A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Meadows, William
MEADOWS. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 13; h-p., 31.)
William Meadows entered the Navy, 11 Oct. 1803, as A.B., on board the Prince George 98, Capts. Joseph Sydney Yorke and Geo. Losack. After a servitude of three years on the Channel station, latterly in the capacity of Midshipman, he sailed, towards the close of 1806, for South America in the Africa 64, Capt. Henry Wm. Bayntun, under whom he shared in the operations connected with the unfortunate attempt made in 1807 to etfect the re-capture of Buenos Ayres. On leaving the latter ship he joined, in Feb. 1808, the Salsette 36, Capt. Walter Bathurst, employed at first in the Baltic, where, it appears, he assisted at the capture, 23 June, 1808, of the Russian cutter Apith, of 14 guns and 61 men, 4 of whom were killed and 8 wounded, with a loss to the British of 1 man killed. He afterwards accompanied the expedition to the Scheldt, and while there was actively employed in the gun-boat service. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 1 March, 1810, while borne as a Supernumerary on the books of the Namur 74, flagship at the Nore of Vice-Admiral Thos. Wells; and was subsequently appointed – 15 of the same month, to the Beaver sloop, Capt. Edw. O’Brien Drury – and, 1 May following, 18 Jan. 1811, and 8 Nov. 1812, to the Barbadoes 24, Capt. Brian Hodgson, Bucephalus 32, Capts. Chas. Felly and Joseph Drury, and Africaine 38, Capt. Hon. Edw. Rodney, all on the East India station; where, under Capt. Pelly, he assisted at the reduction of Java, and took part in a very long and gallant chase made by the Bucephalus alone after the two French 40-gun frigates Nymphe and Méduse. He has not been since afloat. Lieut. Meadows was Assistant-Astronomer at the Cape of Good Hope in 1834.