A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Burnaby, William Crisp Hood
BURNABY, Bart. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 13; h-p., 31.)
Sir William Crisp Hood Burnaby is only son of the late Sir Wm. Chaloner Burnaby, Bart., by Elizabeth, second daughter of Crisp Molyneux, Esq., of Garboldesham, co. Norfolk; and grandson of Admiral Sir Wm. Bumaby, Bart., who successively held the chief command on the Leeward Islands and Jamaica stations, and died in 1777. He succeeded his father, as third Baronet, in 1794.
This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy in 1803, and embarked, 11 Oct. 1806, as Midshipman, on board the Montagu 74, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway, with whom, on proceeding to the Mediterranean, he assisted at the evacuation of Scylla, under a smart fire from the enemy on the Calabrian shore, and was afterwards actively employed in cooperating with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia, where he witnessed the capture of the fortress of Rosas. In Aug. 1808, he accompanied Capt. Otway into the Malta 80, which ship was paid off in the following Dec. He next served, for some months, with Capts. Laugharne and D. M‘Leod, in the 50-gun ships Isis and Antelope; then rejoined Capt. Otway in the Ajax 74; and, on 3 Nov. 1809, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His succeeding appointments were – on 7 of the latter month, to the Jason frigate, employed off Flushing and Newfoundland – 10 Aug. 1811, to the Port Mahon, Capts. Villiers Fred. Hatton and Fred. Wm. Burgoyne, attached to the force in the Channel – and, 2 Feb. 1813, to the Junon 38, Capts. Jas. Sanders and Clotworthy Upton. Under the former of these officers he took part in many warm encounters with the American enemy, particularly on 20 of the following June, when, we believe, he contributed, in company with the Narcissus and Barrosa frigates, to the complete discomfiture, at the entrance of Norfolk river, of 15 gun-boats that had been despatched for the express purpose of capturing the Junon, after an action of three hours, during which the latter had 2 men killed and 3 wounded. He was promoted, 26 May, 1814, to the command of the Ardent prison-ship at Bermuda, and since May, 1816, when that vessel was placed out of commission, has been unemployed.
Sir Wm. Burnaby married, 2 May, 1818, the widow of Joseph Wood, Esq., of Bermuda.