A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Purchas, William
PURCHAS. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 12; h-p., 31.)
William Purchas was born 1 Aug. 1790, at Milton, co. Cambridge.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 July, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Aeolus 32, Capt. Lord Wm. FitzRoy, with whom, after sharing in Sir Rich. Strachan’s action and co-operating, as Midshipman, in the reduction of Martinique, he proceeded to Halifax and thence returned to England in Dec. 1809 in the Squirrel 20. During the nine following months he served on the North Sea station in the Bellona 74, Capt. John Erskine Douglas; and from Sept. 1810 until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 6 Feb. 1812, we find him employed off Lisbon in the Macedonian 38, Capts. Lord Wm. FitzRoy and Wm. Waldegrave, North Star 20, Capt. Thos. Coe, and Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley. His next appointments were – 23 March, 1812, again to the Barfleur – 6 March and 29 July, 1814, to the Alcmène 38 and Rivoli 74, Capts. Jerem. Coghlan and Edw. Stirling Dickson – and 31 May, 1815, to the Partridge sloop, Capt. John Miller Adye. In those four ships he was stationed principally in the Mediterranean, where he assisted, in the Alcmène, at the capture of a large convoy under the guns of Porto Maurizio and at the reduction of Genoa; and, in the Rivoli, at the capture of La Melpomène, French frigate of 44 guns, after a brave defence of 15 minutes, 30 April, 1815. In March, 1816, he returned to England.
From 12 Jan. 1820, until obliged by ill health to resign, 4 Feb. 1841, Lieut. Purchas filled an appointment in the Excise. He married 7 Jan. 1817, and has issue two sons and three daughters. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.