A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, George Thomas Cleather
SMITH. (Lieutenant, 1842. f-p., 17; h-p., 2.)
George Thomas Cleather Smith was born 18 May, 1815.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 Jan. 1828, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Britannia 120, Capts. Edw. Hawker and Geo. Burdett, employed at home and in the Mediterranean. On his return to England with Capt. Burdett as Midshipman in the Asia 84, he was received as a Supernumerary, in June, 1830, on board the St. Vincent 120, Capt. Hyde Parker, lying at Portsmouth; and after again serving with him for a few weeks in the Ganges 84, he joined, in the following Oct., the Racehorse 18, Capts. Chas. Hamlyn Williams and Fras. Vere Cotton, fitting for the North America and West India station. He left that vessel at Halifax in Sept. 1832; he served next, from March, 1834, until April, 1842, off Lisbon and again in the Mediterranean, six years and eight months of the time as Mate, in the Revenge 78, Capt. Wm. Elliott, Beacon surveying- vessel, Capts. Sackett Hope and Thos. Graves, and Gorgon steamer, Capt. Wm. Honyman Henderson; and, on 10 Nov. in the latter year, at which period he had been for nearly three months employed at Portsmouth and at Harwich in the Orestes 18, Capt. Hon. Swynfen Thos. Carnegie, and Shearwater steamer, Capt. John Washington, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His appointments have since been – 13 Jan. 1843, to the Hecla steam-sloop, Capt. John Duffill, fitting at Woolwich – 13 March, 1843, and 13 Feb. 1844, to the Comet and Lucifer steam surveying-vessels, commanded on the coast of Ireland by Capt. Geo. Alex. Frazer – and, 29 Oct. 1847, to the command of the Blazer steamer, of 136-horse power, on the coast of Africa.
While belonging to the Racehorse Mr. Smith was on several occasions employed on shore in Montego and Lucca Bays during the insurrection among the negroes in 1831. Agents – Messrs. Chard.