A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Burslem, Godolphin James
BURSLEM. (Lieut., 1838. f-p., 19; h-p., 5.)
Godolphin James Burslem is second son of Jas. Godolphin Burslem, Esq., late of the Royal Artillery, who lost a leg in the battle of Alexandria, 21 March, 1801; grandson of Capt. Fras. Burslem, R.N., who, when commanding the Coventry, of 28 guns, in June, 1760, fought, on one day, a most gallant action with two French frigates, one of whom was sunk, and the other, La Mouche, taken; and great-grandson of Jas. Burslem, Esq., M.P., who married a heiress of the Godolphin family.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 Dec. 1823, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Lively 42, Capt. Wm. Elliott. He afterwards obtained, in common with others, a medal for his services off Lisbon during the commotions created by Don Miguel, whom he ultimately escorted to Brest; and he then proceeded, as Midshipman, to the West Indies. In Dec. 1826, he joined the Satellite 18, Capt. John Milligan Laws, and, after visiting the East Indies, New South Wales, the Friendly and Society Islands, New Zealand, &c., and receiving a severe injury from the natives of an island to which he had been detached in search of deserters from Sydney, joined, in Oct. 1829, the Cruizer 18, Capts. John Edw. Griffith Colpoys and Jas. Lamport Parkin, and was for some time very actively employed on the Swan River. He passed his examination 13 Jan. 1831, and, returning the next day, as Mate, to the Satellite, Capts. John Parker and Marcus Theodore Hare, at Trincomalee, came home and was paid off in May, 1832. Mr. Burslem was subsequently appointed, in Nov. of the same year, to the Forester 3, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Henry Quin; and, in March, 1833, in consequence of the serious damage experienced by that vessel on the Scilly Islands, where she had been recently cast away in a violent hurricane, he was turned over, with the same officer, to the Britomart 10. In the latter we find him serving for three years on the coast of Africa in suppression of the slave-trade, and, during a conflict with the Apolonians, employed in her cutter covering the landing of the troops. He invalided home from an attack of fever in Aug. 1836, but returned to the coast of Africa in the Dolphin 3, Lieut.-Commander Campbell, in March, 1837, and on 15 Jan. 1838, obtained his commission. He was confirmed in the command of the Viper 6, at the Cape, in July following; paid that vessel off in Jan. 1841; and was afterwards appointed – 11 May, 1841, to the Dublin 50, fitting at Portsmouth for the flag of Rear-Admiral Rich. Thomas – and, 20 Aug. ensuing, to the command of the Lynx 3, employed on the Lisbon and Irish stations. A return of the African fever obliged him to invalid in Aug. 1843, and he has since been on half-pay. Agents – Collier and Snee.