A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Willcox, Robert (a)
WILLCOX. (Commander, 1823. f-p., 21; h-p., 31.)
Robert Willcox entered the Navy, in March, 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Lively of 38 guns and 251 men, Capts. Geo. Burlton and Lord Viscount Garlies. On 13 of the same month he assisted at the capture, off Ushant, of the French frigate La Tourterelle of 30 guns and 230 men, after a close action of three hours, in which the British had but 2 wounded, and the enemy, who were provided with a furnace and threw red-hot shot, as many as 16 killed and 25 wounded. He fought subsequently in the action off Cape St. Vincent, 14 Feb. 1797; and on 12 April in the following year was wrecked, on Rota Point, near Cadiz. Joining next, in June, 1798, the Superb 74, he continued employed in that ship for upwards of 11 years under Capt. John Sutton and the late Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats, as Midshipman and as Acting-Lieutenant and Lieutenant, order and commission dated 25 Oct. 1808 and 16 May, 1809. He bore a warm part in consequence in Sir Jas. Saumarez’ action with the Franco-Spanish squadron in the Gut of Gibraltar 12 and 13 July, 1801; accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies in 1805 in pursuit of the combined fleets; shared in the victory gained by Sir John Duckworth off St. Domingo 6 Feb. 1806; united in the operations of 1807 against Copenhagen; assisted, in Aug. 1808, at the embarkation from Nyeborg of the Spanish troops stationed in the Danish provinces under the Marquis de la Romana; and had charge of two gun-boats during the siege of Flushing in Aug. 1809. At Nyeborg he commanded one of several boats which, regardless of the opposition they encountered, boarded and took the Danish brig Fama, of 18, and her consort the Salorman cutter, of 12 guns. On at length leaving the Superb, Mr. Willcox joined, in Oct. 1809, the Naiad 38, Capts. Henry Hill and Philip Carteret. In her, on his return from a voyage to the West Indies, he served at the blockade of the different ports on the French coast, and took part, 20 and 21 Sept. 1811, in two actions with divisions of the Boulogne flotilla. On the last-mentioned occasion the Naiad sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 14 wounded, but succeeded in taking one of the enemy’s praams, La Ville de Lyons, of 12 long 24-pounders and 112 men, more than 30 of whom were either killed or wounded. In March, 1813 (he had left the Naiad in Nov. 1811), Mr. Willcox obtained an appointment to the Pembroke 74, Capt. Jas. Brisbane; with whom he continued employed in the Channel and Mediterranean until Aug. 1814. He aided in the boats, during that period, at the capture of a town on the coast of Spain and at the cutting out of a convoy with loss to the British. He was also present at the reduction of Genoa. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place 6 Sept. 1823, soon after he had been appointed First-Lieutenant of the Prince Regent yacht, Capt. sir Michael Seymour. From 21 Oct. 1843 until 1846 he was employed in the Victory 104, guardship at Portsmouth, Capts. Wm. Wilmott Henderson, Geo. Moubray, and John Pasco. He is now on half-pay.
Commander Willcox jumped overboard while serving in the Superb and Pembroke, although the ships were at the time under sail, and had the good fortune on each of the two occasions to save the life of a fellow-creature. He is married, and has issue.