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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dufty, William

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1695127A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Dufty, WilliamWilliam Richard O'Byrne

DUFTY. (Retired Commander, 1843. f.-p., 18; h-p., 32.)

William Dufty was born 28 Feb. 1781. This officer entered the Navy, 12 Aug. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Prince 98, Capt. Thos. Larcom, bearing the flag in the Channel and off Cadiz of Sir Roger Curtis. Under the first-named officer, and Capt. Wm. Fothergill, he was subsequently employed, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant, from March, 1799, to Aug. 1807, in the Lancaster 64, on the Cape of Good Hope, East India, and South American stations. On the night of 13 Sept. 1800, he served with the boats of that ship, and of the Adamant, at the cutting-out, with loss to the British, of an enemy’s vessel from Port Louis, in the Isle of France; and, in Feb. 1807, was a witness to the fall of Monte Video. Being confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant 14 Aug. 1807, Mr. Dufty, in Oct. following, joined the Intrepid 64, Capts. Rich. Worsley and Christopher John Williams Nesham, under the latter of whom he served at the reduction, in 1809, of Martinique and the Saintes, and partook of a skirmish with some French frigates. He then returned home with Capt. Nesham in the Captain 74, and was afterwards appointed, on the Home and North American stations – 11 Sept. 1810, to the Vengeur 74, flag-ship of Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke – and, 13 Feb. 1813, to the Madagascar 38, Capts. Lucius Curtis and Bentinck Cavendish Doyle. He invalided home in Nov. 1815, and has not since been employed. Commander Dufty accepted his present rank 19 Oct. 1843.

He married 6 Feb. 1816, and has issue three children.