A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pitt, William (b)
PITT. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p., 10; h-p., 31.)
William Pitt (b) was born 16 Oct. 1793. His brother, John Pitt, while serving as Midshipman in the East Indies in the Victor sloop, was placed in charge of a prize brig taken from the Dutch at Java, and never heard of afterwards.
This officer entered the Navy, 9 May, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Howe store-ship, Capt. Edw. Killwick, and in July and Aug. following was received on board the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, and Lion 64, Capt. Robt. Rolles. On his arrival in India he joined, in Oct. of the same year, the Blenheim 74, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Troubridge; on leaving which, in Jan. 1807, he became in succession attached, in the capacity of Midshipman, to the Dasher sloop, Capt. Augustus Montagu, Powerful 74, Capt. Robt. Plampin, Phaeton 38, Capts. Pownoll Bastard Pellew and Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds Pellew (under the latter of whom he co-operated in the reduction of Java in 1811), and Illustrious 74, bearing the broad pendant at first of Commodore Wm. Robt. Broughton, and the flag subsequently of Sir Sam. Hood. He returned home in Aug. 1813 in the Bucephalus 32, Capt. Barrington Reynolds; and after serving for a time in the Salvador del Mundo flag-ship at Plymouth of Admiral Wm. Domett, and Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Pellew in the Mediterranean (whither he proceeded in the Indus 74), Capt. Wm. Hall Gage, was made Lieutenant, 29 Jan. 1814, into the Rivoli 74, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond and Edw. Stirling Dickson. Under the latter officer he continued to serve in the Mediterranean until Feb. 1816, and assisted at the capture, 30 April, 1815, after a brave defence of 15 minutes, of the French frigate La Melpomène of 44 guns. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Pitt is married.