had been removed, in 1824; and was afterwards appointed, 14 June, 1834, and 28 Feb. 1837, for brief terms, first, to the command of the Buzzard brigantine, on the coast of Africa, and then, as Third-Lieutenant, to the Victory 104, bearing the flag of the Admiral Superintendent at Portsmouth, Sir Fred. Lewis Maitland. He is at present on half-pay.
Lieut. Burbidge, who has been twice married, has a son by his former, and a daughter by his present, wife. Agent – J. Woodhead.