A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Shepheard, William
SHEPHEARD. (Capt., 1840. f-p., 22; h-p., 21.)
William Shepheard entered the Navy, 16 Jan. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Téméraire 98, Capt. Elias Harvey. Continuing in that ship until Jan. 1806, he served in her in the Channel and partook of the glories of Trafalgar; on which occasion he “behaved with great courage and was admired by all.” In March, 1806, he rejoined Capt. Harvey, who had been promoted to flag-rank, on board the Tonnant 80, stationed in the Channel, where, in the following June, he attained the rating of Midshipman. Being discharged 31 July, 1807, he was next, 17 March, 1808, received on board the Amelia of 48 guns, Capt. Hon. Fred. Paul Irby, under whom he made a voyage to Quebec, and contributed to the destruction of three French frigates under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne 24 Feb. 1809. After again serving for six months in the Tonnant, he went -back, in Sept. 1809, to the Amelia; in which ship we find him, 25 March, 1811, present at the self-destruction of L’Amazone, a French frigate of the largest class, which had been driven into, a bay near Cape Barfleur. He subsequently proceeded to the coast of Africa, where he witnessed the demolition of Fort Winnebah, and took part, 7 Feb. 1813, in a desperate action of more than three hours and a half, fought off the Iles de Los with L’Aréthuse, French frigate of 44 guns (24-pounders on her main-deck) and 340 men, which terminated in the separation of the combatants, after a loss to the enemy of 105 killed and wounded, and to the British, out of an original number of 300, of 141 men killed and wounded. On that occasion he was particularly active. He was next, from 23 May until 5 Oct. 1813, employed in the Rivoli 74, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond; and on 24 Feb. 1815 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His succeeding appointments were – 21 Nov. 1816, to the Phaeton 38, Capt. Fras. Stanfell, which ship being at the time on her passage home from St. Helena he never joined – 5 Jan. 1818 to the Spartan 46, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, under whom he served in the West Indies, with a degree of “zeal equalled only by his abilities as an officer and a seaman,” until 31 Jan. 1821 – and 29 April, 1828, as First, to the Samarang 28, fitting for the Mediterranean, where he remained three years, and by “the admirable manner in which he discharged every part of his duty,” procured the strongest possible testimonials from his Captain, Wm. Fanshawe Martin. Two days after the paying off of the Samarang Mr. Shepheard, who since his arrival home had declined the invitations of several Captains to become their First-Lieutenant, was advanced, 3 June, 1831, to the rank of Commander. On 30 Sept. following he was appointed Second-Captain of the Melville 74, equipping for the flag of Sir John Gore, Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies, who, unsolicited, had been induced to select him for that post, solely from the reputation he had acquired on board the Samarang. Invaliding home in June, 1833, he obtained, 20 March, 1835, a three years’ appointment in the Coast Guard; and from 18 April, 1838, until paid off, about April, 1840, was employed, again as Second-Captain, in the Rodney 92, Capt. Hyde Parker, on the Mediterranean station. He was promoted, 26 Oct. following, to the rank he now holds, and has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Shepheard, we believe, married, 15 Feb. 1817, the youngest daughter of Colonel T. Paterson, of Upper Seymour Street, London. Agent – J. Hinxman.