A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fitzmaurice, William
FITZMAURICE K.W. (Lieutenant, 1802. f-p., 24; h-p., 30.)
William Fitzmaurice entered the Navy, in Feb. 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Queen Charlotte 100, Capt. Sir Roger Curtis, bearing the flag of Earl Howe in the Channel; removed, in Aug. 1794, to the Southampton 32, Capt. Hon. Robt. Forbes; and from Aug. 1795, until Sept. 1801, served, as Midshipman, on the Home and Cape of Good Hope stations, in the Queen Charlotte again, Capt. Sir Andw. Snape Douglas, and Tremendous 74, bearing the flag of Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian – in which latter ship, when in company with the Adamant 50, he assisted at the destruction, under Capt. John Osborn, of the French 40-gun frigate La Preneuse, off the Isle of France, 11 Dec. 1799. On leaving the Tremendous, Mr. Fitzmaurice became Acting-Lieutenant of the Lancaster 64, flag-ship of Sir Roger Curtis at the Cape, where and on the East India and Home stations, he afterwards (having been confirmed by commission dated 15 Jan. 1802) joined – 20 March, 1805, the Tremendous again, Capt. Osborn – 5 Aug. 1806 the Goshawk 14, Capt. Edw. Wallis Hoare – 15 March, 1807, the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flags of Sir Albemarle Bertie and Sir Wm. Sidney Smith – in 1809, as Acting-Commander, the Otter and Sapphire sloops-15 March, 1810, the Boadicea 38, Capt. Josias Rowley – and, 21 April following, as First-Lieutenant, the Magicienne 36, Capt. Lucius Curtis. After the reduction of Isle Bourb, Mr. Fitzmaurice took part in a variety of gallant but unfortunate operations which, by 28 Aug. in the same year, 1810, terminated, after a loss to the Magicienne of 8 men killed and 20 wounded, in the unavoidable self-destruction of that ship and the Sirius, the capture of the Nereide, and the surrender to a powerful French force of the Iphigenia, the last of a squadron of frigates originally under the orders of Commodore Sam. Pym, at the entrance of Port Sud-Est, Isle of France. On being released from bondage by the capture of the latter island in the ensuing Dec, Mr. Fitzmaurice was invested with the command of all the cartels employed in conveying the French garrison and seamen to Morlaix. His subsequent appointments afloat were – 22 June, 1811, and 21 Aug. 1812, to the Laurestinus 24, and Magicienne 36, both commanded, on the Brazilian and Lisbon stations, by Capt. Hon. Wm. Gordon – and 17 Aug. 1813, to the Dictator troop-ship, Capts. Hon. Geo. Alfred Crofton and Henry Montresor, under whom he witnessed, in 1814-15, the capture of Bladenshurg and Washington, the bombardment of Baltimore, the attack upon New Orleans, and the taking of Fort Bowyer, Mobile. He left the Dictator in Oct. 1815, and, with the exception of a nearly three years’ employment (from 19 April, 1825, to Feb. 1828) in the Ordinary at Sheerness, has since been on half-pay.
During an interval in 1808-9, which occurred between the period of his leaving the Foudroyant and joining the Otter, Mr. Fitzmaurice, who is Senior Lieutenant of 1802, was employed by Sir Sidney Smith on a mission to the Viceroys of Chili and Peru, having for its object the release of all British prisoners – a piece of diplomacy which he executed much to his own honour and to Sir Sidney’s satisfaction. In June, 1846, he was appointed one of the Naval Knights of Windsor.