A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Witham, Francis
WITHAM. (Lieut., 1818. f-p., 12; h-p., 27.)
Francis Witham is brother of Lieut. Sir Chas. Witham, R.N., Kt.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 May, 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Gibraltar 80, Capts. Henry Lidgbird Ball, Valentine Collard, and Robt. Plampin, attached to the force in the Channel. In the following Nov. he attained the rating of Midshipman; and in Jan. 1812 he removed with Capt. Plampin to the Ocean 98; in which ship he was for two years and a half employed, the greater part of the time as Master’s Mate, on the Mediterranean station. He served afterwards, in the capacity last mentioned, from 23 July, 1814, until 5 Aug. 1815, in the Eurydice 24, Capts. Hon. Valentine Gardner and Rich. Spencer, on the coast of Ireland – from 6 Aug. 1815 until 25 Dec. 1816, in the Tiber 38, Capt. Jas. Rich. Dacres, on the same station and at Newfoundland – and, from 26 Dec. 1816 until May, 1818, in the Conqueror 74, bearing the flag of his former Captain, then Rear-Admiral, Plampin, at St. Helena. He was made Lieutenant, 12 May, 1818, into the Eurydice, commanded at the time by Capt. Robt. Wauchope; he was paid off from that ship (in which he had served at the Cape of Good Hope and at Rio de Janeiro) in Dec. 1819; and he was lastly, from 20 Dec. 1821 until some time in 1822, employed at Sheerness, as First-Lieutenant, in the Brisk 10, Capt. Edw. Stewart.