A Naval Biographical Dictionary/King, Philip Parker
KING, F.R.S., F.L.S. (Captain, 1830. f-p., 19; h-p., 21.)
Philip Parker King, born 13 Dec. 1793, in Norfolk Island, in the Pacific, is son of Capt. Philip Gidley King, R.N., many years Lieutenant-Governor, and for six years Governor, of New South Wales, who died 3 Sept. 1808, at Lower Tooting, co. Surrey.
This officer entered the Navy, in Nov. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diana frigate, Capt. Chas. Grant; whose First-Lieutenant, the late Capt. Robt. Heriott Barclay, he well supported in an attack made by the ship’s boats in the following year upon a French convoy passing between Nantes and Rochefort. On the night of 2 Dec. 1809 he was again noticed for his gallantry in the boats under Lieut. Daniel Miller at the cutting-out of three schuyts moored to the shore at Odenskirk, and provided with heavy ordnance.[1] In Sept. 1810 (he had attained the rank of Midshipman 18 May, 1808) he proceeded, as Master’s Mate of the Hibernia 110, Capt. John Chambers White, to the Mediterranean, where he followed the latter officer into the Centaur 74, and joined, in Aug. 1811, the Cumberland 74, Capts. Robt. Waller Otway and Thos. Baker. Towards the close of the same year he was received on board the Adamant 50, flagship at Leith of Admiral Wm. Albany Otway. After he had again served for 18 months with Capt. Grant in the Armada 74, on the Mediterranean Sation, he was there, in Jan. 1814, transferred to the Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew, through whom he was promoted, 28 Feb. following, to a Lieutenancy in the Trident 64, guard-ship at Malta, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Laughame. He next, from July, 1814, until July, 1815, served on board the Elizabeth 74, Capt. Edw. Leveson Gower, flag-ship part of the time of Rear-Admiral Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming at Gibraltar, and in Feb. 1817 he was intrusted with the conduct of an expedition having for its object a survey of the coasts of Australia; a service on which he continued employed, in the Mermaid cutter and Bathurst sloop (to the command whereof he was promoted by commission dated 17 July, 1821), until his return to England in 1823. The results of the undertaking are contained in a ‘Narrative of the Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia,’ and in an Atlas, both compiled by Capt. King, and published, the former by Murray, and the latter by the Hydrographical Office at the Admiralty. In Sept. 1825, from the feeling of confidence with which he had impressed the Admiralty in the discharge of his late duties, he was appointed to the Adventure sloop, and ordered to survey the southern coast of America, from the southern entrance of the Rio Plata round to Chiloe, and of Tierra del Fuego. He was paid off on his arrival in England, 16 Nov. 1830, and has not been since employed. His Post-commission bears date 25 Feb. 1830.
In 1832 Capt. King published, as the partial fruit of his recent voyage, a volume entitled ’‘Sailing Directions to the Coasts of Eastern and Western Patagonia, including the Straits of Magalhaen and the Sea-Coast of Tierra del Fuego.’[2] Besides being a F.R.S. and a F.L.S., the Captain is a Member of the Royal Asiatic Society of London, and a Corresponding Member of the Zoological Society. He married Harriet, daughter of Christopher Lethbridge, Esq., of Launceston, co. Cornwall, by whom he has numerous issue. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1805, p. 2057.
- ↑ Vide, also, Capt. Robert FitzRoy, note, p. 365.