A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Tullidge, Joseph Crew
TULLIDGE. (Retired Captain, 1842. f-p., 20; h-p., 34.)
Joseph Crew Tullidge died 19 March, 1845, at Weymouth.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Aug. 1793, as A.B., on board the Victory 100, Capts. John Knight and Geo. Grey. In that ship, which bore the flags of Lord Hood and Sir John Jervis, he served at the occupation of Toulon, at the reduction of Corsica, in Hotham’s action 13 July, 1795, and, as Quarter-Master, in the battle off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797. He continued employed with the officer last mentioned, off Cadiz and Lisbon, in the Ville de Paris 110, until Jan. 1798; and after further serving, chiefly on the Mediterranean station, as Master’s Mate and Midshipman, in La Mutine sloop, Capts. Thos. Masterman Hardy, Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel, and Wm. Hoste, Princess Charlotte 38, Capts. T. M. Hardy and Thos. Stephenson, and Minotaur 74 and Foudroyant 80, flag-ships of Lord Keith, he was there, 19 Aug. 1800, nominated Acting-Lieutenant of his former ship the Princess Charlotte, commanded at first by Capt. Stephenson and next by Capts. Sir Edw. Berry and Hon. Fras. Farington Gardner. In the Mutine he returned to England with a duplicate of Nelson’s despatches relative to the battle of the Nile. He was confirmed a Lieutenant in the Princess Charlotte 17 Oct. 1800; he continued in that ship, latterly on the coast of Ireland, until May, 1803; and he was subsequently appointed – 4 Dec. following, to the Sea Fencibles at Southend – 3 July, 1804, to the Heron sloop, Capts. Philip Beaver and John Edgcumbe, on the Home and North American stations – 22 Jan. 1807, to the Africaine of 48 guns and 295 men, Capts. Rich. Raggett and Robt. Corbett – and, 6 May, 1811, to the Ameuica 74, Capt. Josias Rowley. The Africaine, after visiting the Baltic, Madeira, Lisbon, the Mediterranean, and America, proceeded off the Isle of France, where, at the end of a close action of two hours and a half, in which she sustained a loss of 49 men killed and 114 (including their Captain mortally) wounded, she struck her colours 13 Sept. 1810 to the French frigates Iphigénie and Astrée, carrying between them 86 guns and 618 men, 10 of whom were killed and 35 wounded. Capt. Corbett being disabled by the second broadside of the enemy, the command devolved upon Mr. Tullidge, who was Senior-Lieutenant, and who, as stated in the sentence of honourable acquittal passed by the court-martial, which assembled in April, 1811, to try him and the remainder of the officers and crew for the surrender of their ship, continued the action ”in the most gallant and determined manner, although he had received four severe wounds, as long as there was the least chance of preserving her from the enemy.” It may be as well to add, that the Africaine was re-taken shortly after her capture, but that Mr. Tullidge and about 90 others, having been removed to one of the French frigates, were carried to the Isle of France, and there detained until its reduction by the British in Dec. 1810.[1] Mr. Tullidge was advanced to the rank of Commander 1 Aug. 1811; and was employed in that capacity in the Clinker sloop, on the north coast of Spain, and on the Halifax and Home stations, from Oct. 1813 until Dec. 1815. He conveyed, during the Hundred Days’ war, the Duc de Douro and 200 French officers in the interests of Louis XVIII, together with 10,000 stand of arms, to the coast of France; and was engaged next in quelling riots at North and South Shields. He was allotted a pension of 150l. per annum for his wounds 4 April, 1816; and placed on the list of Retired Captains 7 Feb. 1842.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 263.