A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Vans, Randell
VANS. (Lieutenant, 1811. f-p., 12; h-p., 32.)
Randell Vans is son of the late Lieut. Sam. Barrington Vans, R.N., of Barnbarrach, near Wigton, N.B., whose grandfather. Colonel Vans, died of wounds he received during the War of Succession in Spain.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 Dec. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the L’Aimable 32, Capt. Wm. Bolton; previously to following whom, as Midshipman, in Aug. 1805, into the Fisgard 38, we find him frequently engaged with the enemy on the coasts of Holland and France. On one occasion in particular, 16 May, 1804, L’Aimable, forming one at the time of a squadron under the orders of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, was for many hours in close action with a powerful division of their flotilla and, besides being much damaged, sustained a loss of 7 men killed and 14 wounded. After serving for about 10 months in the Fisgard on the Cork and West India stations, Mr. Vans removed, 20 June, 1806, for a passage home, to the Surveillante 38, Capt. John Bligh. In her, when in company, off the Havana; with several other ships, he witnessed the destruction of two Spanish guarda-costas and of about 20 sail of vessels deeply laden with sugar, under the protection of a 74-gun ship, which succeeded in making off. On his arrival in England in Aug. 1806 he was received, as a Supernumerary, on board the Royal. William, Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle, lying at Spithead. Towards the close of the following month he was discharged. He joined next the Puissant 74, Capt. John Irwin, at Spithead – the Isis 50 and Antelope 50, flag-ships of Vice-Admiral John Holloway, Commander-in-Chief at Newfoundland, whither in the Isis he escorted convoy – the Ganges 74 and Alcmène frigate, Capts. Thos. Dundas and Wm. Maude, lying in Portsmouth Harbour, – and again the Antelope. Of the latter ship, in which he returned with the flag of Sir J. T. Duckworth to Newfoundland, he was nominated, as a reward for his “active and zealous services,” Acting-Lieutenant 23 June, 1810 – a few weeks only after he had passed his examination. In the following Oct., with a view to ensuring his promotion, he exchanged with an invaliding Lieutenant into the Hazard sloop, Capt. Wm. Elliott; in a boat belonging to which vessel, having volunteered his services, he had the good fortune, 22 Dec. in the same year, to rescue, during a gale, the crew of a Bermudian brig which went down head foremost while he was in the act of doing so. In the early part of 1811, having returned to England, he sailed with Rear-Admiral Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke as Supernumerary-Midshipman in the Vengeur 74 for Lisbon; where he was received, on his arrival, into the Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley; and where, on 1 April, in the same year, he was again ordered to act as Lieutenant in the Jasper 10. While attached to the Barfleur he was employed 100 miles up the Tagus with a division of boats under the command of Lieut. Christopher Claxton. His appointment to the Jasper being confirmed by a commission dated 18 April, 1811, he was present in the following Nov. in that vessel, under the temporary command of Lieut. Herbert John Jones, in a 12-hours’ pursuit after a French brig of 16 guns, who, on being fired into, cut adrift a prize she had in tow, valued at 24,000l., and effected her escape. Quitting the Jasper in Feb. 1812, Mr. Vans, in the following June, was appointed to the Princess Caroline 74, Capt. Hugh Downman, on the Channel station. In March, 1813, a severe injury received in the execution of his duty caused him to be invalided and be sent to the hospital at Deal. For six months he was obliged to remain on shore; and he had the mortification in consequence to forego an opportunity that presented itself to him of proceeding to India with Admiralty and private recommendations for promotion to the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Sam. Hood. The officer who was sent in his stead returned home a Commander in less than 12 months. Mr. Vans’ last appointment was, 19 Oct. 1813, to the Leviathan 74, Capts. Adam Dmmmond and Sir Thos. Briggs; in which ship he served on the West India, Cork, and Mediterranean stations, until July, 1816. He was a volunteer during that period in several boat-expeditions; in one of which, having after a pull of 29 miles distanced the rest, he boarded, just as a breeze was springing up, and captured a fine American schooner. For this service he was thanked, on returning to the Leviathan, by his Captain publicly on the quarter-deck.
A serious accident sustained by Mr. Vans when serving in the West Indies in the Fisgard, in consequence of one of a convoy running on board that ship, resulted in his being ordered home, as above stated, in the Surveillante. He was unable for seven months to leave his bed; and 18 elapsed before he could recover the partial use of his left leg. He was prevented thus from passing his examination so soon as he otherwise would have done. In consideration of his sufferings he was granted a pension of 4s. a-day 27 April, 1842.