A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Garforth, William
GARFORTH. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 10; h-p., 31.)
William Garforth entered the Navy, 19 Feb. 1806, as a Volunteer, on board the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, with whom he continued to serve, in the same frigate, for more than seven years. During that period he participated in all the operations in the Rio de la Plata, from Oct. 1806 until the Medusa’s return home with Lieut.-General Whitelocke on the final evacuation of Spanish America in Sept. 1807, including the capture of Maldonado and of the island of Gorriti; assisted in taking several privateers; was for three months exposed to considerable hardships during a fruitless pursuit of two French frigates to the coast of Labrador; and cooperated much with the patriots on the north coast of Spain. He also, on the night of 4 June, 1812, served in the boats under Lieut. Josiah Thompson at the capture and destruction, in the harbour of Arcasson, of La Dorade, of 14 guns and 86 men, after a desperate struggle, in which the assailants had 5 men wounded, and the enemy, who had hailed the latter in their approach and were in every way prepared for the attack, 63 killed and drowned. Mr. Garforth – who obtained a Lieutenancy, 25 Oct. 1813, in the Sabrina 20, Capt. Alex. Rich. Mackenzie – was paid off from that vessel on her return from the Mediterranean, 28 Dec. 1815. He has not since been afloat.