A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Forder, George
FORDER. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 9; h-p., 33.)
George Forder died 9 Dec. 1845, in the 56th year of his age. He was brother of Commander Robt. Forder, R.N. (1821), who died in 1844.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 Feb. 1804, as Midshipman, on board the Chichester, guard-ship at St. Helen’s, Capt. Joseph Spear, and, after serving for some time with that officer, and with Capt. Alex. Shippard of the Surinam 18, joined, in March, 1806, the Confiance sloop, Capt. Jas. Lucas Yeo. In August, 1807, we find him officially noticed, and spoken of in the highest manner, for his conduct at the cutting out, by the boats of the latter vessel, of the Spanish privateer El Reitrada of 3 guns and 30 men, under a heavy fire from two strong forts at Guardia, on the coast of Portugal.[1] On 27 of the following October, previously to the departure of the Royal Family for South America, he accompanied Lord Strangford with a flag of truce to Lisbon; after which, while in a prize, he appears to have been taken by some Spanish gun-boats, and detained a prisoner from 13 Feb. to May 1808. He then rejoined the Confiance, and, during the month of Jan. 1809, was twice mentioned for his able support of Capt. Yeo, as that officer’s aide-de-camp, at the storming of the batteries, and throughout the other operations connected with the capture of Cayenne. On 2 June, 1810, Mr. Forder was promoted by Admiral Young, with whom he had been serving for a few months in the Salvador del Mundo, to the rank of Lieutenant, on the latter striking his flag as Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth. Being soon afterwards appointed Second of the Africaine of 48 guns and 235 men, Capt. Robt. Corbett, he sailed for India; on his passage whither, 11 Sept. following, he commanded the boats in a very gallant, although unsuccessful, attempt made to capture a schooner near the Isle of France, on which occasion the British sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 16 wounded. Two days [errata 1] subsequently to the latter event the Africaine came to close action with the two French frigates Iphigénie and Astrée, carrying between them 86 guns and 618 men, and, after a brave but unequal contest of two hours and a half, in which she endured a loss of 49 men killed and 114 (including her Captain mortally, and Mr. Forder most severely) wounded, and occasioned the enemy one of 10 killed and 35 wounded, was compelled to strike her colours.[2] On the recapture of the Africaine, and as soon as he was at all able, Mr. Forder was invested with the command of the Egremont schooner, and employed in the operations against the Isle of France. He went on half-pay 29 Dec. 1810; and (with the exception of an attachment, from 19 May, 1812, to 5 Dec. 1813, to the Horatio 88, Capt. Lord Geo. Stuart, on the North Sea station) was thenceforward, owing to the desperate effects of his wound, which ultimately, we believe, occasioned his death, compelled to abandon the active duties of his profession.
Lieut. Forder’s exertions at Cayenne in 1809 were acknowledged by the presentation of a sword from the King of Portugal; and his wound in the Africaine obtained him a pension of 91l. 5s., and a grant from the Patriotic Fund of 150l. He has left a family. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.