A Naval Biographical Dictionary/O'Brien, Robert
O’BRIEN. (Lieut, 1838. f-p., 18; h-p., 8.)
Robert O’Brien, born 17 Aug. 1808, at Ardfry, co. Galway, is third son of Retired Rear-Admiral Robt. O’Brien (1837), of co. Clare, who commanded the Doris 42, in the East Indies, at the close of the war, and died about Jan. 1838, at Cheltenham, by his first-cousin Anne O’Brien, herself a first-cousin of the present Earl of Charlemont. He is grandson of the late, and first-cousin of the present. Sir Lucius O’Brien, Bart., of Dromoland, co. Clare. This officer entered the Royal Naval College 7 June, 1821; and embarked, in June, 1823, as Midshipman, on board the Ranger 28, Capt. Peter Fisher, employed at first in the Channel, and then in the Mediterranean. Between June, 1825, and March, 1828, in the course of which month he passed his examination, he served, on the South American station, in the Doris 42, Capt. Sir John Gordon Sinclair, and Jaseur 18, Capt. Edw. Handfield; and he next, from June, 1828, until Oct, 1832, and from June, 1834, until he invalided in Sept. 1837, officiated as Mate, in the East Indies and Mediterranean, of the Crocodile 28 and Childers 18, Capts. John Wm. Montagu and Hon. Henry Keppel. His appointments, since his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 28 June, 1838, have been – 22 May, 1839, as Additional, to the Winchester 50, fitting at Chatham for the flag of Sir Thos. Harvey – 7 Sept. following, to the Crocodile 26, Capt. Alex. Milne, on the North America and West India station, whence he invalided in Aug. 1840 – 26 May, 1841, to the Belleisle 72, Capt. John Toup Nicolas, which ship, in the following Oct., was paid off at Plymouth, where she had been for some time stationary – 3 March, 1842, as Additional, for a few months, to the Illustrious 72, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Adam in North America and the West Indies – and, 4 Sept. 1844, to the command, which he still retains, of a station in the Coast Guard.
In 1825 Lieut. O’Brien, then belonging to the Doris, received the thanks of the Admiralty for his conduct in having saved the life of a man who had fallen overboard. During his servitude in the Winchester he had the misfortune to dislocate his shoulder-joint, and also to receive much injury by a block falling on his head. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.