A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dashwood, William Bateman
DASHWOOD. (Captain, in 1818. f-p., 15; h-p., 33.)
William Bateman Dashwood was born 1 Sept. 1790.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 Aug. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol on board the Defiance 74, Capts. Thos. Revell Shivers and Rich. Retalick, flag-ship afterwards of Rear-Admiral Thos. Graves, under whom he served at the battle of Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801. On 22 June, 1802, he became Midshipman of the Isis 50, bearing the flag in succession of the late Lord Gambler, of Sir Edw. Thornbrough, and of Sir Erasmus Gower, at Newfoundland, where he continued until Feb. 1805; after which he joined, consecutively, the Pomone 44, Capt. Wm. Grenville Lobb, off Lisbon, Captain 74, Capt. Geo. Cockburn, at Spithead, and Modeste 36, Capt. Geo. Elliott. On 15 Aug. 1807, being then in the East Indies, Mr. Dashwood was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of the Culloden 74, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew, from which we find him officially promoted, 28 Jan. 1808, into his former ship, the Modeste. Invaliding home in July, 1809, he next, on 12 June, 1810, joined the Atlas 74, Capt. Jas. Sanders, and was for some time employed in the gun-boat service at the siege of Cadiz. Prior to his appointment, as First-Lieutenant, to the Active of 46 guns, Capt. Jas. Alex. Gordon, which took place in Oct. 1811, Mr. Dashwood further served for a few months with Capt. Clephane, on board the Cumberland and Ajax 74’s. On 29 Nov. in the latter year, he shared in a hard-fought action of an hour and forty minutes, which, in rendering the Active captor of La Pomone, of 44 guns and 332 men, 50 of whom were killed and wounded, cost her a loss of 8 killed and 27 wounded; and on that occasion he had the misfortune to have his right arm shot off, a few minutes after the disablement of Capt. Gordon, who lost a leg.[1] Being promoted to the rank of Commander 19 May, 1812, and appointed, 23 July, 1813, to the Snap 16, Capt. Dashwood now cruized off the coast of France, where, on 1 Nov., he fell in with five privateer luggers, one of which, Le Lion, of 16 guns and 69 men, he brought to close action, and in ten minutes captured.[2] On 15 Nov. 1814, he removed to the Prometheus sloop, and after hovering about the Bay of Biscay for some time in the summer of 1815, with a view to the interception of Napoleon Buonaparte, sailed for the Mediterranean; on which station he assisted at the bombardment of Algiers 27 Aug. 1816. Previously to that event he had succeeded in bringing away, disguised as midshipmen, the wife and daughter of the British Consul, Mr. M‘Donell.[3] Capt. Dashwood, who paid the Prometheus off in Nov. 1816, was subsequently appointed to the Acting command, 23 July, 1818, of the Créole 36, fitting for South America, where he attained Post-rank, 21 Oct. following, in the Amphion 32. He went on half-pay in May, 1819; and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Dashwood is Senior of 1818. In consideration of his wound he enjoys a pension of 200l. He married, 17 April, 1820, Louisa Henrietta, only daughter of Fred. Bode, Esq., by whom he has issue. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.