A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mortimer, George
MORTIMER. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 12; h-p., 30.)
George Mortimer, born 16 Dec. 1792, at Bideford, co. Devon, is son of the late Commander John Mortimer, R.N. (1797); and brother of the late Lieut. Mortimer and nephew of the late Major Mortimer, both of the R.M. Another uncle, Mr. Porrett, was Ordnance Storekeeper at the Tower; as was also a cousin, bearing the same name.
This officer (whose name had been previously borne as a Supernumerary on the books of the Caesar 80, Capt. Sir Rich. John Strachan, Nimble 14, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Delafons, and Audacious 74, and Barfleur 98, which latter ship, commanded by Capt. Geo. Martin, formed part of the force under Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis when he pursued the French fleet close in with Brest harbour) became Midshipman, in the summer of 1805, of the Warrior 74, Capts. Sam. Hood Linzee, Michael Seymour, and John Wm. Spranger, with whom he continued employed in the Channel and Mediterranean until Feb. 1811. Towards the close of the former year, having fallen in with the Victory at sea, he assisted in towing that ship, with the body of Lord Nelson on board, into Spithead. In 1809 he co-operated in the reduction of the islands of Ischia, Procida, Zante, Cephalonia, and Cerigo; and he next commanded a mortar-boat at the defence of Sicily. In 1811 (in the course of which year he successively removed to the San Juan and Nepomucino 74’s, bearing each the broad pendant of Commodore Chas. Vinicomhe Penrose, and, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the Columbine and Swallow sloops, Capts. Wm. Shepheard and Edw. Reynolds Sibly) we find him employed in the gun-boat service at Gibraltar and Tarifa. After performing for 19 months the duties of Master’s-Mate in the Caledonia 120, and Prince 98, flag-ships in the Mediterranean and at Portsmouth of Sir Edw. Pellew and Sir Rich. Bickerton, he was advanced, 17 Dec. 1813, to a Lieutenancy in the Venerable 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham, in which, when on his passage to the West Indies, and in company with the Cyane sloop, he contributed to the capture, not without opposition, of the French 40-gun frigates Iphigénie and Alcmène, 16 and 20 Jan. 1814. His last appointments were – 12 March, 1814, to the Vestal 36, Capt. Sam. Bartlett Deeckar, which vessel was paid off three months afterwards at Barbadoes – and, 4 Feb. 1815, to the Malta 80, Capts. Wm. Chas. Fahie, Thos. Boys, Chas. Ogle, and Thos. Gordon Caulfeild. Under Capt. Fahie, besides witnessing the surrender of Naples, he took part in the reduction of Gaeta in 1815, and commanded a division of boats at the cutting out of a large Russian ship from under its batteries. For those services he received, in common with the other officers employed, the thanks of the Neapolitan and British ministers. The Malta was put out of commission in Feb. 1817, and Lieut. Mortimer, rendered incapable of further employment from the effects of injuries he had received during his career afloat, was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 9 Dec. 1831.
He married, 8 Sept. 1835, Miss Prideaux, eldest daughter of the late John James, Esq., of Sidmouth, by whom he has issue one son.