A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Weale, Edward Taylor
WEALE. (Commander, 1827. f-p.,25; h-p., 26.)
Edward Taylor Weale was born 10 April, 1785, at Farnham, in Surrey.
This officer entered the Navy, 2 March, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Orion 74, Capt. Sir Jas. Saumarez, under whom he fought in the action off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797, and, as Midshipman, at the battle of the Nile 1 Aug. 1798. He served next, from Jan. 1799 until April, 1802, latterly as Master’s Mate, in the Success 32 and Unicorn 32, Capts. Philip Wilkinson and Chas. Wemyss, on the Channel station; and in Sept. 1803 he joined the Galatea 32, Capt. Henry Heathcote. On the morning of 14 Aug. 1804, being then in the West Indies, he took part, in command of one of four boats belonging to the latter frigate, carrying in the whole about 90 men, in a most desperate attempt made to out out, from the neighbourhood of Anse-a-Mire, in the Saintes, the late British 14-gun ship-sloop Lily (newly-named the Général Ernouf), defended by several powerful batteries, having a privateer schooner moored across her hawse, so as to enfilade the assailants completely in their approach, and in every way prepared for a fierce resistance. After having nobly struggled and sustained for nearly an hour a murderous fire of great guns and musketry, which killed and wounded 65 of their number (including the commanding officer, Lieut. Chas. Hayman, and the Master), the British, deprived of every hope of success, retired. In May, 1805, Mr. Weale, who had been directed by Capt. Heathcote to act as Lieutenant in the room of Mr. Hayman, was received on promotion on board the Hercule 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres at Jamaica; and on 1 July following he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Sandwich cutter, Lieut.-Commander D. Barnideny; with whom he removed, in the course of the same month, to the Découverte schooner, of 7 guns and 32 men. While in that vessel, to the acting-command of which he succeeded 8 Nov. 1805, he assisted in driving a Spanish privateer on the rocks on the coast of Cuba, and then boarded and brought her off. A few days afterwards he was for about two hours in action with a brig of 14 guns, which in the end escaped, with a loss, it was understood, of 15 killed and 25 wounded, and with only part of her foremast standing. While in personal command of the Découverte, Mr. Weale attacked a privateer schooner of far superior force, carrying 112 men, and, under a heavy fire, retook a sloop, her prize. By the aid of her sweeps the privateer, although pursued until sunset, got off. Her other guns being dismounted early in the action, the Découverte achieved this victory with 1 long 18-pounder on a pivot; the same gun, indeed, with which she had put to flight her previous opponent. As a reward for his conduct, Mr. Weale was promoted by the Commander-in-Chief into a death vacancy 1 Jan. 1806; but he did not leave the Découverte until the ensuing May; and he then joined the Fortunée 36, Capts. Henry Vansittart and Geo. Fras. Seymour. Soon after this, the Fortunée having driven a large privateer of 100 men on shore on the south coast of Cuba, he was sent with the boats to bring her off. Success crowning the enterprize, he was allowed for a time to command the prize as a tender. In the summer of 1806 the Fortunée, in company with the Surveillante 38, Hercule 74, Supérieure schooner, and about 200 merchantmen, sailed for England. When off the Havana, a number of Spanish vessels were discovered under the protection of a 74-gun ship and two guarda-costas. The Fortunée, {sc|Supérieure}}, and a number of boats, were instantly despatched in pursuit; and the result of their united efforts was the capture and destruction of the guarda-costas and 20 vessels deeply laden with sugar, &c. After serving for three years in the Channel and on the coast of Ireland, the Fortunée, towards the close of 1810, conveyed Rear-Admiral Thos. Fras. Fremantle to the Mediterranean. On her arrival she was stationed for a few weeks with the in-shore squadron off Toulon. She then returned to England, bringing with her an Ambassador from the Dey of Algiers. During a subsequent cruize to the westward she captured Le Vice-Amiral Martin, a very notorious privateer, mounting 18 guns with a complement of 140 men. Quitting her in Nov. 1812, Mr. Weale, who had latterly filled the post of First-Lieutenant, was next, in Sept. 1813, appointed, in a similar capacity, to the Pactolus 38, Capt. Hon. Fred. Wm. Aylmer. In that frigate, in which he continued employed until Sept. 1815, he assisted at the bombardment of Stonington in America, and accompanied, in the summer of the year last mentioned, a highly-successful expedition sent to the Gironde in support of the French King, which terminated in the royal colours being hoisted on the castle of Bordeaux and in the surrounding districts. He served afterwards in the Coast Guard at Kinsale and Oyster Haven, as a chief officer, from 21 Jan. 1821 until 17 March, 1826; and as an Inspecting- Commander at Whitby from 6 July, 1830, until 5 July, 1833. His zealous exertions in the suppression of smuggling during the period he was a chief officer were the cause of his being strongly recommended by the Comptroller-General to the First Lord of the Admiralty. His commission as Commander bears date 25 Oct. 1827.