A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Murray, William Hamilton
MURRAY. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 11; h-p., 32.)
William Hamilton Murray was born 20 June, 1789.
This officer entered the Navy, 5 April, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board La Chiffonne 36, Capt. Chas. Adam; in which, ship, when in company with the Falcon sloop, Clinker gun-brig, and Frances armed cutter, we find him assisting at the destruction, after a chase of nine hours, attended with some loss to the British from the incessant fire of the forts along shore, of a division of the French flotilla, consisting of two corvettes and 15 gun-vessels, carrying in all 51 guns, 4 8-inch mortars, and 3 field-pieces, accompanied by 14 transports, under the batteries of Fécamp. On removing with Capt. Adam to the Resistance 38, he witnessed the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the French 80-gun ship Marengo, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. After a servitude of nearly three years as Midshipman, on the Home and Baltic stations, in the Pilot sloop, Capt. Hon. Wm. Walpole, and Ardent 64, Capts. Jas. Giles Vashon and Robt. Honyman, Mr. Murray, in Sept. 1810, joined the Impérieuse 38, Capt. Hon. Henry Duncan, under whom it was his fortune to see a vast deal of active service in the Mediterranean. On 2 Nov. 1811 he participated, in conjunction with the Thames 32, in the gallant capture and destruction of 10 gun-boats and 22 richly-laden feluccas, defended by a strong tower and two batteries in the harbour of Palinuro on the coast of Calabria, at which place the British were opposed by a land-force of 700 men. He next contributed, 27 June, 1812, to the destruction of a French convoy and of the batteries at Languelia and Alassio – was also present, 17 Aug. in the same year, in a spirited skirmish with a powerful Neapolitan squadron in the Bay of Naples – and, in 1813-14, witnessed the capture of Port d’Anzo, and the operations against Leghorn and Genoa. He left the Impérieuse about July, 1814; and was next, from that period until April, 1815, employed in the North Sea on board the Larne 20 and Dee 24, both commanded by Capt. John Wm. Andrew. He then took up a commission bearing date 4 Feb. in the latter year, but has not been since afloat. Lieut. Murray married 7 July, 1835, and has issue