A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Somerville, Kenelm
SOMERVILLE, Lord. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 12; h-p., 34.)
The Right Honourable Kenelm Lord Somerville, born 14 Nov. 1787, is third son of the Hon. Hugh Somerville, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army, by his second wife, Mary, eldest daughter of the Hon. Wriothesley Digby, of Meriden, co. Warwick. He succeeded his brother as 17th Baron 3 June, 1842.
This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1801, as a Volunteer, on board the Mars 74, Capt. Robt. Lloyd, bearing the flag in the Channel of Rear-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough. He served next, from Sept. 1801 until Dec. 1804, in the Narcissus 32, Capts. Ross Donnelly and Percy Fraser, in the North Sea and Mediterranean; and from Feb. 1805 until Sept. 1807, in the Medusa 32 and Revenge 74, both commanded by the late Sir John Gore. In the Narcissus he was present as Midshipman at the capture, in July, 1803, of L’Alcyon national corvette of 16 guns and 96 men; in the Medusa he escorted the Marquis Cornwallis to India, whence he returned to England, a distance of 13,831 miles, in the extraordinarily short period of 82 days; and in the Revenge he witnessed, while at the blockade of Rochefort, the capture, 25 Sept. 1806, of four French frigates by a squadron under the orders of Sir Sam. Hood. He was made Lieutenant, 11 Nov. 1807, into the Falcon 16, Capts. John Price and Lord Viscount Neville; and, on being next, 16 Nov. 1808, appointed to the Phoebe of 44 guns and 271 men, Capts. Hassard Stackpoole and Jas. Hillyar, he assisted at the reduction of the Isle of France, and, prior to joining in the expedition against Java, was present, 20 May, 1811 (during a cruize 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 – of the Renommée; and, on 25 of the same month, of the Néréide, and the settlement of Tamatave. On the surrender of the island of Java he was nominated Acting-Commander of the Sourabaya 14, one of the vessels there taken. He was presented by the Admiralty with a second promotal commission dated 1 Feb. 1812; and was lastly, from 11 Oct. 1813 until Oct. 1814, employed, on the coast of North America, in the Thames troop-ship. In Aug. of the latter year he was intrusted with a command in the flotilla sent up the Patuxent to act against the gun-boats under Commodore Barney; and for his conduct on that occasion he obtained the “warmest acknowledgments” of Rear-Admiral Cockburn, and was by him recommended to the favourable notice of Sir Alex. Cochrane, the Commander-in-Chief.[1] His Lordship, whose Post-commission bears date 7 June, 1814, accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
He married, 3 Sept. 1833, Frances Louisa, only daughter of John Hayman, Esq., and has issue two sons and four daughters. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 1941.