A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Evelyn, George James
EVELYN. (Lieut., 1804. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)
George James Evelyn was born 7 June, 1783, at Barbadoes.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 Dec. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Requin 12, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Wood Senhouse, in the boats of which vessel he appears to have been wonnded while boarding, 1 May, 1798, the French privateer La Mutine, of 6 guns and 44 men, under the batteries of St. Bartholomew. After the surrender of the Dutch colony of Surinam, in Aug. 1799, he removed to the Surinam 18, Capts. Christopher Cole and Robt. Tucker; and previously to the detention of that vessel by the Dutch at Curaçao, in 1603, he assisted at the cutting out and capture of more than 100 of the enemy’s armed and other vessels – was on one occasion taken prisoner – and succeeded, while in charge of a prize privateer, in re-taking and carrying into port, with only 5 men, an American schooner, within sight of her original captor. On the exchange of the Surinam’s crew, Mr. Evelyn, in March, 1804, joined the Pandora 40, Capt. John Nash, of which frigate we find him created an Acting-Lieutenant 5 May following. Being officially promoted, on 30 Aug. in the same year, into the Imogene 18, Capt. Henry Vaughan, he subsequently assumed command, 2 Jan. 1805, and 8 Feb. 1809, of L’Eclair and Swaggerer brigs, of 12 and 16 guns. In the former vessel, besides contributing; to the reduction of the islands of St. Thomas, Ste. Croix, and Marie-galante, he encountered, in 1807, and, having first re-captured her prize, brought to close action, a large three-masted French schooner privateer, La Félicite, which vessel, however, after occasioning the British a loss of 1 man killed and 4, including Mr. Evelyn, wounded, effected her escape by superiority of sailing. In the Swaggerer he assisted at the capture of Martinique, the Salutes, and Guadeloupe. Invaliding, in Oct. 1812, he remained on shore until appointed, 25 July, 1815, to the Venerable 74, Capt. Philip Chas. Durham, by whom, in the following Aug., he was intrusted with the charge of all the boats employed in landing the troops during the expedition against Guadeloupe. He left the Venerable in Dec. 1815, and has not since been afloat.
In March, 1816, Lieut. Evelyn was presented by the merchants and shipowners of Barbadoes with a piece of plate, valued at 100 guineas, in testimony of the high sense they entertained of the marked attention he had uniformly paid to their interests when in command of the vessels above named. This officer (who, during the 10 months immediately subsequent on the reduction of the Saintes, had officiated as Governor of those islands) has been a Magistrate since 1822, Harbour-Master since 1827, Captain of the Port since 1832, and Quarantine Officer since 1837, at Barbadoes. He married, 29 March, 1807, Miss Mary Ann Cole, of that island, and has issue five children. Agents – Messrs. Chard.