A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Webb, Alexander
WEBB. (Lieutenant, 1815.)
Alexander Webb died about the commencement of 1847.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Hibernia 110, Capt. Tristram Robt. Ricketts, successive flag-ship, in the Channel and off Lisbon, of Admirals Lord St. Vincent, Sir Jas. Saumarez, Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, and Sir Chas. Cotton. After the Convention of Cintra he removed to the Comus 22, Capts. Hon. Josceline Percy and Matthew Smith, on leaving which vessel we find him successively, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 16 Feb. 1815, employed, on the Home and North American stations, in the Desirée 36, Capt. Arthur Farquhar, Maidstone 36, Capt. Geo. Burdett, San Domingo 74, flag-ship of Sir John Borlase Warren, Niobe 40, Ruby 64, Capt. Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, Centurion 50, bearing the flag of the late Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys, and Bulwark 74, Capt. Farmery Predam Epworth. On 3 April, 1813, being then in the Maidstone, he accompanied a brilliant boat-expedition 15 miles up the Rappahannock river, where, in the launch under Lieut. Matthew Liddon, he assisted, in conjunction with the large cutter of the Statira 38, in gallantly boarding and carrying the Dolphin schooner of 12 guns and 98 men. His conduct on this occasion elicited the public thanks of Rear-Admiral Cockburn, and obtained for him, we believe, a recommendation to the Commander-in-Chief, Sir J. B. Warren. While serving in the Bulwark he aided in bringing troops home from Quebec. After his promotion he served in the Coast Blockade, from 29 Nov. 1825 until 1827, and again from 7 Nov. 1829 until 1831, as a Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Capts. Hugh Pigot and Wm. Jas. Mingaye; he officiated next as Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel in the West Indies, from 15 Jan. 1845 until compelled by repeated attacks of yellow fever to invalid about the close of the same year; and from 29 Sept. 1846 until the period of his death he had charge of a station in the Coast Guard. While his name was on the books of the Ramillies, Lieut. Webb had the good fortune to save the lives of a Midshipman (Mr. Trench) and 14 men from drowning, off Kingsgate. For this he received a letter of thanks from the Royal Humane Society, as at another time he did from Mr. Phelps, Master of the brig Elizabeth of Plymouth, for a similar service. We may add that he was the means, on one occasion, of saving the life of H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, father of Her present Majesty. His eldest son, an officer of the Lizard steamer, was killed during the operations in the Panama in 1846 (see Lieut. H. M. Tylden). One of his daughters is the wife of Commander Alex. Pretyman, R.N. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.