A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Usherwood, William
USHERWOOD. (Commander, 1830. f-p.,26;[1] h-p., 25.)
William Usherwood died 18 Dec. 1844, at Exmouth, co. Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, 27 Dec. 1793, as Boatswain’s Servant, on board the Terrible 74, Capts. Skeffington Lutwidge, Geo. Campbell, Sir Rich. Bickerton, Wm. Wolseley, and Fras. Faycrman; in which ship he continued employed in the Mediterranean and Channel, as Fst.-cl. Vol. and Midshipman, until Oct. 1801. He was in consequence, we believe, present at the occupation of Toulon, at the reduction of Corsica, and in Hotham’s partial actions with the French fleet off Genoa and the Hyères Islands, 14 March and 13 July, 1795. He next, in June, 1803, joined the Plover 18, Capt. Rich. Turner Hancock, on the Channel station; where, in Dec. 1805, he removed as Master’s Mate (a rating he had attained in the preceding Aug.) to the Formidable 98, commanded by his former Captain, Fayerman, with whom he ultimately returned to the Mediterranean. In Feb. 1809, at which period he had been serving for a few weeks on the latter station in the Ocean 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Sabine sloop. In that vessel (he was confirmed to her 23 Dec. following) he was for upwards of six years and a half employed on the Mediterranean, North Sea, Baltic, Cadiz, Newfoundland, and Jamaica stations. She was commanded, during the period, by Capts. Peter Fisher, Jas. Donner, Joseph Bott, Geo. Price, Edw. Wrottesley, for two months (from 29 July to 28 Sept. 1814) by himself as Acting-Commander, and by Capt. Wm. Hall. With her boats under his command, Mr. Usherwood, as Senior Lieutenant, found frequent opportunities of distinguishing himself. Once he destroyed a schooner on the coast of Jutland; and on 26 May, 1811, while engaged at the defence of Cadiz, he cut out, in the most skilful and gallant manner, three French privateers, from the anchorage of Chipiona, near the mouth of the Guadalquivir. These vessels – the Guardia de Via, Canari, and Madina – mounted 2 4-pounders, with a complement of 25 men each, and had long daringly annoyed the commerce on the Spanish coast.[2] On the following morning the Sabine, in company with the Papillon, captured another privateer, which persisted in her endeavours to escape, although under a heavy fire of grape and musketry, until she was actually run on board by the latter brig. On leaving the Sabine in July, 1815, Mr. Usherwood returned to England, from the West Indies, in the Warrior 74, Capt. John Tremayne Rodd. During the passage he was present in a furious hurricane in which the ship was dismasted, received 11 feet water in her hold, and all but foundered. In 1825 he obtained an appointment in the Ordinary at Portsmouth; he commanded the Surly cutter, of 10 guns, at the Nore, from 3 June, 1828, until advanced to the rank of Commander, 22 July, 1830; and from 8 May, 1832, until the summer of 1835, he officiated as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. He was not afterwards employed.
Commander Usherwood married, first, Ann, eldest daughter of the Rev. Digory Jose, of Ponghill, Cornwall; and, secondly, 18 Aug. 1832, Elizabeth Dennis, daughter of the late Rev. John Kingdon, an active Magistrate for cos. Cornwall and Devon, and Patron of the advowsons of the parishes of Bridgerule, Pyworthy, and Holsworthy, in the west of Devon, and of Whitstone and Marhamchurch, in the north of Cornwall.