A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Morier, William
MORIER. (Captain, 1830. f-p., 1.5; h-p., 29.)
William Morier entered the Navy, in Nov. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Illustrious 74 Capt. John Giffard, lying at Woolwich, and after cruizing for nine months on the Irish station in the Dryad 36, Capt. J. Giffard, was constituted Midshipman, in Jan. 1805, of the Ambuscade 32, Capt. Wm. D’Urban, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, where it was his fortune to participate in much boat service. Quitting the last-mentioned ship in March, 1807, he was next, until April, 1810, employed on the Mediterranean and Lisbon stations in the Minorca sloop, Capt. Hon. Granville Geo. Waldegrave, Intrepid 64, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse, Alfred 74, Capt. John Bligh, and Thames 32, Capt. Hon. G. G. Waldegrave. He was then nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Zealous 74, Capt. Thos. Boys; and on 4 of the following month (having intermediately taken part in the defence of Cadiz, and assisted in setting fire to a prison-ship driven on shore by the French prisoners) he was confirmed into the Colossus 74, Capt. Thos. Alexander. In Nov. of the same year he returned to the Thames, still commanded by Capt. Waldegrave, although afterwards by Capts. Chas. Napier and John Strutt Peyton. In that ship he contributed to the reduction of the island of Ponza in Feb. 1811, and, among other boat affairs performed on the coast of Calabria, displayed characteristic zeal at the destruction, 16 June following, of 10 large armed feluccas, on the beach, near Cetraro, in the gulf of Policastro. After a servitude of 20 months in the Pactolus 38, Capt. Hon. Fred. Wm. Aylmer, during which period he had escorted, we believe, the Duke of Cambridge to Cuxhaven and his late Majesty to the Scheldt, and had witnessed the bombardment of Stonington in America, he was presented with a Second promotal commission dated 13 June, 1815. His last appointments were – 12 Oct. 1826 and 17 Sept. 1828, to the Harrier and Childers sloops, of 18 guns each; which vessels he successively commanded on the North Sea station until the close of 1829. He attained his present rank 18 Jan. 1830.
Capt. Morier married, in 1841, Fanny, daughter of D. Bevan, Esq., of Belmont, Herts. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.