A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pennefather, William Westby
PENNEFATHER. (Lieutenant, 1821. f-p., 23; h-p., 16.)
William Westby Pennefather is second son of the late Rev. John Pennefather, Rector of St. John parish, in the diocese of Cashel, co. Tipperary, by Elizabeth, daughter of Major Percival; and grandson of Kingsmill Pennefather, Esq., M.P. in 1753, 1761, and 1771 for Cashel. One of his brothers, Kingsmill, was a Major in the Limerick Militia; another, John Lysaght, a Major in the 22nd Regt.; and a third, Robt. Percival, a Lieutenant and Adjutant in the 3rd Regt. of Native Cavalry, in Bengal. The Lieutenant, a near relative of the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, in Ireland, is brother-in-law of the late Vice-Admiral Henry Vansittart, and the present Lieut. Thos. Pearce Evans, R.N. His first-cousin, Matthew Pennefather, of New Park, co. Tipperary, is now representative of the family.
This officer entered the Navy, in July, 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Fortunée 36, Capt. Henry Vansittart, stationed on the coast of Ireland. In the summer of 1809 he removed to the Paulina brig, Capt. Westby Percival, attached to the force in the Mediterranean; where, and on the Lisbon, Cape of Good Hope, Home, and Newfoundland stations, he served, from May, 1811, to Oct. 1815, as Midshipman, in the Leviathan 74, Capt. Patrick Campbell, Andromeda 24, Capt. Rich. Arthur, Stag 36, Capt. Phipps Hornby, Procris and Pilot sloops, Capts. Curzon and John Toup Nicolas, and Bellerophon 74, and Salisbury 58, flag-ships of Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats. He was next, between Oct. 1816 and July, 1817, employed as Admiralty-Midshipman in the Granicus 36, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, and Martin sloop, Capt. Andrew Mitchell – the latter stationed on the coast of Ireland. After a further servitude, chiefly in the West Indies, on board the Nautilus 18, Capt. Isham Fleming Chapman, Sybille 44, Capt. Joshua Ricketts Rowley, Surinam 18, Capt. Wm. McKenzie Godfrey, and Confiance 18, Capt. Robt. Gordon, he was confirmed a Lieutenant, 22 Aug. 1821, into the Surinam, still commanded by Capt. Godfrey, although subsequently by Capt. Chas. Crole. His last appointments were – 12 Nov. 1823, to the Eden 26, Capt. John Lawrence, likewise in the West Indies, whence he returned soon afterwards – 28 Sept. 1830, to the Coast Guard, in which service he continued until the close of 1837 – and 10 May, 1839, for three years, to the Victory 104, bearing the flag at Portsmouth of Hon. Buncombe Pleydell Bouverie, Admiral-Superintendent. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.