A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Traill, Gilbert
TRAILL. (Lieut., 1809. f-p., 17; h-p., 28.)
Gilbert Traill entered the Navy, 3 Aug. 1802, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Clyde 38, Capt. John Larmour. After serving for two years in the North Sea he removed as Midshipman, in Sept. 1804, to the Mediator frigate, Capts. Sir Thos. Livingstone, John Seater, Wm. Furlong Wise, and Jas. Rich. Dacres; in which ship he made a voyage to St. Helena and then proceeded to the West Indies, where we find him, in the early part of 1807, assisting at the capture of the Fort of Samana, St. Domingo, a notorious nest for privateers. In Oct. of the latter year he became Master’s Mate (a rating he had attained in Feb. 1805) of the Talbot sloop, Capt. Hon. Alex. Jones; and on 21 Jan. 1809, at which period he had been for five months serving in the Mediterranean in the Ocean 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. His succeeding appointments were – 11 April, 1809, and 16 May, 1811, to the Unité 36, Capts. Patrick Campbell and Edwin Henry Chamherlayne, and Tiger 74, Capt. Benj. Hallowell, both in the Mediterranean – 5 Sept. 1811, to the Owen Glendower 36, Capt. Brian Hodgson, whom he accompanied to the East Indies – 6 April, 1812, and 12 April, 1813, to the Illustrious and Minden 74’s, flag-ships on that station of Sir Sam. Hood – 16 Jan. 1315, to the Malacca 36, Capt. Geo. Henderson, from which frigate he was paid off on his return to England in the following July – 17 Sept. 1817, to the Mersey 26, Capt. Edw. Collier, fitting for the coast of North America, whence he invalided in Aug. 1819 – and 2 Oct. 1833, to the command, which he retained until the spring of 1835, of the Leveret 10, on the Lisbon station. He has since been on half-pay.