A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Figg, William
FIGG. (Retired Commander, 1840. f-p., 19; h-p., 32.)
William Figg, born 27 Aug. 1783, at Berwick-upon-Tweed, is eldest son of Capt. Jas. Figg, of the Royal Invalids, who served during the reigns of George II. and George III., was wounded at the battle of Bunker’s Hill, and died one of the oldest officers in the army. His only brother, Edward, a Lieut.-Colonel in the Royal Engineers, died in active service in Canada in 1829.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 Aug. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Plover 18, Capt. John Chesshyre, and, on removing to the Venerable 74, flag-ship of Lord Duncan, Served in the battle off Camperdown, 11 Oct. 1797. After a further attachment with the latter officer, as Midshipman, to the Kent 74, he joined the Bellona 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Boulden Thompson, under whom he received, in the action off Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801, a wound So severe as to have ever since impaired the use of his left arm. From May in the latter year, until Sept. 1805, we find him serving, on the Channel, Newfoundland, and Irish stations, latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Brilliant 28, Capts. Philip Wodehouse and Adam Mackenzie, Camilla 20, Capts. Henry Hill and Bridges Watkinson Taylor, Courageux 74, flagship of Rear-Admiral Rich. Dacres, and Brilliant again, Capt. Robt. Barrie. In Jan. 1806, Mr. Figg became Acting-Sub-Lieutenant of the Furious gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander John Debenham. Being advanced to the full rank of Lieutenant, 30 Aug. 1806, he was subsequently appointed – 3 March, 1807, to the Vulture 18, Capt. Joseph Pearce, lying at Sheerness – 24 July, 1807, as First, to the Snake 18, Capt. Thos. Young, under whom he assisted at the capture of two batteries on the coast of Finmark in 1809 – 20 Feb. 1810, to the Skylark 16, Capt. Jas. Boxer, on the Downs station – and, 22 April, 1812, to the command of the Pickle schooner, of 12 guns. In which vessel, when off Scilly, he assisted the Albacore sloop and several small craft in beating off, 18 Dec. 1812 [errata 1], the French 40-gun frigate La Gloire. Lieut. Figg, who during the war was repeatedly engaged on boat-service and in action with the enemy’s batteries, left the Pickle 26 Aug. 1815, and from that period remained on half-pay until the close of 1820, when he successively assumed command of the Sylvia and Griper Revenue-cutters. Since quitting the latter vessel he has not been employed. His acceptance of his present rank took place 21 April, 1840.
Commander Figg married, 23 June, 1821, and has issue five children. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.