A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ramsay, George
RAMSAY. (Captain, 1843. f-p., 20; h-p., 7.)
George Ramsay, born 4 June, 1807, is second son of Lieut.-General Hon. John Ramsay, who died Colonel of the 79th Regt. 28 June, 1842; first cousin of the Earl of Dalhousie; and nephew of Lord Panmure. Four of his brothers are in the Hon.E.I.Co.’s military service – one of them, James, Deputy- Assistant-Commissary-General of the Bengal army.
This officer entered the Navy, in Dec. 1820, on board the Cambrian 48, Capt. Gawen Wm. Hamilton; in the boats of which ship we find him on several occasions engaged with the pirates in the Mediterranean. On leaving her be joined the Euryalus 42, Capt. Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford. He subsequently removed to the Doris 42, Capt. Sir John Gordon Sinclair; and while serving in that ship on the South American station was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 30 April, 1827. His succeeding appointments were – to the Heron 18, Capt. Hon. Fred. Wm. Grey, also in South America – in 1828 to the Ganges 84, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Waller Otway at Rio de Janeiro – 26 Sept. 1829, to the Orestes 18, Capt. Wm. Nugent Glascock, of which vessel, stationed on the coast of Ireland, he was for a time First-Lieutenant – 28 April, 1831, in the capacity last mentioned, to the Nimrod 20, Capts. Lord Edw. Russell and John M‘Dougall, under whom he was for three years employed off Lisbon – 16 Aug. 1835, still as First-Lieutenant, to the Wanderer 16, Capt. Thos. Dilke, fitting at Sheerness – and, 30 Nov. following, to the Rodney 92, Capt. Hyde Parker. In the latter ship he served in the Mediterranean, latterly as Senior, until advanced to the rank of Commander 10 Jan. 1837. His next appointment was to the Pilot 16, the command of which he retained, on the North America and West India station, from 3 Aug. 1838 until Aug. 1842. He was then invalided from dysentery. He had been attacked twice before by yellow fever; all but one of his crew had suffered from it; and 3 of the officers and 20 of the crew had fallen victims. He attained his present rank 20 March, 1843; and has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Ramsay married, 12 Aug. 1845, Sarah Frances, only daughter of W. Robertson, Esq., of Logan House, Midlothian. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.