A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wilson, George Knyvett
WILSON. (Captain, 1848. f-p., 25; h-p., 10.)
George Knyvett Wilson entered the Navy, in July, 1812, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Minden 74, Capt. Alex. Skene, with whom (deducting a few weeks passed at Portsmouth, in the early part of 1814, in the Bellerophon 74, Capt. Edw. Hawker) he continued employed as Midshipman in the Illustrious 74, and in the Tonnant 80 and Asia 74, on the East India, North American, and Mediterranean stations, until Feb. 1816. He was present, we believe, in the attack upon New Orleans. From 1 April, 1816, until 28 July, 1817, he cruized on the coast of Ireland in the Pandora sloop, Capts. Hon. Fred. Noel and Geo. Matthew Jones; from 4 Aug. 1818 until 31 Oct. 1821 he was employed in the East Indies and at Halifax in the Phaeton 46, Capts. Wm. Henry Dillon and Wm. Augustus Montagu; and from 1 Nov. 1821 until 21 Feb. 1824 he served at Portsmouth, at Plymouth, and on the coast of Africa, the latter part of the time as Acting-Lieutenant in the Icarus 10, Capt. Thos. Herbert, Windsor Castle 74, Capt. Chas. Dashwood, Owen Glendower 42, Commodore Sir Robt. Mends, and Bann 20, Capts. Geo. Wm. Conway Courtenay and Geo. Woolcombe. He was officially promoted 25 March, 1824; and was appointed next – 5 March, 1825, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye – 28 Sept. following, to the Talbot 28, Capt. Hon. Fred. Spencer, fitting for the Mediterranean, where he remained until the close of 1828, and was at the battle of Navarin, the capitulation of Patras, and the reduction of Morea Castle – 10 March, 1830, to the Scylla 18, Capts. John Hindmarsh and Hon. Geo. Grey, again in the Mediterranean – 3 April, 1834, to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt., now Sir Thos., Hastings – 29 Aug. 1835, to the Rodney 92, Capt. Hyde Parker, with whom he returned to the Mediterranean – and 1 Aug. 1838, after nearly two years of half-pay, a second time, to the Excellent, Capt. Sir T. Hastings. In the above ships he filled the post, chiefly, of First-Lieutenant. On 3 July, 1840, he was advanced to the rank of Commander. He served as Second-Captain in the Cambridge 78, in the Mediterranean, from 16 Oct. 1841 until Jan. 1843; and commanded the Pilot 16, in the East Indies, from 13 Oct. 1845 until the close of 1847. He attained his present rank 15 Feb. 1848.