A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ranwell, William
RANWELL. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 15; h-p., 33.)
William Ranwell was born in 1784. His father was about 40 years an officer in the Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth.
This officer entered the Navy, 21 Jan. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Repulse 64, Capt. Jas. Alms, and on 10 March, 1800, while holding the rating of Midshipmen, was wrecked off Ushant. He was then marched through France barefoot to Valenciennes. On regaining his liberty, in June of the same year, he was received on board the Circe 28, Capt. Isaac Wolley, and sailed for the West Indies. During the remainder of the war he saw much detached service on the coasts of Cuba and St. Domingo; he was five times wounded, twice attacked by the yellow fever, and once again wrecked in a Spanish prize. In Dec. 1802, three months after he had left the Circe, he joined the Portmahon 18, Capts. Walter Grosett and Martin Nevile, in which vessel he was employed on the Impress service and frequently much bruised in the execution of his duties. In May, 1803, he removed to the Impétueux 74, Capt. Geo. Martin. While in that ship he was sent out in a small vessel of 60 tons, armed with an 18-pounder carronade and carrying 16 men, for the purpose of procuring sailors from the homeward-bound merchantmen. During his absence he fell in with a French West-Indiaman, which, after an action of four hours, was captured and carried into Plymouth, although she mounted 4 guns and had 32 men on board. While serving next, from May, 1804, to March, 1810, in the Warrior 74, Capts. Wm. Bligh, Sam. Hood Linzee, Michael Seymour, and John Wm. Spranger, he assisted at the blockade of Brest, Rochefort, and Ferrol, took part in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets, 22 July, 1805, and was employed in various parts of the Mediterranean. In Sir R. Calder’s action he was the first on board the Spanish 74-gun ship San Rafael; and during his servitude on the Mediterranean station he co-operated, as Master’s Mate, in the reduction of Ischia and Procida, Zante and Cephalonia, was present at the capture of about 30 gun-boats in the Bay of Naples, had a boat sunk under him at the bombardment of Gallipoli, and had charge of a gun-boat in the Faro of Messina during the threatened invasion of Sicily by Murat. After acting for a year and nine months as Master of the Spider 14, Lieutenant-Commanders Wm. Sandford Oliver and Frank Gore Willock, employed chiefly in escorting convoys and carrying Ambassadors, Mr. Ranwell, in Dec. 1811, came on shore, and on 21 March, 1812, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His last appointment was to the Alonzo sloop, bearing the flags off Guernsey and Jersey of Rear-Admirals Wm. Brown and Wm. Hargood, with whom he served from 28 April, 1812, until July, 1814. Unable to procure employment, he has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Ranwell has filled the appointment of Surveyor of Shipping to Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Ships in the island of Jersey. He married, in 1813, Eliza, eldest daughter of Edmund Champion, Esq., Ordnance Storekeeper at Jersey, by whom he has issue one son and three daughters. His eldest daughter, Madelon Eliza, was married, in Jan. 1843, to John Scott Taylor, Esq., Master R.N. (1834.)