A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mundy, George Rodney
MUNDY. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 19; h-p., 10.)
George Rodney Mundy, born 19 April, 1805, is son of General Godfrey Basil Mundy, by Hon. Sarah Brydges Rodney, youngest daughter of the celebrated Lord Rodney; and nephew of Vice Admiral Sir Geo. Mundy, K.C.B.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 5 Feb. 1818; and on 19 Dec. 1819, having carried off a medal and been allotted two years’ service, embarked, as a Volunteer, on board the Phaeton 46, Capt. Wm. Augustus Montagu, attached to the force in North America. In April, 1824, after a period of two years passed in the Mediterranean as Midshipman of the Euryalus 42, Capt. Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford, and Rochfort 80, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg, he joined the Blanche frigate, Capt. Wm. Bowen Mends, stationed in South America; where he continued to serve in the Wellesley 74, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Eyre, Jaseur sloop, Capt. Thos. Martin, Thetis transport, Capt. H. Hopkins, Blanche again, Capt. W. B. Mends, Cambridge 82, Capt. Thos. Jas. Maling, and Éclair 18, Capt. Thos. Bourchier (into which vessel he was confirmed a Lieutenant[1] 4 Feb. 1826), until 25 Sept. 1827. He was next, from 5 Feb. 1828 until promoted to the rank of Commander 25 Aug. following, employed at Portsmouth and off Lisbon in the Victory 104, Capt. Hon. Geo. Elliot, Challenger 28, Capt. Adolphus FitzClarence, and Pyramus 42, Capt. Geo. Rose Sartorius. Obtaining command, 29 Aug. 1833, of the Favorite 18, he sailed in that sloop for the Mediterranean; where, during the Turkish commotions of 1836, he became Senior officer on the coast of Tripoli. He paid the Favorite off a few weeks after his promotion to Post-rank, which took place 10 Jan. 1837; and he was next, 4 Oct. 1842, appointed to the Iris 26, in which vessel (with the exception of an interval in the latter part of 1843, during which he officiated as Supernumerary Captain of the St. Vincent 120 and Victory 104) he served on the African, Irish, and East India and China stations, until finally put out of commission in Aug. 1847. In Nov. 1843, in consideration of the rapidity with which he had fitted his ship out after she had been in dock, we find him eliciting the thanks of the Board of Admiralty. On 8 July, 1846, during an expedition up the River Brune, conducted under the personal direction of Rear-Admiral Sir Thos. John Cochrane against the Sultan of Borneo, he took command of the gun-boats employed, and, after having silenced the fire of a battery situated 100 feet up the side of a hill; landed, spiked, and threw the guns over the walls, and blew up the magazine. Towards the close of the same day, in addition to the latter, he effected the destruction of four forts, disabling at the same time 17 iron, and bringing off 3 brass, guns.[2] He was afterwards sent, with 19 boats and a body of 472 men under his orders, accompanied by Mr. Brooke, up different branches of the Borneo River, for the purpose of gaining certain points of debarkation, and of thence marching into the interior of the country with a view to obtaining possession, if possible, of the Sultan’s person. In carrying out his instructions, which, unfortunately, were not attended with the result desired, Capt. Mundy, during an absence of six days, was assailed with difficulties of no ordinary description. Afloat he experienced an almost impenetrable navigation; on shore his men were often up to their middles in swamp, floundering in the mud, and scarcely capable of preserving their ammunition dry. As a mark of the confidence with which his conduct throughout such arduous service had impressed the Commander-in-Chief, Capt. Mundy was left in charge of the whole Borneo station[3] from Aug. 1846 until Feb. 1847, during which period he carried out extensive operations against the pirates, and twice received the thanks of the Admiralty.
In 1832 Capt. Mundy served on board the Donegal 78, as confidential Agent under Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm on the coast of Holland, and was officially present at the siege of Antwerp. In 1833 he was employed by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir Jas. Graham, on a special mission to Holland and Belgium. On the suspension of hostilities he returned to England. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.