A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Warren, Frederic
WARREN. (Vice-Admiral, of the Red, 1841. f-p., 31; h-p., 27.)
Frederic Warren was born in March, 1775, in London, and died 22 March, 1848, at his seat, East Court, Cosham, near Portsmouth. He was son of Rich. Warren, Esq., M.D., Physician to George III. and to George IV. when Prince of Wales, by Elizabeth, daughter of Dr. Shaw, a physician of eminence. His uncle was Bishop of Bangor.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1789, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Adamant 50, Capt. David Knox, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Hughes at Halifax. Removing as Midshipman, in 1792, to the Lion 64, Capt. Sir Erasmus Gower, he sailed in that ship with Lord Macartney in his embassy to China. During his absence from England he received an order to act as Lieutenant. Soon after his return he was made Lieutenant by the Admiralty, 24 Oct. 1794, into the Prince George 98, Capt. Jas. Gambier, fitting at Chatham. In Jan. 1795 he was appointed to the Jason 38, Capt. Chas. Stirling; and after serving for upwards of two years in her on the Western station, and for four months as First-Lieutenant in the Latona 38, flagship of Vice-Admiral Waldegrave at Newfoundland, he was promoted, 10 Aug. 1797, to the command of the Shark sloop. Towards the close of 1798 he returned from Newfoundland and was paid off. He next, 18 Feb. 1800, obtained command of the Fairy 18, employed at first in the Channel and then in the West Indies, where he remained until Feb. 1801. He was advanced to Post-rank 12 May following, and was subsequently appointed – in July, 1801, for about two months, to the Amphitrite frigate, guard-ship at the Needles – 22 Oct. 1803, to the Sea Fencibles at Dundee – 27 Nov. 1806 and 22 April, 1808, to the Daedalus 32 and Meleager 36, both in the West Indies, whither, in the Daedalus, he escorted convoy – 15 April, 1809, pro tem, (in the absence of her proper Captain, Sir Peter Parker) to the Melpomène 38, in the Baltic – 11 Dec. 1809, after three months of half-pay, to the Argo 44, in which ship he brought a fleet of East Indiamen home from St. Helena; sailed in 1811, under Sir Jos. Sydney Yorke, with a reinforcement of troops for the British army in Portugal; and, besides carrying out an Algerine Ambassador, conveyed Sir Robert Listen and suite to Constantinople – 9 March, 1814 (he had resigned command of the Argo in Oct. 1812), to the Clarence 74, stationed in the Channel, where he served until 20 Aug. ensuing – and 23 Dec. 1825, to the Spartiate 76, employed off Lisbon and in the Channel. In the Meleager Capt. Warren was wrecked, 30 July, 1808, on the Barebush Key, near Port Royal; but he was both acquitted of all blame on account of her loss and complimented for the exertions he had used after she struck. While holding temporary command of the Melpomène he was attacked, in the Belt, about a mile from the shore, during a perfect calm and in a dark night, by 20 large Danish gun-boats; whom, at the end of an action, which lasted from lOh. 30m. p.m. until daylight, he beat off, having defeated every attempt made by the enemy to board. The Melpomène, on this occasion, had several men killed and wounded, and her hull and rigging much damaged. By his conduct Capt. Warren, whose gallantry procured him the public thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, was the means of ensuring safety to more than 100 sail of merchant-vessels, at the time but six miles distant. He continued in the Spartiate, the ship above named, until advanced to Flag-rank 22 July, 1830. He commanded in chief at the Cape of Good Hope, with his flag in the Isis 50, from 5 Aug. 1831 until relieved by Rear-Admiral Patrick Campbell 23 Nov. 1834; and from 1 April, 1837, until Dec. 1841, he filled the office of Admiral-Superintendent at Plymouth, with his flag in the San Josef 110. He became a Vice-Admiral 23 Nov. 1841.
Vice-Admiral Warren married, in 1804, Mary, only daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Laird, of Strathmartine House, near Dundee. His eldest son, Rich. Laird Warren, is a Captain R.N. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.