A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Courtenay, George William Conway
COURTENAY. (Captain, 1828. f-p., 20; h-p., 22.)
George William Conway Courtenay, born in 1795, at Beach Hall, near Chester, is son of Clement Strafford Courtenay, Esq., who served in the old 92nd regiment during the first American war, and raised the Cheshire Fencibles at the commencement of hostilities with France; nephew of Capt. Geo. Wm. Augustus Courtenay, who commanded the Boston 32, and fell in a gallant action with the French 36-gun frigate Embuscade, 31 July, 1793; grand-nephew, paternally, of the celebrated Earl of Bute, who resigned the office of First Lord of the Treasury in 1763; and first-cousin of the present Sir Robt. Henry Cunliffe, Bart.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 Sept. 1805 (under the auspices of Earl St. Vincent), as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Amazon 38, Capt. the present Sir Wm. Parker; and, continuing in that ship for upwards of six years, a great part of the time as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, saw much active boat-service – was employed with a naval brigade on the coasts of Biscay and Asturias – and assisted, in company with the London 98, at the capture, after a long running fight, and a loss to the Amazon of 3 men killed and 6 wounded, of the 80-gun ship Marengo, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule, 13 March, 1806. He next joined in succession the Victory 100, and Bellerophon 74, flag-ships in the Baltic and at Newfoundland of Sir Jas. Saumarez and Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats; obtained a Lieutenancy in the Crescent 38, Capt. John Quilliam, on the latter station, 19 July, 1813; and was subsequently appointed – 27 April, 1815, to the San Josef 110, flag-ship in the Channel of Sir Rich. Strachan – 9 June, 1817, to the Tigris 36, Capt. Robt. Henderson, off Brighton – 15 March, 1818, to the Iphigenia 42, Capt. Hyde Parker, in which frigate he visited Quebec and Jamaica – 12 Aug. 1819, to the Beaver 10, Capt. Rich. Saumarez, lying at Portsmouth – in Feb. 1820, to the Iphigenia again, on the Mediterranean station – and, 22 March, 1822, to the Cyrené 20, Capt. Percy Grace. In Oct. following Mr. Courtenay commanded the boats of the latter vessel, and displayed great intrepidity and judgment, at the destruction of two slave-factories in the Gallinas River, on the coast of Africa; on which occasion his party, who experienced a very formidable opposition, sustained a loss of one man mortally, and three slightly wounded. Being promoted, 26 Dec. 1823, to the Bann 20, he became for a few months Senior officer on the African station; after which he held the temporary command of the Owen Glendower 36, during the Ashantee war; and then, returning to the Bann, captured two Brazilian vessels, with 728 slaves on board. Capt. Courtenay was next appointed, 17 April, 1827, to the Fairy 10, fitting for the West Indies; where he removed, 12 Sept. following, to the Arachne 18, and was made Post 14 April, 1828, in the Magnificent receiving-ship at Jamaica. Having assumed command, 5 Jan. 1829, of the Mersey 26, he returned to England and was paid off in 1831; since which period he has not held any appointment afloat.
Capt. Courtenay was Consul-General at Hayti from 1832 until 1842. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.