A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Liardet, William
LIARDET. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 29.)
William Liardet, born 29 Sept. 1794, is brother of Capt. Fras. Liardet, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 Nov. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Redwing 18, Capts. Thos. Ussher, Edw. Augustus Down, and Sir John Gordon Sinclair, under whom he successively served, on the Mediterranean station, a great part of the time as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until Aug. 1814. During that period he took part, 20 April, 1807, in a very spirited action with a division of Spanish gun-boats and several batteries near Cabritta Point, in which the British lost 3 men killed and 4 wounded; and while absent, on one occasion, in a detained vessel, he was taken prisoner. On 31 March, 1813, having rejoined the Redwing, he witnessed the capture and destruction of two strong batteries and 14 sail of vessels at Morjean; where, in charge of a cutter, he subsequently, on 2 May, co-operated with the boats of the Undaunted, Volontaire, and Repulse, in cutting out a well-protected convoy. In the course of the following summer he commanded one of four boats at the capture of a merchantman under some batteries near Marseilles; and he also, on 18 Aug., served, with the Redwing’s two cutters under his orders, in a brilliant attack on the batteries at Cassis, where, after sustaining a loss of 4 men killed and 16 wounded, the British succeeded in capturing two heavy gun-boats and 26 vessels laden with merchandize, two of which were brought out by Mr. Liardet himself. Indeed, during the whole term of his attachment to the Redwing, the last two years of which he had charge of a watch, Mr. Liardet proved instrumental to the capture of a large number of merchantmen and privateers, was engaged in nearly every boat and battery affair in which that ship was concerned, and, in whatever service employed, always distinguished by a “degree of zeal and activity highly creditable.” We may add that, including the occasion above alluded to, he twice fell into the hands of the enemy, although in both instances he was speedily released. After he had further served, still in the Mediterranean, as Admiralty Midshipman of the Granicus 36, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, and Elizabeth 74, Capt. Gardner Henry Gulon, he there became, 31 Oct. 1814, Acting-Lieutenant of the Jasper 10, Capt. Thos. Carew, to which vessel he was confirmed 23 Dec. following. Invaliding home in Feb. 1815, he was next, from 5 Jan. 1816 until 3 Oct. 1818, employed, latterly as First-Lieutenant, on board the Perseus 22 and Tamar 26, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Rich. Toker, on the Newfoundland station. He has been in charge since 29 Sept. 1846 of a station in the Coast Guard.
He married, 13 Oct. 1836, Adeline Eliza, youngest daughter of the late Thos. Pinnock, Esq., of Jamaica, and has had issue two sons and one daughter. The eldest son, William Francis, died at the Royal Naval School, 22 April, 1846, in his ninth year. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.