A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Venus, William
VENUS. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 15; h-p., 32.)
William Venus died towards the close of 1846.
This officer entered the Navy, in Feb. 1800, as A.B., on board the Sally armed ship, Capts. Geo. Wolfe and Stephen Folvil, stationed in the North Sea. Being discharged in Dec. 1801, he next, in July, 1803, joined the Colossus 74, Capts. Geo. Martin and Jas. Nicoll Morris; under the latter of whom, after serving off Ferrol, in the Channel, and off Cadiz, he fought at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805. Removing in the ensuing Dec. to the Canada 74, Capt. John Harvey, he was for about two years stationed in that ship in the West Indies; where in Jan. 1808 he was transferred to the Guerrière 40, Capt. Alex. Skene. In June, 1809, being then at Halifax, he followed Capt. Skene as Master’s Mate (he had latterly held the rating of Gunner’s Mate) into the Hussar 38; in which frigate, commanded next by Capt. Jas. Coutts Crawford, he assisted, in the course of the same year, in the operations against Walcheren. He served subsequently off Guernsey and in the Baltic, and, on ultimately proceeding to the East Indies, was afforded an opportunity of assisting, in 1811, at the reduction of Java. He returned to England with Capt. Crawford as Acting-Master in the Modeste 36, in March, 1813; and he then in succession joined, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, the Defiance 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Geo. Hope in the Baltic, the Devonshire and Illustrious 74’s, Capts. Ross Donnelly and A. Skene, lying at Sheerness and Portsmouth, and the Penelope troop-ship, Capt. Chas. Sullivan. Proceeding with the latter officer to Quebec he was next, from May, 1814, until July, 1816, employed as Master’s Mate, Acting-Lieutenant, and Lieutenant (order and commission dated 10 Sept. and 14 Pec. 1814) in the Prince Regent and St. Lawrence, bearing the broad pendants of Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo and Sir Edw. W. C R. Owen on Lake Ontario – in command, on Lakes Erie, St. Clair, and Huron, of the Sank schooner – in charge of the Rendezvous at Montreal – and again in the Prince Regent under Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen. He did not afterwards go afloat. He was granted a pension of 8l. per annum for wounds 25 April, 1843.
Lieut. Venus married, in 1833, Miss Robinson, of Gloucester Street, Portsea. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.