A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Poyntz, Newdigate
POYNTZ. (Commander, 1815. f-p., 15; h-p., 34.)
Newdigate Poyntz was born 14 April, 1785. This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy 2 Feb. 1798; and embarked, in Dec. 1800, as A.B., on board La Déterminée 24, Capts. John Clarke Searle, Philip Beaver, and Alex. Becher; under the first-mentioned of whom he assisted, 25 July, 1801, at the capture, off Alexandria, of a French corvette of 10 guns, with specie on board to the amount of 10,000l. sterling. He held, at the time, the rating of Midshipman. In March, 1803, three months after he had left La Déterminée, he joined the Sceptre 74, Capts. Sir Arch. Dickson and Joseph Bingham, and sailed for the East Indies, where he continued until obliged by ill health to invalid in June, 1806. Becoming attached, in Aug. 1807, to the Prince of Wales 98, bearing the flag of Admiral Gambier, he took part in that ship, and, as Acting-Lieutenant in the Thunder bomb, Capts. Geo. Cocks and Jas. Caulfeild, in the operations connected with the attack upon Copenhagen. He was confirmed Lieutenant 11 Sept. 1807; and subsequently appointed – 31 May, 1808, to the Hound bomb, Capt. Nicholas Lockyer, under whom, and the flag of Rear-Admiral Rich. Goodwin Keats, he witnessed the embarkation from Nyeborg of the Spanish troops under the Marquis de la Romana – 22 Sept. 1809 (after five months of half-pay occasioned by indisposition) to the Mosquito sloop, Capt. Robt. Pettet, employed off Heligoland and up the river Elbe – in July and Oct. 1810, Feb. and Sept. 1811, and Jan. 1812, to the command, in the Mediterranean, of the Orion transport, Epervier, Pylades, and Epervier – 5 Aug. 1813 (12 months after the Epervier had been paid off), to the Aeolus 32, Capt. Stephen Popham, on the coast of North America – and, 18 Feb. 1814, to the Naval Establishment on the Lakes of Canada, where, from Aug. to Dec. following, we find him commanding the Netley schooner. He invalided home in Jan. 1815; and on 19 Sept. following, as a reward for services he had performed on the Canadian Lakes, was advanced to his present rank. He has since been on half pay.