A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Kingston, Robert
KINGSTON. (Lieut., 1811. f-p., 13; h-p., 29.)
Robert Kingston entered the Navy, 3 Aug. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Aurora 28, Capt. Hon. Geo. Elliot, with whom, after having intermediately served in the Mediterranean, he removed, in Oct. 1806, to the Modeste 36, and sailed for the East Indies; where, in Oct. 1808, he assisted at the capture of La Jena French national corvette of 18 guns and 150 men, at the end of a running fight of nearly an hour, in which the Modeste had her Master killed and 1 man wounded. On his return to Europe in 1809, in the Albion 74, Capt. John Ferrier, he joined the Active of 46 guns and 300 men, Capt. Jas. Alex. Gordon, under whom he saw much service in the Adriatic. In March, 1811, in particular, having been left in charge of one of two prizes in the port of Lissa, he actually, in conjunction with Mr. Jas. Lewe, a Midshipman, who had been placed in command of the other, successfully summoned a body of 200 French seamen and troops to surrender, who had escaped thither after the famous battle of the 13th of that month. These two spirited young men also at the same time rescued from capture a Sicilian privateer brig of 14 guns, besides beating off a Venetian schooner of 1 gun, and preserving the British and Venetian vessels in the bay from being destroyed by her.[1] After a servitude of nearly three months with the late Sir Wm. Hoste, in the Amphion 32, Mr. Kingston was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 17 Sept. in the same year. His succeeding appointments were – 23 Oct. 1811, and 30 Jan. 1813, to the Impérieuse 38, and Repulse 74, Capts. Hon. Henry Duncan and Rich. Hussey Moubray, both in the Mediterranean, where, in the former ship, he witnessed the destruction of a French convoy under the batteries of Languelia and Alassio, and shared in a spirited skirmish with a powerful Neapolitan squadron in the Bay of Naples – and, in Nov. 1815, to the Vengeur 74, Capt. Thos. Alexander, lying at Portsmouth. While in the latter ship, Lieut. Kingston was for some time employed in cruizing in the Channel in command of her tender, the Hawk. He has been on half-pay since Sept. 1818. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 897.