A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Palmer, Edward Gascoigne
PALMER. (Lieut., 1809. f-p., 36; h-p., 8.)
Edward Gascoigne Palmer entered the Navy, 20 June, 1803, under the auspices of H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Donegal 74, Capts. Sir Rich. John Strachan and Pulteney Malcolm. In the following year he was present, we believe, at the capture of the Spanish 44-gun frigate Amfitrite, and of a ship with a cargo on board worth 200,000l.; and in 1805 he accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies and back in pursuit of the combined fleets. On 6 Feb. 1806, after having assisted at the capture of El Rayo of 100 guns, one of the ships recently defeated at Trafalgar, he took part with Sir John Thos. Duckworth in the action off St. Domingo. On leaving the Donegal, of which ship he had been constituted Midshipman in July, 1805, he became, 7 July, 1806, Master’s Mate of the Kingfisher 18, Capt. Geo. Fras. Seymour; whom, in Jan. 1807, he followed into the Aurora 28. In that frigate, and in the Kingfisher, to which vessel, commanded by Capts. Wm. Hepenstall and Ewell Tritton, he returned in June, 1808, Mr. Palmer saw much boat-service in the Mediterranean, and was on one occasion wounded by the fire of a polacre near Corfu. He obtained his commission 19 Oct. 1809, and was subsequently appointed, chiefly in the capacity of First-Lieutenant – 28 Oct. 1809, and 1 June, 1810, to the Rinaldo 10, and Oberon 16, Capts. Jas. Anderson and Jas. Murray, both in the Downs – 14 Dec. 1811, to the Warrior 74, Capt. Hon. Geo. Byng, off Flushing – 12 Feb. 1813, to the Cossack 22 Capt. Fras. Stanfell, on the Jamaica station – 7 March, 1814, to the Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Lord Exmouth, under whom he beheld the fall of Genoa – and, 23 Oct. 1815 (after a few months of half-pay), to the Esk 20, Capt. Geo. Gustavus Lennock, fitting for the West Indies, whence he invalided in 1817. In the Rinaldo, whose force consisted of 8 18-pounder carronades and 2 long sixes, with a complement of 65 men, Mr. Palmer led the boarders, and was badly wounded in the leg, at the capture, 7 Dec. 1809, after some resistance, of Le Maraudeur French privateer, of 14 guns and 66 men, 5 of whom were wounded. His appointments, since he left the Esk, have been – in 1824, for three years, to the Ordinary at Sheerness – 24 Nov. 1827, and 19 Feb. 1830, as a Supernumerary, to the Ramillies and Talavera Coast Blockade Ships, both commanded by Capt. Hugh Pigot – 15 Jan. 1831, to the Coast Guard – 14 Oct. 1831, to a three-years’ command of the Cheerful Revenue-vessel – and, 11 June, 1835, again to the Coast Guard, in which service he continues.
Lieut. Palmer married, 3 Aug. 1831, Harriet, relict of the late Higgles Bayley, Esq., of Cape Coast Castle, by whom he has issue one child.