A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Puget, William David
PUGET. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 25; h-p., 9.)
William David Puget entered the Navy, 12 Jan. 1813, as a Volunteer, on board the Owen Glendower 42, Capt. Brian Hodgson, in which ship and in the Minden 74, Capt. Alex. Skene, and Clorinde 38, Capt. Thos. Briggs, he served on the East India station, the chief part of the time as Midshipman, until Aug. 1814. He then joined the Monmouth 64, Capt. Wm. Wilkinson, lying in the Downs; and in Feb. 1815 entered the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth, where he remained one year and 10 months. In Dec. 1817 he again embarked on board the Andromache frigate, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, lying at Spithead; but he had not been many days in that ship before he removed to the Sybille 44, Capt. Chas. Malcolm, and sailed for the West Indies. Returning home in Feb. 1819, he served, from the following May until Oct. 1820, at Plymouth and Portsmouth in the Heron sloop, Capt. Job Hanmer, Spartan 46, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, and Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Campbell. At the end of that period he again proceeded to the West Indies in the Sybille under the flag of Sir Chas. Rowley; and on 22 July, 1822, he was there confirmed a Lieutenant (two months after he had been ordered to act as such) in the Icarus 10, Capts. Thos. Herbert and Alfred Matthews. He left the Icarus in March, 1823; and was subsequently appointed – in Oct. 1824, to the Wellesley 74, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, under whom he escorted the present Lord Stuart de Rothesay to the Brazils – 23 Dec. 1825, to the Spartiate 76, Capt. Fred. Warren, in which ship he was for upwards of four years employed on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations – and, 6 Aug. 1831, as First, to the Isis 50, fitting for the flag of the last-mentioned officer, then Rear-Admiral Warren, Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope. On his return home he was promoted to the rank of Commander 2 Dec. 1834. He was afterwards nominated Second Captain – 28 Jan. 1835, of the Dublin 50, flag-ship of Sir G. E. Hamond in South America, where he was superseded in Aug. 1836 – 22 Feb. 1837, of the Hercules 74, Capt. Maurice Fred. Fitzhardinge Berkeley, on the Home station – and, 1 Sept. 1337, of the Melville 74, Capt. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas. For his services in the Melville in China, where he was praised in the highest manner for his zealous exertions at the capture of Tycocktow, and attracted notice by the able support he atforded in the action with the forts at the Boca Tigris,[1] he was promoted, 8 June, 1841, to the rank he now holds. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Puget married, 3 Aug. 1844, Mary Laurents, youngest daughter of the late Rev. Philip Godfrey, Rector of Ayot St. Lawrence, co. Herts. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1162, 1498.