A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Shirley, George James
SHIRLEY. (Vice-Admiral of the Red, 1840. f-p., 26; h-p., 41.)
George James Shirley died, 2 Aug. 1845, at Bath, aged 77. He was son of Capt. Jas. Shirley (1772), who was lost when in command of the Vestal frigate, with all on board, on the banks of Newfoundland, in 1777; and grandson of Capt. Jas. Shirley (1762), who died in command of the Dolphin 20, on the East India station, in 1774.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 May, 1779, as A.B., on board the Robust 74, Capts. Alex. Hood (afterwards Lord Bridport) and Philip Cosby, employed in the Channel and on the coast of North America. In March, 1782, he removed as Midshipman (a rating he had attained in Oct. 1780) to L’Espion, Capt. Thos. Revell Shivers, stationed in the West Indies; he next, in May, 1783, joined the Scipio, Capt. John Nicholson Inglefield, guard-ship at Sheerness; and from May, 1785, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in Nov. 1790, he was employed in North America and the Channel, as Master’s Mate, in the Weazle and Thisbe, both commanded by Capt. Sam. Hood, and London 98, Capt. Wm. Domett, flag-ship of Sir Alex. Hood. His next appointments were, on the Home station – 1 April and 27 Sept. 1791, to the Thorn and Spitfire sloops, Capts. John Woodley and Philip Chas. Durham – 15 June, 1793, to the Hebe frigate, Capt. Alex. Hood – and 18 Aug. 1794, to the Royal George 100, bearing the flag of Lord Bridport. By the latter nobleman he was placed in acting-command, 11 Sept. 1797, of the Megaera fire-ship, and, 26 April, 1798, of the Mars 74.[1] He was confirmed to the {{sc|Megaera} 11 Sept. 1797, and to the Mars by a commission bearing the same date as his acting-order. During the above period he was often in battle, and was several times wounded. In the Royal George he was present in the action off the Ile de Groix 23 June, 1795, and in the mutiny at Spithead. An attack of rheumatic gout, induced by frequent exposure to wet and cold, compelled him, in Aug. 1798, to leave the Mars, and prevented him from afterwards going afloat. From 26 March, 1804, until the corps was disbanded in Feb. 1810, he commanded the Poole district of Sea Fencibles. He became a Rear-Admiral on retired half-pay 2 June, 1825; and was placed on the active list of Vice-Admirals 12 Nov. 1840.
He was married and has left issue.
- ↑ Vacant by the death of Capt. Alex. Hood, who had fallen in action with the French 74-gun ship, Hercule. – Vide Gaz. 1798, p. 342.