Young, with whom he continued until the end of the war. His commission as Vice-Admiral hears date July 19th, 1821. He married in 1808, a daughter of Commissioner Fanshawe, of Plymouth Dock-yard.
PHILIP STEPHENS, Esq
(late wilkinson.)
Vice-Admiral of the Blue.
This officer is a nephew of the late Sir Philip Stephens, Bart.[1], many years Secretary, and afterwards one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; under whose auspices he went to sea at an early age; was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, about the year 1790; and made a Post-Captain, Sept. 5, 1794.
From this period till the year 1797, Captain Wilkinson commanded the Hermione, of 32 guns, on the Jamaica station. His next appointment was to the Success, another frigate, in which he cruized for some time on the coast of France, and then removed into the Unicorn of the same force, and likewise employed in Channel service. He subsequently obtained the command of the Naiad, of 38 guns, on the same station.
In the month of Oct. 1801, the Naiad took the ground near Isle Rhé, and had nearly been wrecked. On the second day after she struck, the French Commodore sent off craft, with spare cables and anchors, and politely informed Captain Wilkinson of the preliminaries of peace being signed between France and England; this conduct accounted for the batteries not firing on the Naiad, whilst ashore within range of them.
Our officer was soon after appointed to the Hussar, of 38 guns, on board which ship an explosion took place towards
- ↑ Sir Philip’s daughter married Viscount Ranelagh; and on the death of that nobleman, who had but a life interest in the estates of his father-in-law, Admiral Wilkinson, to whom they devolved, assumed the cognomen of Stephens. For the sake of convenience, the former alone will be used in this sketch. Should the Vice-Admiral die without issue, the property will again revert to the Ranelagh family.
