A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Somerville, Philip Hodge
SOMERVILLE. (Commander, 1842. f-p., 16; h-p., 5.)
Philip Hodge Somerville is son of Retired Commander Geo. Field Somerville, R.N.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 2 Feb. 1826; and embarked, 29 Dec. 1827, as a Volunteer, on board the Mersey 26, Capt. Alex. Barclay Branch, fitting for the West Indies. In Jan. 1828 he removed to the Maidstone 42, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Skipsey, at the Cape of Good Hope; where he became Midshipman, in Jan. 1829, of the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Thos. Sanders. That vessel being paid off in the ensuing April, he was appointed, in May of the same year, Admiralty Midshipman of the Ariadne 28, Capt. Fred. Marryat, stationed in the Channel. He was employed next – from 9 Aug. 1829 until 3 March, 1832, in the Nimrod 20, Capt. Sam. Radford, on the coast of Ireland – from 30 March, 1832, until 16 May, 1833, as Midshipman and Mate (he passed his examination 27 Oct. 1832) in the Caledonia 120, Capt. Jas. Hillyar, stationed off Lisbon during the war between Pedro and Miguel – from 18 May, 1833, until 15 Sept. 1837, again in the Caledonia under the flag, in the Mediterranean, of Sir Josias Rowley – and from 10 May, 1838, until 16 Jan. 1839, a second time off Lisbon, in the Russell 74, Capt. Sir Wm. Henry Dillon. He obtained his first commission 10 Jan. 1840; served from 19 Feb. following until he invalided 21 Oct. 1841, the greater part of the time as First-Lieutenant, in the Persian 16, Capts. Wm. Henry Quin and Thos. Rodney Eden, on the coast of Africa; and on 26 Feb. 1842, was appointed to his former ship the Caledonia, bearing the flags of Sir Graham Moore and Sir David Milne at Plymouth. While attached to the Persian he was much employed in her boats, and was in command of them at the capture, 23 June, 1841, after a severe action and a loss of 2 men killed and 1 wounded, of the piratical slaver Astraea. For this service he was eventually promoted to the rank of Commander 24 June, 1842. His last appointment was, 31 Jan. 1846, to the Wanderer 12, fitting for the coast of Africa, where he was superseded in Feb. 1847. Agents – Messrs. Chard.