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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Scott, George

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1935223A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Scott, GeorgeWilliam Richard O'Byrne

SCOTT. (Captain, 1830. f-p., 16; h-p., 33.)

George Scott was born in 1783.

This officer entered the Navy, 9 June, 1798, as Midshipman, on board the Perseus bomb, Capt. Jas. Oswald, attached to the force in the Mediterranean; where, from Aug. 1799 until March, 1802, he was employed, part of the time as Master’s Mate, in the Minotaur 74, Capt. Thos. Louis. In the Perseus he assisted at the bombardment of Alexandria, at the capture of Naples, and the blockade of Malta. While belonging to the Minotaur he served with a detachment of boats, 10 in number, containing about 100 officers and men, commanded by Capt. Philip Beaver, and assisted, on the morning of 21 May, 1800, in boarding and capturing, after a desperate combat, the Prima galley (one of a numerous flotilla) rowing 52 oars, carrying 2 extremely long brass 36-pounders, several smaller pieces, and 257 men, and lying chain-moored under the guns of the two moles and the city bastions in the harbour of Genoa. In the following month he witnessed the evacuation of the latter place by the French; and on 3 Sept. in the same year he was in one of eight boats that brought out from Barcelona Roads, after having sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 5 wounded, the Spanish corvettes Esmeralda and Paz of 22 guns each, although defended by a heavy fire from four strong batteries, 10 gun-boats, two schooners, armed between them with 4 long 36- pounders, and a fort upon Mount Ioni which threw shells. In this affair the enemy had 3 men killed and 21 wounded. In 1801 Mr. Scott commanded a boat at the landing of the troops and in the other, operations in Egypt. After serving for seven months in the North Sea and at Sheerness in the Iris and Ambuscade frigates, Capts. Hon. Philip Wodehouse and David Atkins, he was received, in Oct. 1802, on board the Resistance 36, also commanded by Capt. Wodehouse, under whom he was wrecked, near Cape St. Vincent, 31 May, 1803. He then joined, on the Mediterranean station, the Camelion 18, Capt. Thos. Staines; of which vessel, for his services in her boats, he was ultimately nominated Acting-Lieutenant. From Aug. 1804 until April, 1805, we again find him performing the duties of Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Victory 100, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson. On leaving that ship he received an order to act as Lieutenant of the Childers 14, Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton. On 12 Sept. following he was confirmed. His next appointment was, 20 Feb. 1806, to the Phoebe, of 44 guns and 271 men, Capts. Jas. Oswald, Hassard Stackpoole, and Jas. Hillyar, employed in succession in the North Sea and Mediterranean, off Greenland, and on the Baltic, Channel, Cape of Good Hope, and East India stations. Under Capt. Hillyar he assisted at the reduction of the Isle of France; and, prior to joining in the expedition against Java, was present as First-Lieutenant, 20 May, 1811 (while cruizing off Madagascar in company with the Astraea and Galatea, frigates nearly equal in force to the Phoebe, and 18-gun brig Racehorse), at the capture – after a long and trying action with the French 40-gun frigates Renommée, Clorinde, and Néréide, and a loss to the Phoebe of 7 men killed and 24 wounded – of the Renommée, and, on 25 of the same month, of the Néréide and the settlement of Tamatave. As a reward for his gallant conduct he was placed, 26 Oct. following, in acting-command of the Renommée (then bearing the name of the Java), and sent in her with convoy to England. On his arrival he was presented with a second promotal commission dated 24 March, 1812. His next and last appointment was, 29 Nov. 1828, to the Champion 18; the command of which sloop he retained, on the African and Halifax stations, until advanced to Post-rank, 12 Feb. 1830.

Capt. Scott is a Justice of the Peace for co. Roxburgh.