A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Crichton, William
CRICHTON. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 9; h-p., 33.)
William Crichton entered the Navy, 8 March, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Immortalité 36, Capt. Edw. W. C. R. Owen; in which frigate and the Clyde 38, commanded by the same officer, we find him in constant collision with the Boulogne flotilla until May, 1807. During the next 12 months he served on the South American and Cape stations on board the Malabar 74, Capt. John Temple, and Camel store-ship, Capt. John Joyce; and then rejoining the Clyde, attained the rating of Midshipman 3 Sept. 1808. Early in 1809 he returned, in the Clorinde 38, Capt. Thos. Briggs, to the Cape of Good Hope, where, and off the Isle of France, he continued alternately to serve, in the Nereide 36, Capt. Robt. Corbett, Charwell and Sapphire sloops, both commanded by Capt. Hon. Wm. Gordon, Phoebe 36, Capt. Jas. Hillyar, Minerva hired armed-ship, Capt. Hon. Wm. Gordon, and Boadicea 38, Capt. Lord Viscount Neville, until Juue, 1811. After an intermediate attachment to the Laurestinus 22, Capt. Hon. Wm. Gordon, on the South American station, he obtained a Lieutenant’s commission, dated 21 March, 1812; and he was subsequently appointed – 19 May, 1813, to the Creole 36, Capts. Robt. Forbes and Geo. Chas. Mackenzie, employed off the coast of Africa – and, 14 Nov. 1814, to the Menai 24, Capt. Watkin Owen Pell, on the North American station. While under Capt. Mackenzie he took part, on 23 Jan. 1814, in a drawn action, fought with much spirit for nearly two hours, between the Creole and the French 40-gun frigate Sultane; on which occasion the loss of the British amounted to 10 killed and 26 wounded, and that of the enemy to about 20 killed and 30 wounded. Mr. Crichton left the Menai in Jan. 1817; and has not since been afloat.