A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wilkinson, George William
WILKINSON. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
George William Wilkinson was born 31 March, 1806. He is the son of a Master R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1814, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Edinburgh 74, Capt. Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, and in the following month was present at the reduction of Genoa and its dependencies. Being paid off from the Edinburgh in Jan. 1815, he did not again go afloat until Nov. 1819; from which period until Jan. 1823 we find him employed in the Brazen 26, off St. Helena, for the security of Napoleon Buonaparte, and on the coast of Ireland. He served next, until Aug. 1827, the greater part of the time as Midshipman and Mate (he passed his examination 5 April, 1826), in the Gannet 18, Wellesley 74, Spartiate 76, and Wellesley again. On first joining the Wellesley, commanded by Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, he sailed with the present Lord Stuart de Rothesay for South America; whence he returned in the Spartiate to England, touching en route at Lisbon for the purpose of delivering to the King the treaty of separation between Brazil and Portugal. After serving for some time in the Repulse and Adder Revenue-cruizers (in the former as First-Mate), he was appointed, in April, 1829, to the Atholl 28, Capt. Alex. Gordon, fitting for the coast of Africa. He was employed, while there, up the different rivers in the suppression of the slave trade; and was Acting-Lieutenant of the Eden 26, Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, at a period when the climate made fearful ravages among the crew of that ship. His own health being at length impaired, he returned to England an invalid in the Sybille 48, but without reaping the promotion which was fairly his claim. In Aug. 1830 he joined the Galatea 42; from the following month until Feb. 1839 he was employed in the Sprightly and Hornet Revenue-cruizers; and he was afterwards, until promoted at last to the rank of Lieutenant, 23 Nov. 1841, employed as a Chief-officer in the Coast Guard at the Old Head of Kinsale, in Ireland. During the whole of the time he belonged to the Sprightly, which vessel was stationed on the coast of Ireland, he performed the duties of First Mate; and so great was his experience that he acted latterly too as Pilot. He was nominated Additional-Lieutenant of the St. Vincent 120, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Codrington at Portsmouth, 15 Dec. 1841; was appointed, 15 March, 1842, to the Ringdove 16, Capt. Sir Wm. Daniell, fltting at Portsmouth; and from 18 May, 1842 (he had been obliged by an attack of rheumatism to leave the Ringdove, and be sent to the hospital at Haslar), until 1848 again, we believe, had charge of a station in the Coast Guard.
Lieut. Wilkinson married, in Aug. 1827, Miss Stowe, the daughter of a Purser R.N. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.