A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, William Robert
SMITH. (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 18; h-p., 36.)
William Robert Smith entered the Navy, 1 July, 1793, as A.B., on board the Concorde 36, Capts. Thos. Wells and Sir Rich. John Strachan. After serving with both those officers as Midshipman in the Melampus 36, stationed, as had been the Concorde, in the Channel, he joined, in 1795, the Defence 74, commanded at first by Capt. Wells and next by Capts. Wm. Brown and Joseph Peyton, off the port of Cadiz and in the Mediterranean, where he fought at the battle of the Nile 1 Aug. 1798. He was then nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Tonnant 80, Capt. Robt. Lewis Fitzgerald; was confirmed, 14 Aug. 1799, into the Fairy sloop, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton; and was subsequently, from Aug. 1800 until Sept. 1809, employed, on the West India and Home stations, in the Heureux 24, Capt. Loftus Otway Bland, Argo 44, Commodore Hon. Robt. Stopford, Euryalus 36, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood, Argo again, Capt. Geo. Parker, Melampus 36, Capt. Stephen Poyntz, Cambrian 40 and Hero 74, both commanded by Capt. John Poo Beresford, and Theseus 74, Capts. J. P. Beresford, Thos. Briggs, and Chas. Jones. On 6 Feb. 1800 he was present in the Fairy as First-Lieutenant, and in company with the Loire 38, Danaé 20, Harpy 18, and Railleur 1 6, at the capture of the Pallas of 46 guns and 362 men, with which frigate the Fairy and Harpy had previously sustained a very warm and spirited action of an hour and three-quarters, attended with a loss to the former of 4 men killed and 8 wounded.[1] In the Melampus Mr. Smith appears to have assisted at the capture of two brigs, each carrying 2 long 24- pounders, 1 18-pounder, and 50 men, most of them soldiers; four luggers of 1 long 18-pounder and 25 men each, from Bordeaux, bound to Brest; and a Spanish privateer, the Hydra, of 28 guns and 192 men, 3 of whom were killed and several wounded before she surrendered. While serving as First of the Theseus (of which ship he acted for a short time as Captain) he commanded an explosion-vessel in Lord Cochrane’s celebrated attack upon the French shipping in Aix Roads 11 April, 1809. He was promoted in consequence to the rank of Commander by a commission bearing the same date. He left the Theseus, as above, in Sept. 1809; and was lastly, from 30 Oct. 1812, until he invalided, 26 April, 1814, employed in the Shearwater sloop in the Mediterranean. He accepted his present rank 19 Sept. 1840. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 155, where he is mentioned as a very active good officer.