A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mends, William Bowen
MENDS. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 24; h-p., 29.)
William Bowen Mends, born 27 Jan. 1781, in Pembrokeshire, is brother of the late Commodore Sir Robt. Mends, Kt., G.C.C.
This officer entered the Navy, in Nov. 1794, as A.B., on board La Pomone 40, Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren; on following whom, as Midshipman (after sharing in Lord Bridport’s action, attending also the expedition in support of the French royalists to Quiberon, and participating in a variety of boat and other service on the coast of France), into the Canada 74, he witnessed the defeat, 12 Oct. 1798, of a French squadron under Commodore Bompart, intended for the invasion of Ireland. In Feb. 1799 he became Midshipman of L’Impétueux 74, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew; and in the course of the same year he again joined Sir J. B. Warren in the Téméraire 98, and Renown 74. On the night of 29 Aug. 1800, immediately subsequent to the Ferrol expedition, we find him serving with the boats of a squadron, 20 in number, commanded by Lieut. Henry Burke, at the cutting-out, close to the batteries in Vigo Bay, of La Guèpe privateer, of 18 guns and 161 men; which vessel, 25 of whose people were killed and 40 wounded, was in 15 minutes boarded and carried, with a loss to the British of 3 seamen and 1 marine killed, 3 lieutenants, 12 seamen, and 5 marines wounded, and 1 seaman missing. For his conduct in this affair Mr. Mends had the honour of being publicly thanked by the Commander-in-Chief; who, although he had not completed his time, at once ordered him to act as Lieutenant-Commander of the St. Vincent gun-brig. Being officially promoted 9 April, 1801, and appointed to the command of the Ferreter, another gun-brig, he was afforded an opportunity, in the course of the same year, of enacting a part in Lord Nelson’s attack on the Boulogne flotilla, on which occasion, it appears, he served in his own boat, and had 4 persons, out of 9, either killed or wounded. He paid the Ferreter off in Sept. 1802; and was next in succession appointed – 4 July, 1803, to the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. Graves in the Channel – 19 March, 1805, to the Sceinam 18, Capt. Alex. Shippard, whom he accompanied to Gibraltar – about March, 1806, again to the Foudroyant, flag-ship of Sir J. B. Warren on the West India, North American, and Home stations – 13 April, 1807, to the Goliath 74, Capt. Peter Puget, under whom he served with the advanced squadron at the siege of Copenhagen, and so distinguished himself that a strong recommendation in his favour was forwarded to the Commander-in-Chief – and 29 Oct. 1807, to the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Sir J. B. Warren at Halifax, where, from June, 1808, until Oct. 1809, and from May to Sept. 1810, he was allowed to act as Commander of the Vesta schooner and Indian sloop. On leaving the Swiftsure, Mr. Mends was presented with a second promotal commission, dated 26 Feb. 1811. After exactly two years of half-pay, he obtained command, 26 Feb. 1811, of the Loup Cervier 18; and on 23 March, 1814, having been intermediately employed at the blockade of New London, he was nominated Acting-Captain of the Terpsichore frigate, which ship he brought home and paid off 27 June following. His promotion had in the mean while been confirmed by a commission dated 26 May, 1814. His last appointments were – 24 Jan. 1824, to the Blanche 46, in which frigate he conveyed Vice-Admiral Lord Amelius Beauclerk to the Tagus, and then proceeded to South America, whence, after having been for some time Senior officer off the coast of Peru, he returned with nearly 800,000 dollars to England, 28 Sept. 1827 – and 26 Nov. 1836, to the Talavera 74. In that ship Capt. Mends was employed at first on the Lisbon station; then in affording co-operation, with a large squadron under his orders, to the Queen’s forces during the civil war on the south-east coast of Spain; next in transporting the 73rd Regt. from Gibraltar to Halifax, and the llth from that place to St. John’s, New Brunswick; and, finally, in the Mediterranean, on the Greek portion of which he was for six months Senior officer. The Talavera was put out of commission 3 Jan. 1840.
Capt. Mends has three sons in the Navy – William Robert, a Commander; and George Pechell and Robert Hamilton Handfield, Lieutenants. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.