A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Waldegrave, William

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WALDEGRAVE, C.B., Earl. (Rear-Admiral,, 1846. f-p., 16; h-p., 30.)

The Right Honourable William, Earl Waldegrave, born in 1788, is fourth son of George, fourth Earl Waldegrave, by his cousin. Lady Elizabeth Laura Waldegrave, daughter of James, the second Earl, whose widow married H.R.H. William Henry Duke of Gloucester, and was the mother of the late Duke and of the Princess Sophia of Gloucester. His Lordship, who succeeded his nephew as eighth Earl in 1846, is first cousin of the present Rear-Admiral Lord Radstock, C.B.

This officer entered the Navy, 11 Aug. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Boy, on board the Theseus 74, Capt. John Bligh, bearing the flag of his uncle Lord Radstock, and then fitting at Spithead. Removing, in Jan. 1802 (he had already attained the rating of Midshipman), to the Medusa 32, commanded by the late Sir John Gore, he contributed in that ship, after cruizing in the Mediterranean, to the capture of three Spanish frigates laden with treasure, and the destruction of a fourth off Cape St. Mary, 5 Oct. 1804; and to the detention, in the ensuing Nov., of the Matilda 36, a ship laden with a cargo of quick-silver worth 200,000l. In the early part of 1805 the Medusa conveyed the Marquis Cornwallis as Governor-General to India; whence she effected her passage home, a distance of 13,831 miles, in the wonderfully short period of 82 days. After serving for a few months with Sir John Gore in the Channel in the Revenge 74, Mr. Waldegrave joined at Plymouth, in June, 1806, the Royal George 100, flagship of Sir John Duckworth. On 29 July following he was made Lieutenant into the Sirius^[1] 36, Capt. Wm. Prowse, on his former station, the Mediterranean; where he was appointed, 12 Dec. 1808 and 11 April, 1809, to the Ocean 98 and Ville de Paris 110, bearing each the flag of Lord Collingwood. On the night of 31 Oct. in the latter year we find him serving with the boats of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour, at the capture and destruction of the French armed store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grondeur, armed xebec Normande, and several merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries in the Bay of Rosas, after a desperate struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 wounded. As we learn from Lord Collingwood’s public letter, he displayed on that occasion the spirit which was inherent in him,^[2] and, having been the first volunteer on the service, he was sent home by his Lordship with his despatches. He arrived at the Admiralty 29 Nov. following, and three days afterwards was promoted to the rank of Commander. He was next, 6 July, 1810, and 8 March, 1811 (the latter the date of his Post-commission), appointed to the Melpomène^[3] and Macedonian, on the Lisbon station; he left the Macedonian in June, 1811 and he was afterwards, from 7 Feb. 1829 until 1832, and from 9 May, 1839, until 1842, employed, in South America and the Mediterranean, in the Seringapatam 46^[4] and Revenge 76. For his conduct in the ship last-mentioned at the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre he was nominated a C.B. 18 Dec. 1849. He obtained the Captain’s Good Service Pension 10 Feb. 1842; and accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846. We may add that in Sept. and Oct. 1841 he was Senior officer in the Bay of Tunis, with the Ganges 84 and Implacable 74 under his orders.

The Earl married, first, 10 Aug. 1812, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Sam. Whitbread, Esq., M.P., of Cardington, co. Bedford. That lady dying 1 March, 1843, he married, secondly, 8 Dec. 1846, Sarah, widow of the late Edw. Milward, Esq., of Hastings, and daughter of the Rev. Wm. Whitear, Prebendary of Chichester. By his first wife he has issue three sons (the eldest an officer in the Army) and four daughters, one of whom, Maria, is married to Wm. Brodie, Esq., second son of Sir Benj. Brodie, Bart. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.

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1. The Sirius was on one occasion sent home with convoy. On entering soundings the latterwas attacked hy two French frigates, but by the skill of Capt. Prowse the designs of the enemy were frustrated.
2. Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1903.
3. After General Massena’s retreat from before Torres Vedras the Melpomène (an armée en flûte) assisted in carrying the British army under General Hill across the Tagus.
4. Capt. Waldegrave was Senior officer in the Pacific from May, 1830, until April, 1832.