A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pretyman, William
PRETYMAN. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 22; h-p., 16.)
William Pretyman entered the Navy, 26 Oct. 1809, as F8t.-cl. Vol., on board the Circe 28, Capt. Edw. Woolcombe, and after a servitude of four years in that ship, chiefly on the West India station, and the greater part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman, was transferred, in Nov. 1813, to the Révolutionnaire 38, Capt. Edw. Woolcombe, under whom he continued employed as Master’s Mate and Acting-Lieutenant on the East India and Cape of Good Hope stations, until Dec. 1816. During the next five years he again served in the West Indies, as Midshipman, on board the Beaver and Rifleman sloops, both commanded by Capt. Norwich Duff, Salisbury 58, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Campbell, and Raleigh sloop, Capt. Geo. Blackman; and, on 12 April, 1823, after having been for 15 months stationed at Chatham in the Bulwark and Gloucester 74’s, and Prince Regent 120, all flag-ships of Sir Benj. Hallowell, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His subsequent appointments were – 23 Oct. 1827, to the Coast Blockade, in which service he continued as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, until 1831 – 27 Feb; 1841, to the Lucifer steam surveying-vessel, Capt. Fred. Wm. Beechey, under whom he was for nearly three years employed on the coast of Ireland – and 12 July, 1844, to the command of the Comet steamer. In that vessel, in which he remained until advanced to his present rank 27 June, 1846, he conveyed the body of the late Admiral Sir Philip Chas. Durham from Portsmouth to Scotland in 1845. Since his promotion he has been on half-pay.
Commander Pretyman married, 16 June, 1844, Catherine Elliott, second daughter of Lieut. Alex. Webb, R.N.