A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Crooke, William Boyle
CROOKE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 8; h-p., 31.)
William Boyle Crooke is fourth and youngest son of the late William Crooke, Esq., of Ahavrin, co. Cork.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 Feb. 1808, as a Volunteer, on board the Virago 13, Lieut.Commander Wm. Robt. Ashley Pettman; and on removing to the Raven 16, Capts. John Martin Hanchett and George Gustavus Lennock, attended the expedition to the Walcheren in Aug. 1809, and was for four hours on one occasion in destructive contact with the batteries of Cadsand and Flushing. In March, 1811, he joined the Boyne 98, bearing the flag in the Channel of Sir Harry Burrard Neale, to whom he acted for nearly two years as Signal Mate; after which he proceeded to North America with Capt. J. M. Hanchett, in the Diadem armée en flûte and co-operated in the attack on Craney Island and the town of Hampton, 22 and 26 June, 1813. He had the good fortune, about the same period, to rescue from a watery grave an officer and three men belonging to the San Domingo. Until the receipt of his commission, which bears date 7 March, 1815, Mr. Crooke further served, on the Halifax, Irish, and West India stations, on board the Narcissus 32, Capt. John Rich. Lumley, Spartan 38, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, and Orontes 36, Capt. Nathaniel Day Cochrane. He has not since been afloat.