A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Samwell, William (b)
SAMWELL. (Lieut., 1829. f-p., 26; h-p., 9.)
William Samwell, born 9 Nov. 1798, at Devonport, is son of the late Retired Commander Wm., and nephew of the present Retired Commander Peter, Samwell, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 30 April, 1812, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Favorite 20, Capts. Robt. Forbes and John Maxwell, under whom he was for about two years employed in the Channel and on the west coast of Africa, where he assisted in destroying several slave-factories up the River Pongo. From March, 1814, until Jan. 1816, he served, again on the African coast, in the Ariel 16, Capt. Dan. Ross; he fought, while attached, between July and Oct. of the latter year, to the Impregnable 104, Capt. Edw. Brace, at the battle of Algiers; and he afterwards joined – 15 Dec. 1817, as Master’s Mate, the Heron 18, Capt. Herbert Brace Powell, on the Milford station, where he served until paid off in Feb. 1819 – 13 Feb. and 21 Nov. 1820, the Tamar 26, Capts. Arthur Stow and Geo. Rich. Pechell, and Carnation 18, Capt. Roger Hall, attached to the force in the West Indies and North America – 26 Sept. 1821,[1] the Ramillies 74, Capt. Edw. Brace, lying at Portsmouth – 9 April, 1822, the Active 46, Capts. Andrew King and Hon. Robt. Rodney, in which frigate he was present under Sir Harry Burrard Neale in the demonstration made before Algiers in 1824 – and, 1 Oct. 1825 and 24 Nov. 1827, the Detad 42, Capts. Hon. R. Rodney and Hon. Alfred Crofton, and Camelion 10, Capts. Christopher Wyvill, Sir Thos. Sabine Pasley, and Alfred Luckraft, on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations. In the latter vessel, of which he was confirmed a Lieutenant (after having three times acted as such) 25 Aug. 1829, he assisted, in company with the Isis 50, Cambrian 48, Rattlesnake 28, and Zebra 18, in reducing a fort and destroying several vessels belonging to a horde of Greek pirates at Carabusa, in the island of Candia, 31 Jan. 1829. The Cambrian being wrecked on that occasion, he was for five months engaged in recovering her stores, guns, &c. He left the Camelion in March, 1830; and since 26 Sept. 1836, has been in charge of a station in the Coast Guard.
Lieut. Samwell married, in 1842, Emma, eldest daughter of the late ___ Woolf, Esq., of Plymouth.
- ↑ He had passed his examination 31 Jan. preceding.