A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Matson, George William
MATSON. (Commander, 1830. f-p., 22; h-p., 20.)
George William Matson was born 10 Aug. 1794.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 June, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Glory 98, Capt. Sam. Warren, and on 22 July following was present, under the flag of Rear-Admiral Chas. Stirling, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined squadrons of France and Spain off Cape Finisterre. Quitting the Glory in July, 1806, he was next, until March, 1814, employed, chiefly in the capacity of Midshipman, in the Sampson 64, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Stirling, Diadem 64, Bellerophon 74, and President 38, all commanded (the two former as flag-ships of Rear-Admirals Stirling and Gardner) by Capt. Sam. Warren, Prince 98, bearing the flag of Sir Rich. Biokerton, Ardent 64, Capt. John Cochet, North Star 20, Capt. Thos. Coe, Shark sloop, Capt. John Gore, and Argo 44, Capts. Cornelius Quinton and Wm. Fothergill. He served in the Diadem at the reduction of Monte Video in Feb. 1807; assisted, 7 July, 1809, in the boats of the Bellerophon and other ships, at the capture of a Russian flotilla and convoy in the Baltic (an exploit more particularly alluded to in our memoir of Capt. Chas. Allen); and was present, in the President, at the taking of Java in Sept. 1811. On 25 March, 1814, at which time he was serving in the Argo in the West Indies, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Bonne Citoyenne 20, Capts. Pitt Burnaby Greene and Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford. He obtained official promotion 1 Feb. 1815; and was afterwards appointed – 29 April, 1815, to the gun-boat service at Deal – 5 Nov. following, to the Harrier sloop, Capt. Sir Chas. Thos. Jones, on the Halifax station, where he continued, the last two years and a half as First-Lieutenant, until the close of 1818 – about Dec. 1820, in the capacity last mentioned, to the Sophie 18, Capts. Geo. French, Robt. Graham Dunlop, and Geo. Fred. Ryves, fitting for the East Indies, whence he invalided 28 Aug. 1823 – 14 Sept. 1824, again as Senior, to the Esk 20, Capt. Wm. Jardine Purchas, whom he accompanied to the coast of Africa – and, 21 Nov. 1825 and 1 Nov. 1826, to the command, on that station, of the Swinger and Clinker gun-brigs. On paying the Swinger off at Portsmouth, 26 July, 1826, Lieut. Matson was presented by the crew with a dress-sword, belt, and epaulette, in token of their very great esteem. He was advanced to his present rank soon after his return to England in the Clinker (in which vessel he had effected the emancipation of 1400 slaves) 22 Oct. 1830; and has since been on half-pay.
Commander Matson married, 7 Oct. 1835, Jane Newman, eldest daughter of the late Wm. Walter Yea, Esq., of Pyrland, co. Somerset, and sister of the present Sir Wm. Walter Yea, Bart. Agents – Holmes and Folkard.