A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Robinson, William
ROBINSON. (Commander, 1844. f-p., 31; h-p., 5.)
William Robinson entered the Navy, 5 Nov. 1811, as a Volunteer, on board the Leopard 50, Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon, under whom he assisted in chasing away the French frigates Arienne and Andromaque, and brig Mamelouck (afterwards destroyed off L’Orient by the Northumberland 74 and Growler gun-brig), when engaging the Endymion 40. Between April, 1812, and Sept. 1814, he was actively employed in the Ganymede 26, Capt. John Brett Purvis, on the east coast of Spain, where he served at the siege of Tarragona, came into repeated conflict with the enemy’s forts and batteries, and contributed to the capture of several privateers. While cruizing off Havre, during the War of a Hundred Days, in the Euryalus 36, Capt. Thos. Huskisson, he again aided, as Midshipman, in making prize of a variety of vessels. After serving for about six months at St. Helena in the Newcastle 60, Capts. Sam. Roberts and Henry Meynell, and for three years in the North Sea in the Nimrod 18, Capts. John Maopherson Ferguson and John Windham Dalling, he was in succession employed as Mate – from 10 Dec. 1819 until 30 Dec. 1825, in the Pelter 10, Lieut.-Commanders Wm. Minchin, Roger Carley Curry, and John Adams, on the coast of North America – from 2 Jan. 1826 until 13 Feb. 1829, in the Spartiate 76, Ocean 80, Victory 100, and Melville 74, Capts. Fred. Warren, John Sykes, Chas. Inglis, and Henry Hill, on the Lisbon and Portsmouth stations – from 13 Feb. 1829 until 20 March, 1834, and from 4 May in the latter year until 21 May, 1836, in the Camelion, Royal George, and Badger Revenue-vessels, Lieut.-Commanders Henry Gladwell Etough, John Hill, Henry Crocker, Wm. Beckett, and Alex. Schank Wight – and from 7 July, 1836, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 10 Jan. 1837 (more than 17 years after he had passed his examination), in the Salamander steamer, Capts. John M‘Dougall and Sidney Colpoys Dacres, stationed on the north coast of Spain during the civil war. His succeeding appointments were – 12 Jan. 1837 and 27 April, 1838, to the Fly 18, Capt. Russell Elliott, and Stag 46, Commodore Thos. Ball Sulivan, both in South America – and 12 March, 1839, to the command of the Arrow ketch of 10 guns. In the gig belonging to the latter vessel, which was at first employed on the South American and then on the Cape of Good Hope stations, he captured, 9 Aug. 1843, an armed slaver, which had been driven on shore by the Arrow, and had been there set on fire, and had a train laid to her, by her own crew, who, as the British advanced, opened a discharge of musketry upon them. He paid the Arrow off 13 June, 1844; and was advanced to his present rank 16 Dec. following.