A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Elphinstone, Alexander Francis
ELPHINSTONE. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 16; h-p., 33.)
Alexander Francis Elphinstone, born, 8 Feb. 1788, at Cronstadt, in Russia, is only son of the late Capt. Sam. Williams Elphinstone, of the Russian Navy (a lineal descendant of Robert, third Baron Elphinstone), by Catherine, eldest daughter of the late Admiral Kruse, of the same service. He is nephew of the late Capts. Thos. and Robt. Philip Elphinstone, both of the R.N., who died in 1821-2; and of the present Colonel Sir Howard Elphinstone, Bart., C.B. His grandfather, John Elphinstone, a Captain in the British and an Admiral in the Russian Navy, who died in 1785, commanded the fleet of the Czar at the battle of Tchesme in 1770, and succeeded in destroying the Turkish fleet.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 March, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diomede 50, commanded at Sheerness by the late Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming; and on his removal, as Midshipman, in May, 1800, to the Hector 74, Capt. John Elphinstone, he took charge of a boat, and had 3 men wounded, near Cadiz, while reconnoitring a place of debarkation for the troops under Sir Ralph Abercromby, previously to their ultimate departure for Egypt. Following Capt. Elphinstone, in March, 1801, into the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Lord Keith, he landed with that officer, who had been appointed Captain of the fleet, at Alexandria, and, for the services he there rendered as his Aide-de-Camp, he was presented with the Turkish gold medal. From May, 1801, until Aug. 1806, he appears to have been further employed, on the Mediterranean, Home, and East India stations, in La Pique 36, Capt. Jas. Young, Diamond 38, Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, and Culloden 74, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew. During that period he served on three hazardous occasions in the Diamond’s boats; and, on being lent, with 100 men, from the Culloden to the Sir Francis Drake 32, was actively employed for some time in blockading the Isle of France. On finally leaving the Culloden, Mr. Elphinstone became Acting-Lieutenant of the Arrogant 74, Capt. Wm. Hugh Dobbie, in which ship he continued until within a short period of his being confirmed into the Salsette, afterwards Doris 36, Capts. Christ. Cole and Wm. Jones Lye – an event which took place 9 June, 1807. As First-Lieutenant of that frigate, he commanded her boats in several attacks made on the Malay and Persian pirates, and during the operations against the Isle of France, in Dec. 1810, he had the sole charge of the ship during the Captain’s absence on shore. In 1811-12 he joined the Caledonia and Royal George, flag-ships of Admirals Sir Edw. Pellew and Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, the Ajax 74, Capt. Sir Robt. Laurie, and then again the Caledonia. In June, 1813, Mr. Elphinstone landed near Tarragona, at the head of a battalion of seamen, for the purpose of bringing off the troops and destroying the guns at the Col de Balaguer. He likewise shared in Sir Edw. Pellew’s partial actions with the French fleet out of Toulon, 5 Nov. 1813, and 13 Feb. 1814; and, in April of the latter year, he acquired the approbation of Lord Wm. Bentinck for the assistance he afforded in command of a division of seamen at the siege of Genoa. He was rewarded for these services by promotion to the rank he now holds 15 June, 1814, and since that period has been on half-pay.
Commander Elphinstone, a noble in Livonia, received, in 1812, the Russian bronze medal, suspended to the riband of St. Vladimir, which was issued to all Russian noblemen who had in any way partaken of the hostilities against the French. He married, 5 May, 1819, Amelia Anne, eldest daughter of Fred. A. Lobach, Esq., a senior merchant at Riga, by whom he has issue four sons and four daughters.