A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fitz-Roy, William
FITZ-ROY, Lord, K.C.B. (Rear-Admiral of the Red, 1837. f-p., 17; h-p., 36.)
The Right Honourable Lord William Fitz-Roy, born 1 June; 1782, is third son of Augustus Henry, third Duke of Grafton, by his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Sir Rich. Wrottesley, Bart.; and uncle both of the present Duke of Grafton and of Capt. Robt. FitzRoy, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 21 April, 1794, on board the Phaeton 38, Capts. Wm. Bentinck and Hon. Robt. Stopford, one of Lord Howe’s frigates in the ensuing action of the 1st of June. He next joined the Leviathan 74, commanded by Lord Hugh Seymour, and, when with the same officer in the Sans Pareil 80, he took part in Lord Bridport’s action, 23 June, 1795. After an occasional attachment to the Niger 32, Capt. Edw. Jas. Foote, Phoenix 36, Capt. Lawrence Wm. Halsted, and Cambrian 40, Capt. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge, he rejoined Capt. Foote, in Feb. 1798, on board the Seahorse, of 46 guns and 292 men; in which vessel we find him, off the island of Pantellaria, assisting at the capture, 27 June, 1798, after a close action of eight minutes, a loss to the British of 2 men killed and 16 wounded, and to the enemy of 18 killed and 37 wounded, of the French frigate La Sensible, of 36 guns and 300 men. Being promoted to a Lieutenancy, 13 May, 1800, in the Penelope 36, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood, he witnessed the surrender of Malta, and attended the expedition to Egypt. On 31 Oct. 1801, he became Acting-Commander of the Salamine sloop, and, being confirmed, 7 Jan. 1802, in the Mutine, was afterwards employed, from 26 Jan. 1803, until 29 Feb. 1804, in command of the Fairy. As a Post-Captain, a rank he attained on 3 March in the latter year. Lord Wm. FitzRoy appears to have commanded the Duquesne and Vanguard 74’s, Aeolus 32, and Macedonian 38, on the Jamaica, Channel, Irish, Halifax, and Lisbon stations; and, in the Aeolus, to have been present in Sir Rich. Strachan’s action, off Ferrol, 4 Nov. 1805, and at the reduction of Martinique in Feb. 1809. His Lordship, who has not been employed since 7 April, 1811, was promoted to Flag rank 10 Jan. 1837.
The Rear-Admiral was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815, and a K.C.B. 4 July, 1840. He married, 9 Aug. 1816, Georgiana, second daughter of the late Thos. Raikes, Esq., and by that lady has issue a son and three daughters.