A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Maxwell, William
MAXWELL. (Lieut., 1820. f-p., 34; h-p., 3.)
William Maxwell entered the Navy, in May, 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diana 38, Capt. Chas. Grant; and, on 15 of the following Nov., was present in an attack made on the two French frigates Amazone and Eliza, as they lay aground under the protection of several strong batteries in the neighbourhood of La Hogue. In April, 1811, he became Midshipman of the Hannibal 74, bearing the flag in the North Sea of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham; whom, in June, 1813, after a servitude of four months off Flushing in the Christian VII. 80, Capts. Thos. Browne and Henry Lidgbird Ball, he rejoined, on board the Bulwark 74, off Rochefort. Following the same officer into the Venerable 74, Mr. Maxwell, during the passage of that ship to the West Indies, assisted, when in company with the Cyane sloop, at the well-resisted capture, 16 and 20 Jan. 1814, of the French 44-gun frigates Iphigénie and Alcmène. He continued to serve on the station last mentioned in the Heron sloop, Capt. Geo. Luke, Venerable again, and Barrosa 42, Capts. Wm. McCulloch and John Maxwell, until the close of 1815; and then proceeded to the East Indies; where, with Capts. Andrew King and John Reynolds, he was for nearly two years employed, latterly as Master’s Mate and Acting-Master, in the Iphigenia 36, Conway 24, and Volage 22. At the end of 1817 he went back to the West Indies in the Sybille 44, flag-ship of Sir Home Popham; who, on 6 Nov. 1819, nominated him Lieutenant of the Ontario 18, Capt. Geo. Gosling. In the boats of that vessel Mr. Maxwell contributed to the capture of one, and the destruction of another, piratical schooner. Quitting her about the period of his official promotion, which took place 9 June, 1820, he was next, 23 May, 1823, appointed to the Camelion 10, Capts. Jas. Ryder Burton, Geo. Robt. Lambert, and Michael Seymour; under the first of whom, when in company with the Naiad frigate, he took part, 31 Jan. 1824, in a close and gallant action, which terminated in the boarding and capture, under the very batteries of Algiers, of the corvette Tripoli of 18 guns and 100 men. On 18 Aug. 1826, a few days after the Camelion (whose services had chiefly been of the class termed “Particular”) had been paid off, he received an appointment to the Hyperion 42, Coast Blockade ship, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye; on the books of which he continued borne, as a Supernumerary, until 30 Dec. 1830. He has been in command, since 16 March, 1831, of a station in the Coast Guard. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.