A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Tucker, Robert (b)
TUCKER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 26; h-p., 18.)
Robert Tucker entered the Navy, 20 March, 1803, as Purser’s Steward, on board the Fairy sloop, Capts. Lord Wm. FitzRoy and Geo. Adey Creyke. In that vessel he was at first employed off Weymouth, and next in the West Indies. In Aug 1805 and Feb. 1806 he joined in succession, as ordinary seaman, the Captain 74, Capt. Geo. Hopewell Stephens, and Gibraltar 80, Capts. Wm. Lukin, Willoughby Thos. Lake, John Halliday, Henry Lidgbird Ball, Robt. Plampin, and Geo. Scott, both on the Channel station, where he continued employed in the latter ship as A.B., Coxswain, Acting-Gunner, Quartermaster, Midshipman, and Master’s Mate, until Feb. 1812. He was placed on the quarter-deck as a reward for the conduct he displayed, 11 April, 1809, in Lord Cochrane’s attack upon the French shipping in Aix Roads, on which occasion he was on board a fire-vessel commanded by the present Capt. John Cookesley, and aided in causing two of the enemy’s line-of-battle ships, La Ville de Varsovie and L’Aquilon to cut their cables and run on shore, where they were soon afterwards destroyed. From Feb. 1812 until presented, in Sept. 1815, with a commission dated 3 Feb. preceding, he served in the Mediterranean, at Plymouth, and on the coast of Africa, as Master’s Mate, in the Ocean 98, Capt. Robt. Plampin, Salvador del Mundo, Capt. Hall, and Ulysses 44, Capt. Thos. Browne. His appointments have since been – in the early part of 1823, for several months, to the Britannia 120, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane at Plymouth – 15 Oct. 1825 and 19 Feb. 1830, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant, to the Ramillies and Talavera 74’s, Coast-Blockade ships, both commanded by Capt. Hugh Pigot, under whom he remained until the commencement of 1831 – 26 Sept. 1836 and 1 July, 1838, to the Brune 22 and Poictiers 72, guard-ships at Chatham, each commanded by Capt. John Clavell – 1 Feb. 1841, after about nine months of half-pay, to the Ocean 80, Capts. Sir John Hill and Peter Fisher, guard-ship at Sheerness, where he remained three years – and, 2 Oct. 1846, again to the Poictiers, of which ship, commanded by Sir Thos. Bourchier, he is now First-Lieutenant. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.