A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hornsby, William
HORNSBY. (Lieut., 1811. f-p., 14; h-p., 34.)
William Hornsby entered the Navy, in Sept. 1799, on board the Experiment 44, armée en flûte, Capts. John G. Saville and Geo. Chas. Mackenzie; to which ship (attending intermediately the expedition of 1801 to Egypt) he continued attached until the close of 1805. He afterwards joined the Megaera fire-vessel, Capt. Arch. Duff, and Rose 18, Capts. Lucius Curtis and Philip Pipon, in the Channel; served, from June, 1807, to July, 1810, in the Resolution and Rodney 74’s, each commanded by Capt. Geo. Burlton, under whom he was present, as Midshipman of the Resolution, at the bombardments of Copenhagen and Flushing; then became Acting-Lieutenant, for a short time, of the Tonnant 80, Capt. Sir John Gore; and, after a further employment, off Havre and Lisbon, in the Cyane 22, and Abercromby 74, Capts. Fras. Augustus Collier and Wm. Chas. Fahie, was officially promoted, 26 Sept. 1811, into the Canopus 80, Capt. Chas. Inglis. His last appointments were – to the Rose 18, Capt. Robt. Maunsell, and Ville de Paris 110, and Boyne 98, both under the orders of Capt. Burlton. He served in the Rose on the Baltic station; and was a participator, in the Boyne, in Sir Edw. Pellew’s partial actions of 5 Nov. 1813 and 13 Feb. 1814, with the Toulon fleet. He has been on half-pay since Sept. of the latter year.