A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Spong, George
SPONG. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 21; h-p., 16.)
George Spong was born in 1796. He is nephew of the late gallant Capt. Chas. John Moore Mansfield, R.N.[1]
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Feb. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Bellerophon 74, Capt. Sam. Warren, with whom, after having served off Flushing, he removed as Midshipman, in Aug. of the same year, to the President 38, and sailed for the East Indies, where he was actively employed, in the boats and otherwise, at the reduction of Java. On leaving the President, which ship had been latterly commanded by Capt. Fras. Mason, he was a second time, in June, 1813, placed under the orders of Capt. Warren in the Blenheim 74. In her and in the Castor 32, Capt. Chas. Dilkes, he was for about two years and three months stationed in the Mediterranean. He served next, between Dec. 1815 and March, 1817, at Chatham in the Bulwark 74,, Capt. Geo. M‘Kinley, and Arrogant hospital-ship, Lieut.-Commander Jas. James; and in July, 1819, at which period he had been again, for 12 months, employed in the East Indies in the Minden 74, flag-ship of Sir Rich. King, and Topaze frigate, Capt. John Rich. Lumley, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Liverpool 50, Capt. Fras. Augustus Collier; under whom we find him accompanying an expedition against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, and assisting, in Jan. 1820, at the capture of Ras-al-Khyma, their principal stronghold, and the destruction of its fortifications and shipping. He was in consequence confirmed a Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 7 of the month last mentioned; but owing to the severe exertion he had undergone, added to the effects of the climate, he was obliged, shortly afterwards, to invalid, and at his own expense. His subsequent appointments were – 30 Nov. 1822, to the Egeria 28, Capt. John Toup Nicolas, at Sheerness – 21 Feb. 1823, to the Fly 18, Capts. Edw. Curzon and Wm. Fanshawe Martin, in South America – 11 May, 1825, to the Prince Regent 120, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Moorsom in the river Medway, where he remained until 1827 – 1 1 Oct. 1834, for a few months, to the Coast Guard – 19 Aug. 1841, to the Poictiers 72, guard-ship at Chatham, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, with whom he continued for rather more than three years – and 8 March, 1845, and 23 April, 1846, to the command of the Speedy cutter and Ardent steam-sloop, the former employed on particular service, the latter in the Mediterranean. He was advanced to his present rank 9 Nov. 1846.
In 1835 Commander Spong received, at the recommendation of Lord Auckland, the appointment of Stipendiary Magistrate in the West Indies, with the distinct assurance from his Lordship that his claims to promotion would be thereby strengthened. Owing to the apprenticeship-system he was under the necessity of returning to England two years sooner than he had anticipated, but not until he had lost the chance, which the Brevet accorded on the occasion of Her Majesty’s coronation might have afforded him of working his professional advancement.
- ↑ While commanding the Andromache 32, Capt. Mansfield had three sharp encounters with the enemy – the first time on 31 Jan. 1797, when, in a mistaken engagement of 40 minutes with an Algerine of similar force, 66 of whose people were killed and 50 wounded, the British sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 6 wounded; the second, in an action fought in the same year, off Cadiz, between the Andromache and three British ships on the one side, and a Spanish 74 on the other; and the third, in an affair with some Spanish gun-boats near the batteries of Algeciras, in which the Andromache, while in escort of a convoy, had 4 men killed and 19 wounded. He afterwards, in the Dryad 36, took a small Swedish frigate, the Ulla Fersen, a step rendered necessary by opposition the latter had offered to being detained. He commanded the Minotaur 74, at the battle of Trafalgar, and in the expedition of 1807 against Copenhagen.