A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Woolcock, William (a)
WOOLCOCK. (Lieutenant, 1809. f-p., 17; h-p., 30.)
William Woolcock (a) entered the Navy, in May, 1800, as A.B., on board the Vésuve, Lieut.-Commanders Wm. Eliot, Wm. Chapman, and Benj. Crispin, stationed in the North Sea. He served next, from April, 1801, until July, 1802, part of the time as Midshipman, in the Powerful 74, Capt. Sir Francis Laforey, in the Baltic, off the port of Cadiz, and in the West Indies; and from March, 1803, until June, 1807, under Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, in the Antelope 50 and Pompée 74. In the Antelope he was often in action with the enemy’s flotilla between Flushing and Ostend; and in the Pompée he passed the Dardanells and assisted at the destruction of a Turkish squadron anchored under the guns of a redoubt on Point Pesquies. On 8 July, 1807, he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Pincher[1] gun-brig, Lieut.-Commanders Jas. Aberdour and Sam. Burgess, in the North Sea; he was promoted to the full rank of Lieutenant 25 March, 1809; and he was afterwards, from June following until April, 1812, and from the latter date until June, 1814, employed in the Persian 18, Capts. Sam. Martin Colquitt and Chas. Bertram, and Iris 36, Capt. Hood Hanway Christian, on the West India, Home, and Brazilian stations. We believe that he assisted, in the Persian, at the capture of the privateers Embuscade of 14 guns and 63 men, and Petit Jean, of 16 guns, only 8 mounted, and 65 men. His last appointment was to the Poictiers 72, Capts. Wm. Henry Shirreff and Sir Thos. Bourchier, Depôt-ship of Ordinary at Chatham, where he served as First-Lieutenant from 4 April, 1844, until the summer of 1847.
- ↑ In command of the boats of the Pincher and Basilisk he succeeded, in the early part of 1809, in capturing a Danish privateer, mounting 1 carriage gun and 4 swivels, and a galliot laden with deals. – Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 622.