A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Leith, William Forbes
LEITH. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 16; h-p., 35.)
William Forbes Leith entered the Navy, 18 Dec. 1796, as A.B., on board the Prince George 98, Capt. Wm. Bowen, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Wm. Parker, with whom he continued to serve, in the Channel, off Cadiz and Lisbon, and in the Mediterranean, as Midshipman of the Blenheim 98, and again of the Prince George, until Sept. 1799. During the next three years and a half we find him employed, on the Home station, in the Amethyst frigate, Capts. Cook, Glynn, and Campbell; and, on 7 May, 1804, after having for a few months acted as Lieutenant of the Malta 80, and Ganges 74, Capts. Edw. Buller and Thos. Fras. Fremantle, formally promoted to that rank. His succeeding appointments were – 19 June, 1804, to the Nemesis 28, Capt. Philip Somerville, lying at Plymouth – 16 April, 1805, to the Druid 32, in which frigate, commanded by Capts. Broke, Astley, Bennett, Mackay, Bolton, and Louis, he served for nearly six years on the Cork and Cadiz stations, and assisted at the capture of Le Pandour national brig of 18 guns and 114 men – and 30 Sept. 1811, to the Repulse 74, Capt. Rich. Hussey Moubray, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, whence he invalided in Jan. 1813. He attained his present rank 15 June, 1814; and has since been on half-pay.