A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Goslin, William Henry
GOSLIN. (Lieut., 1827. f-p., 30; h-p., 9.)
William Henry Goslin is of Norman extraction, and immediately descends from Wm. Goslin (or Gosselin), an officer of rank in the army of Cromwell, from whom he obtained a large tract of land in co. Kilkenny.
This officer entered the Navy, 6 Nov. 1808, as. Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. John Surman Carden, in the boats of which, ship he assisted at the embarkation of the army after the battle of Corunna. He subsequently removed for a short time with Capt. Carden to the Ocean 98, and was next employed as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until the general peace of 1815, in the Weasel 18, Capt. Henry Prescott, Frederickstein 32, Capt. Fras. Beaufort, Fylla 22, and Eridanus 36, both commanded by Capt. H. Prescott, Resolute 10, Capt. J. Green, Orestes 18, Capt. Wm. Rich. Smith, and Aggressor 12, Lieut.-Commander Jas. Morgan, on the Mediterranean and Home stations. He assisted during that period, while in the Weasel, at the capture, besides other armed vessels, of L’Eole privateer, pierced for 20 guns, but mounting only 14, with a complement of 140 men, which surrendered, on 25 Dec. 1809, after a gallant resistance of one hour and thirty minutes, a loss to herself of 5 men killed and 9 wounded, and to her antagonist of only 1 man killed and another wounded. He was also constantly engaged in the same sloop with the French batteries and flotilla on the Calabrian shore during Murat’s meditated invasion of Sicily; and, when with Capt. Beaufort in the Frederickstein, he assisted in the survey of the coast of Karamania, and contributed in the boats to the capture and destruction of a Greek pirate, carrying 1 gun and 40 men, who landed and defended themselves on a barren island in the Archipelago. Between Oct. 1815 and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 28 April, 1827, Mr. Goslin served, as Admiralty-Midshipman, Second-Master, and Mate, on the Irish, Newfoundland, Channel, East India, and Portsmouth stations, in the Picton 12 Lieut.-Commander Jas. Morgan, Sir Francis Drake 36, Capt. John Bowker, Fly 18, Capt. John Baldwin, Phaeton 46, Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon, Hyperion 42, Capt. Thos. Searle, Hasty 12, Lieut.-Commander Lewis Fitzmaurice, Alligator 28, Capt. Thos. Alexander, Liffey 50, Capt. Thos. Coe, and Victory 104, Capt. Chas. Inglis. He obtained an appointment in the Coast Guard 17 Oct. 1833; removed, 12 Sept. 1840, to the command of the Dolphin Revenue-cruizer; and, since 17 Nov. 1843, has again been in charge of a station in the Coast Guard. Lieut. Goslin’s services to the Revenue have been very effective. He was instrumental, in 1835, to the condemnation of L’Eugene smuggler, at the Isle of Man; and in the course of the same year he seized three American traders having a quantity of illicit goods on board. On 23 May, 1837, he had the good fortune to effect the similar capture of three smuggling yawls and of 21 men. He also, on one occasion, towed two water-logged vessels into Galway Roads, thereby saving the crews, together with property valued at 13,000l.; and on another he succeeded in rescuing from the wrecks of four vessels goods amounting to 8900l. On 5 Dec. 1843 he preserved from destruction the barque Margarette of New Brunswick, and property worth 5000l.
Lieut. Goslin was honoured, 28 Feb. 1839, with a letter of thanks from the Royal National Shipwreck Institution, for his conduct on 27 of the previous Nov. in having saved the lives of 17 persons at the imminent hazard of his own. Agent – Fred. Dufaur.