A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Maingay, Peter
MAINGAY. (Commander, 1815. f-p., 14; h-p., 33.)
Peter Maingay, born 16 Dec. 1784, at Newton Bushel, co. Devon, is son of Peter Maingy, Esq., of the island of Guernsey; and first-cousin of the late Commander Jas. Maingay, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Sept. 1800, as Midshipman, on board L’Impétueux 74, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew, in which ship he accompanied an expedition to Vigo, and was employed off Brest and Rochefort until April, 1802; during the latter months of which year we find him serving in the Channel with Capt. Edw. Bass, of the Gannet sloop. In March, 1803, he rejoined Sir E. Pellew on board the Tonnant 80, and in the following year, after having been engaged in the blockade of Ferrol, he sailed with him in the Culloden 74 for the East Indies, whence in 1805 he returned to England in the Trident 64, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Peter Rainier. He then became attached in succession to the San Josef 110, bearing the flag in the Channel of Sir Chas. Cotton, Audacious 74, Capt. Thos. Le Marchant Gosselin (under whom he went in pursuit of Jerome Buonaparte to the West Indies, and was present in a hurricane which dismasted the ship), and San Josef again, commanded by Capt. John Conn as Flag-Captain to Sir Jas. Saumarez off Guernsey. In April and July, 1807, Mr. Maingay was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Barfleur and Dreadnought 98’s, Capts. Sir Joseph Sidney Yorke and Wm. Lechmere; and on 1 1 Sept. in the same year he was confirmed into the Racehorse 18, Capt. Wm. Fisher, stationed, as were the two ships last named, in the Channel. His succeeding appointments were – 24 Dec. 1807, a second time to the Audacious, in which ship he escorted the army under Sir John Moore to and from Gottenborg, accompanied that officer and Lieut.-Generals Sir Harry Burrard and Sir John Hope to the shores of Portugal, and assisted in embarking the army after the battle of Corunna – 21 April, 1809, as Senior, to La Nymphe 36, Capts. Hon. Josceline Percy and Edw. Sneyd Clay, under the latter of whom he was wrecked in a gale at the entrance of the Frith of Forth, 18 Dec. 1810 – 1 May, 1811, to the Argo 44, Capt. Fred. Warren, lying at Spithead – 27 July following, and for a short time in 1812, to the Swiftsure 74, and Rainbow 26, Capts. Temple Hardy and Gardiner Henry Guion, both in the Mediterranean – 4 Sept. in the latter year, to the Success 32, armée en flûte Capt. Thos. Barclay, stationed at first on the coast of Spain, and then in the Chesapeake, where he had command of the boats on an occasion in which they were cut up by the musketry of the enemy, whose fire killed the coxswain in his (Mr. Maingay’s) own boat – 24 Nov. 1813, to the Harlequin 18, Capt. Wm. Kempthorne, employed at Sheerness – 20 April, 1814, to the Hermes 20, Capt. Hon. Henry Wm. Percy, which vessel, after 25 of her men had been killed and 24 wounded in an unsuccessful attack upon Fort Bowyer, Mobile, was set on fire and destroyed in order to prevent her falling into the hands of the Americans, 15 Sept. 1814 – and 11 May, 1815 (having previously united in the operations against New Orleans), to the Vengeur 74, Capt. Tristram Robt. Ricketts, attached to the force off Brest. He was advanced to the rank he at present holds on 13 of the ensuing June; and was next, from 6 July, 1830, until 1833, employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard. He has not been since able to procure an appointment.
Commander Maingay married, in March, 1818, Emeline, fourth daughter of the late John Carne, Esq., of Falmouth, co. Cornwall. Agents – Messrs. Chard.