A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Cuppage, Adam
CUPPAGE. (Commander, 1830. f-p., 22; h-p., 20.)
Adam Cuppage, born 21 Nov. 1792, is second son of the late General Cuppage, of the Hon.E.I.Co.’s service; brother of Lieut.-Col. Cuppage, late of the 39th regiment; and cousin of Capt. Wm. Cuppage, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 6 Jan. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Cyclops 20, Capt. Fras. Douglas, guard-ship off Lymington; joined next, for short periods, the Cracker gun-brig’, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Henry Douglas, Thunderer 74, Capt. John Lechmere, and Repulse 74, Capt. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge, employed in the Channel; and on ultimately proceeding to the West Indies in the Acasta 40, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, took an active part in the victory gained over the French, off St. Domingo, 6 Feb. 1806. Accompanying Capt. Dunn soon afterwards, as Midshipman, into the Royal George 100, flag-ship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, he passed the Dardanells in Feb. 1807; and, on 27 of that month, served with the boats in a smart skirmish with the Turks on the island of Prota. While subsequently borne on the books of the San Josef 110, Hibernia 110, and Armide 38, all commanded by Capt. Dunn, he further commanded a gun-boat throughout the various operations connected with the Walcheren expedition in 1809 – served in a boat at the defence and evacuation of Fort Matagorda, near Cadiz, in April, 1810 – and assisted in cutting out several of the enemy’s vessels on the coast of France. Having passed his examination in Feb. 1811, Mr. Cuppage next became attached, on the Jamaica station, to the Jason 32, Capt. Hon. Jas. Wm. King, Polyphemus 64, Capt. Peter John Douglas, Brazen 18, Capt. Jas. Stirling, Shark 18, Capt. John Gore, and Rhodian 10, Capt. John Geo. Boss, under whom he was wrecked near Port Royal, 21 Feb. 1813. On the latter occasion he proved greatly instrumental in saving the lives of the crew, together with a large amount of freight, by voluntarily swimming ashore through a heavy surf, with a line attached to his person – an exploit for which he very justly received the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Chas. Stirling. Joining, immediately afterwards, the Nimrod 18, Capt. Nath. Mitchell, Mr. Cuppage, while cruizing off the coast of America, commanded her boats at the capture, from under the batteries of New Bedford and of other places, of a large number of the enemy’s ships, one of which was the Chili, a South Sea whaler. In that vessel he was sent as prize-master to Halifax; and on his passage thither he was attacked, when becalmed at midnight, by four boats belonging to a privateer, all of which, though fully manned, were, however, beaten off in the most gallant style. Assuming the rank of Lieutenant 26 May, 1814, the subject of this sketch afterwards joined, on the American, East India, St. Helena, and Home stations, the Victorious 74, Capt. Sir John Talbot, Zealous 74, Capt. Jas. Anderson, Phoebe 36, Capt. Jas. Hillyar, Iphigenia 36, Capts. Andrew King, John Reynolds, and John Tancock, Conqueror 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Robt. Plampin, Gannet 18, Capts. Wm. Style and Wm. Simpson, Windsor Castle 74, Capts. Hugh Downman and Edw. Durnford King, and, as First Lieutenant, the Satellite 18, Capt. John Milligan Laws. He was promoted to his present rank on invaliding from India, 22 July, 1830, and has since been on half-pay.
Previously to joining the Gannet, Commander Cuppage officiated, as Governor, from Jan. 1818, to Nov. 1819, of the island of Ascension. He married, 8 July, 1830, Frances, eldest daughter of the late Colonel Haldane, of the Royal Artillery. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.