A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Clifford, William John Cavendish
CLIFFORD. (Commander, 1842. f-p., 16; h-p., 2.)
William John Cavendish Clifford, born 12 Oct. 1814, is eldest son of Capt. Sir Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford, Bart., R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 Feb. 1829, on board the Undaunted 46, commanded at first by his father, and afterwards, at the Cape of Good Hope, by Capt. Edw. Harvey. He next joined the Ocean 80, Capt. Alex. Ellice, guardship at Sheerness; was lent for some time to the Royal George yacht, Capt. Lord Adolphus FitzClarence; and, having passed his examination in 1835, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 7 May, 1838. His subsequent appointments, in the latter capacity, were – 5 June, 28 July, and 8 Oct. 1838, to the Princess Charlotte 104, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Stopford, Rodney 92, Capt. Hyde Parker, and Tyne 28, Capt. John Townshend, on the Mediterranean station; and, early in 1842, to the William and Mary yacht. Having been advanced to his present rank 7 March, 1842, in honour of her Majesty’s visit to Spithead, the subject of this sketch has, since 7 Sept. 1844, been in successive command of the Wolverine 16, and Ringdove 16, in the East Indies. He appears, on 19 Aug. 1845, while in the former sloop, to have in part commanded the boats of a squadron, carrying altogether 530 officers, seamen, and marines, at the destruction, under Capt. Chas. Talbot, of the piratical settlement of Malloodoo, on the north end of the island of Borneo, where the British encountered a desperate opposition, and sustained a loss of 6 men killed and 15 wounded.[1]
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1845, p. 6536.