A Naval Biographical Dictionary/McGwire, William
M‘GWIRE. (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 32; h-p., 36.)
William M‘Gwire, born 10 June, 1766, is third son of the late Arthur M‘Gwire, Esq., of Dawson Street, Dublin, and Clonrea Castle, co. Waterford.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 April, 1779, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Egmont 74, Capts. John Carter Allen and Robt. Fanshawe, under whom he served as Midshipman until the close of 1781, witnessing during that period a hurricane that spread desolation over the whole of the Caribbean Islands and Jamaica, and totally dismantled the Egmont. In 1782 he joined the Proselyte frigate, Capt. John Brown, attached to the force on the Home station; and he was next, between 1783 and 1786, employed on the African and American coasts, and also in the North Sea, on board the Racehorse sloop, Capt. Thos. Wilson. In Jan. 1792, after he had been for nearly three years on the Jamaica station in the Centurion 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Philip Affleck, he was there nominated to the command, with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, of the Advice cutter. He was confirmed a Lieutenant, 18 March, 1793, in the Helena sloop, Capt. Wm. Charlton; and on 18 of the following July he was transferred, from the Vestal 32, Capt. Jolm M‘Dougall, in which ship he had been again serving in the North Sea, to the Invincible 74, Capt. Hon. Thos. Pakenham; whom, after having participated in the actions of 29 May and 1 June, 1794, and risen to the post of First-Lieutenant, he followed in that capacity, in Sept. 1795, into the Juste 80. From the period of his promotion to the rank of Commander 22 May, 1797, until the peace of Amiens, Capt. M‘Gwire appears to have had under his orders the whole of the gun-boats employed in protecting the coast of Ireland; where he further, from Sept. 18033 until 1810, served in the Sea-Fencible establishment between Cork Head and Youghal. In Aug. of the latter year he was appointed to the superintendence (which he retained until Sept. 1814) of the Impress service at Waterford. He accepted his present rank 10 Sept. 1840.
Capt. M‘Gwire married, in Nov. 1802, Mary, eldest daughter of Sam. Hobson, Esq , Barrister-at-Law, of Waterford and co. Cork, and sister of the late Capt. Wm. Hobson R.N., by whom he has three sons and one daughter living. His eldest son died of yellow fever at Jamaica, while serving with Capt. Hobson as Midshipman in the Ferret sloop of war.