A Naval Biographical Dictionary/White, Martin
WHITE. (Captain, 1818.)
Martin White entered the Navy, in 1793, on board the Medusa 50, Capt. Jas. Norman, lying at Portsmouth. On 6 Nov. 1794, having removed, as Midshipman, to the Alexander 74, Capt. Rich. Rodney Bligh, he was in that ship captured, after a glorious resistance, attended with a loss to her of 40 men killed and wounded, by five French 74’s and three frigates under Rear-Admiral Nielly. On being restored to liberty he joined the Topaze 36, Capt. Stephen Geo. Church, and sailed for the coast of North America, where he was in company, 28 Aug. 1796, with a squadron under Vice-Admiral Geo. Murray, at the surrender of the French 36-gun frigate Elizabeth. The Topaze was on this occasion the most advanced ship in the pursuit, and was the only one that engaged the enemy. On leaving her Mr. White, who had for some time held the rating of Master’s Mate, was made Lieutenant, 12 Dec. 1800, into the Plyades 18, Capt. Jas. Boorder, in the North Sea. His succeeding appointments were – 21 July, 1802, to the Alcmène frigate, Capt. John Stiles – next, to the command of the Pigmy cutter – 16 March, 1804, to the Queen 98, Capt. Theophilus Jones, lying at Portsmouth – and 6 April and 28 Sept. following and 11 June, 1806, to the command of the Sandwich lugger. Manly gun-brig, and Jackdaw schooner. The Alcmène was employed in the conveyance of troops; the Pigmy in watching the French ports near Chausey [errata 1]; the Sandwich off Ostend and Flushing under Sir Wm. Sidney Smith; the Manly off Boulogne and in the North Sea; and the Jackdaw between Sheerness and Spithead. The Manly, through the ignorance of her pilot, ran on shore, in Jan. 1806, near Rysum, on the Ems, and was there seized by the Dutch in violation of the neutrality of the river. After he had attained the rank of Commander, 25 Sept. 1806, Capt. White was appointed – 27 Nov. 1806, to the Weymouth store-ship – 15 Sept. 1808, to the Vulture guard-ship on the Jersey station, where he remained three years – and in Aug. 1812 and Jan. 1817, to the Fox and Shamrock surveying-vessels, in which he continued successively employed in the English, Irish, and Bristol Channels until 1828. As a reward for his services he was advanced to Post-rank 7 Dec. 1818. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. White constructed, in 1824, two charts of the coast of Ireland; others, in 1824, of the islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Sercq, Herm, Alderney, and the Caskets (with plans of Grand, Bordeaux, and St. Sampson’s Harbours, of the Pier at Montergueil, of St. Brelade’s Bay, of Grand Greve, Baleine Bay, and of the anchorage between Herm and Jethou); one also of the English Channel east of Beachy Head; two, in 1829, of Salcombe and Dartmouth Harbours; and, in 1830, one showing the result of his investigations from Cape Carteret to Cape Frehel, including the islands of Jersey, Sercq, and Chausey. His surveys among the Channel Islands and upon the coast of France were associated with those of the eminent French hydrographer M. Beautems Beaupre; and his name now stands recorded upon the pages of that beautiful national work the French Maritime Atlas. In addition to other literary productions, brought forward under the sanction of the Admiralty, Capt. White is the author of a very clever volume, published in 1846, entitled ‘Remarks on the Winds, Tides, and Currents of the Ocean.’ He married, 24 Aug. 1811, and has issue two children. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.