A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Radford, Samuel
RADFORD, K.H. (Captain, 1832. f-p., 22; h-p., 29.)
Samuel Radford entered the Navy, in April, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Aquilon 32, Capts. Wm. Edw. Cracraft and Thos. Boys, with whom he was employed in the Channel and West Indies, part of the time as Midshipman, until transferred, in Aug. 1800, to the Triumph 74, Capts. Elias Harvey and Sir Robt. Barlow. On leaving that ship, after having served in her on the Home and, Mediterranean stations, he was nominated, in Dec. 1804, Master’s Mate, a rating he had held for some time, of the Barfleur 98, Capt. Geo. Martin, lying at Spithead. For conduct he had displayed on board the Triumph he was appointed, at the recommendation of Sir R. Barlow, Sub-Lieutenant, 29 Jan. 1805, of the Boxer gun-brig, Lieut-Commanders Sir Geo. Mouat Keith and Fras. M‘Lean. He was ordered, 24 May, 1806, to act as Lieutenant of the Ariadne 20, Capts. Lord Viscount Falkland and Arthur Farquhar, employed on the Home and Baltic stations; was confirmed to that vessel 18 Aug. following; and was next, in the course of 1809, appointed to the Aboukir 74, Capt. Geo. Parker, and Désirée 36, commanded by his former Captain, Farquhar. In the Aboukir he accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren; and in the Désirée (of which ship and the Ariadne he was for nearly eight years First-Lieutenant) he found frequent opportunities of distinguishing himself. In command of her boats, and of those of the Quebec 32, Britomart sloop, and Bold gun-brig, he made an attack, on the night of 29 May, 1810, on several armed vessels lying in the Vlie. One of them, a French lugger, of 6 guns and 26 men, was driven on shore and burnt, and four (a French lugger of 12 guns and 42 men, a schuyt privateer, of 4 guns and 17 men, a Dutch gun-boat, and a small row-boat) were captured and brought out.[1] A few days previously to this he had burnt on the beach, near Haarlem, the British schooner Cuckoo, which had been cast away, and was then in possession of the enemy’s troops. On 12 Dec. 1811, he made prize, in the Désirée’s boats, of Le Brave French privateer, of 14 guns (pierced for 16) and 60 men, near the island of Schelling; [2] and in Sept. 1813 he commanded the boats of the Heligoland squadron (in conjunction with a flotilla under Lieut. Chas. Haultain) in a vigorous, although, from unforeseen circumstances, unsuccessful attack on eight Danish vessels lying at Busum, a small and intricate harbour, near the mouth of the Elbe. In consideration of the great and repeated commendation elicited by his judgment and gallantry he was promoted, 22 Jan. 1814, to the rank of Commander. His next and last appointment was, 18 Sept. 1828, to the Nimrod 20, on the Cork station. During a period of great disturbance on the west coast of Ireland he had the good fortune, by the “practical judgment, zeal, and ability he exhibited in the discharge of various arduous and peculiar duties,” to gain the unqualified approbation of the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Hon. Sir Chas. Paget. On the latter striking his flag he was left senior officer on the station, and in that capacity was despatched by the Admiralty to the river Shannon for the purpose of co-operating with Major-General Sir Thos. Arbuthnott in checking the riotous proceedings of the “Terry-Alts” in co. Clare. To enable him more effectually to discharge his duties he was created a Magistrate for cos. Limerick and Clare; and so ably did he acquit himself that on the restoration of order rendering his presence no longer necessary, he was presented, on the eve of his departure for England, with an address, signed by 58 of the magistrates and gentlemen in the vicinity, eulogizing in the highest degree his unceasing vigilance and his active, judicious, and unremitting exertions, indicating, also, the warmest gratitude for the means he had been of recalling tranquillity, and expressing in the strongest manner a hope that in the event of future circumstances requiring the presence of a ship-of-war, “his intimate knowledge of the localities of the country, the complete success of the enterprise committed to him, and the admirable conduct and discipline of the officers and men under his command, might point him out to his Majesty’s Government as the fittest person to entrust with a similar commission.” His conduct occasioned his being likewise recommended by the Viceroy of Ireland, the Marquis of Anglesey, to Sir Jas. Graham, the First Lord of the Admiralty. He paid the Nimrod off 2 March, 1832, and on 31 May following was advanced to his present rank.
He was nominated a K.H. 25 Jan. 1836. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.