A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fitzmaurice, Lewis Roper
FITZMAURICE. (Lieutenant, 1844. f-p., 13; h-p., 3.)
Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice, born 29 April, 1816, at Deptford, is son of Lewis Roper Fitzmaurice, Esq., Master R.N., who, at the period of his son’s birth, was absent on an explorative mission to the river Congo; and first-cousin of Commander J. F. L. Wood, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Jan. 1831, as a Volunteer, on board the Protector surveying-vessel, Capt. Wm. Hewett, in which, and as Midshipman in the Fairy, he continued to serve, with the same Captain, until Dec. 1835. During the next 12 months we find him in the Spitfire and Columbia steamers, both commanded by Lieut. Andrew Kennedy, actively employed in the Mediterranean, and also on the north coast of Spain under Lord John Hay. He then joined the Beagle 10, Capts. John Clements Wickham and John Lort Stokes, and soon after his examination, which he passed 31 March, 1837, sailed on a voyage of discovery to South Australia, whence he returned home and was paid off 14 Oct. 1843. While absent he appears, at least for the first three years, to have been perpetually employed on boat services of considerable risk, and the last two years and a half to have officiated as Assistant-Surveyor. On one occasion, 6 Aug. 1841, being at the time on a detached service, Mr. Fitzmaurice had the misfortune to be very severely wounded by the explosion of a gun, the contents of which lodged in his ankle and (from the absence of surgical aid, which for four days was unattainable, in consequence of the boat’s distance from the ship) produced consequences so serious that he was for several months incapacitated from attending to his duty. Indeed the wound, we believe, still remains open, and it is feared will offer a barrier to Mr. Fitzmaurice’s early resumption of his professional avocations. His commission bears date 10 June, 1844.
He has been in the receipt, since 16 Nov. 1844, of a pension of 2s. 6d. a-day.