A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stupart, Gustavus
STUPART. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 40.)
Gustavus Stupart (whose name had been borne in 1781-2 on the books of the Conquestador 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Roddam at Sheerness) embarked as Midshipman, in July, 1790, on board the Windsor Castle 74, Capt. Berkeley, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Herbert Sawyer in the Channel. After serving for four years, chiefly on the West India station, in the Niger frigate, Capt. Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley, s[c, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris, Alligator 28, Capts. Wm. Affleck and Thos. Surridge, and Europa 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Ford, he was there nominated, 16 April, 1795, Acting-Lieutenant of the Hermione 32, Capt. Philip Wilkinson. From the latter ship, to which he was confirmed 12 Sept. 1796, he removed, with Capt. Wilkinson, in Feb. 1797, to the Success 32 commanded afterwards by Capt. Shuldham Peard; and in her he continued employed in the Channel, off the port of Cadiz, and in the Mediterranean, until Dec. 1799. On 9 June in that year he commanded one of three boats, the whole containing 42 men, under the orders of Lieut. Philip Facey, in an attack made, in the harbour of La Seva, near Cape de Creux, on La Belle Aurore, a richly-laden polacre, mounting 9 carriage-guns, which vessel was most gallantly boarded, carried, and brought out, although defended by 113 men, secured with a boarding-netting, and supported by a battery and a large body of men at small arms on the shore. “I am sorry,” says Capt. Peard in his official report to Earl St. Vincent, “to inform your Lordship that our loss has been great, 3 of the gallant fellows having been killed on the spot; and Lieut. Stupart, an officer inferior to none in his Majesty’s service for zeal, courage, and ability, with 9 others, badly wounded.” In forwarding this statement to the Admiralty, the Commander-in-Chief declared it as his opinion that the exploit “was equal to any enterprise recorded in the naval history of Great Britain.”[1] In 1800 Mr. Stupart obtained a small pension for his wounds, which was increased, 2 Dec. 1815, to 250l. per annum. His next appointment was, 23 March, 1801, to the command of L’Hirondelle armed brig, stationed in the Channel, where he served until the following Nov. He attained the rank of Commander 29 April, 1802; and was appointed in that capacity – in July, 1803, to the Sea Fencible service on the coast of Devon – 23 March, 1804, for seven months, to the Hind armed ship, in the North Sea – 19 June, 1805, to the Prospero bomb, in the Downs – and 25 Aug. 1806, to the Emulous brig, on the Channel, West India, and North American stations. In 1809 Capt. Stupart, while cruizing off Puerto Rico, succeeded in beating off a French frigate. He left the Emulous 17 Feb. 1811, having been advanced to Post-rank 21 Oct. 1810; and accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846.
The Rear-Admiral, whose first wife had died in June, 1802, married a second time, 19 Oct. 1812, Miss Hyndham. His eldest son, the Rev. G. T. Stupart, B.A., is Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, and Vicar of Merton, co. Oxford.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1799, p. 740.