A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Haskoll, William
HASKOLL. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 16; h-p., 22.)
William Haskoll was born 9 Oct. 1792.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 March, 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Victorious 74, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and John Talbot, under whom he served on the Home, Mediterranean, and North American stations, chiefly as Midshipman, until Aug. 1814. He attended, during that period, the expedition to the Walcheren; was much employed against the enemy’s flotilla and batteries at. the defence of Sicily, where, on 18 Sept. 1810, a large body of troops having landed and been defeated near Stefano, he succeeded in the ship’s pinnace in capturing, after some resistance, a boat with 15 soldiers besides the crew; partook, next, of many active operations in the Adriatic, omitting however the celebrated capture of the French 74-gun ship Rivoli, at which period he was in temporary charge of a Signal station on the island of Lissa; commanded, on proceeding to the American station, a tender in Hampton Roads and up James River; was captured in a prize by a privateer, in May, 1814, and detained for a short time in captivity; and on one or two occasions was very nearly wrecked. From Aug. 1814 until Jan. 1817, Mr. Haskoll further served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Sultan 74, Capt. John West (which ship lost her mizenmast, fore and main topmasts, mainyard, and quarter and stern boats, in a heavy gale on the south bank of Newfoundland 16 Feb. 1815), and Horatio 38, commanded on the Channel, and East India stations by Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon. His health then obliging him to remain on shore, he did not again go afloat until April, 1824, when he rejoined his old Captain, Hamond, in the Wellesley 74. In the early part of 1825 he was transferred to the Owen Glendower 42, bearing the broad pendant at the Cape of Good Hope of Rear-Admiral Hood Hanway Christian, by whom, on 20 June, 1826, he was invested, as Acting-Supernumerary-Lieutenant, with the command of the colonial brig Wizard, in which vessel we find him cruizing on the coast of Madagascar and among the Seychelle Islands. He was subsequently lent for a short time to the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Jas. Polkinghome, employed on the same station; and, on 18 Dec. 1826 (upwards of 11 years after he had passed his examination), he was officially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. On leaving the Owen Glendower, about April, 1828, Mr. Haskoll served for a term of five months, until be was again compelled to invalid, on board the Helicon 10, Capt. Robt. Henry Stanhope. His next and last appointment was, 17 Feb. 1838, as First, to the Cruizer 16, Capts. Rich. Henry King and Henry Wells Giffard, fitting for the East India station, where, besides attending an expedition to the mouths of the Indus, he assisted at the capture of Aden. He afterwards, in 1840, accompanied the armament to China, and in the course of the same year was present at the capture of Chusan and the blockade of Ningpo. On the return of the Cruizer with Sir Hugh Gough to China, after having been sent in charge of despatches to Calcutta, Mr. Haskoll, it appears, commanded the second division of boats at the taking of Fort Macao 13 March, 1841, and assisted in the two series of operations against Canton – having charge, during the second, of the gun-boats at the capture, on 25 May, of the fort below the Folly.[1] He invalided 30 June, 1841, and on his arrival in England found that he had been promoted to the rank of Commander by commission dated 8 of that month. Agent – W. H. B. Barwis.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1503-5, 2505.