schooner, who boarded and carried them in a most gallant manner, and without any loss, notwithstanding the enemy’s guns were primed, and the matches lighted. The prizes proved to be the Lynx, of 12 guns and 75 men; and the Perseus, of 8 guns and 40 men. Lieutenant Matthew Buckle, of the Hawke cutter, very handsomely volunteered his services with Captain Winthrop on this occasion.
We next find the subject of this memoir commanding the Stag frigate, in the expedition against Ferrol, under the orders of Sir John Borlase Warren, in the autumn of 1800[1]. On the 6th Sept., the Stag parted her cables in Vigo Bay; and the wind blowing furiously at the time, laid her on her beam-ends, and prevented her from wearing clear of the other ships. Captain Winthrop then made sail upon her, and endeavoured to weather Point Subudo; but the gale increasing almost to a hurricane, she was driven on shore, and in a very few minutes a rock broke through her bottom, when she filled almost immediately. After saving all the officers and ship’s company, and some of the stores, she was set fire to, in pursuance of orders from the Rear-Admiral.
On the renewal of hostilities after the peace of Amiens, Captain Winthrop obtained the command of the Ardent, a 64-gun ship, stationed on the coast of Spain, where he drove on shore la Bayonnaise French frigate, of 32 guns and 200 men, from the Havannah bound to Ferrol. The crew, to prevent her being taken possession of, set her on fire, by which she was totally destroyed. The Ardent was subsequently employed off Boulogne, under the orders of Lord Keith.
From this ship, Captain Winthrop was removed into the Sybille frigate, about the month of July 1805; and on the 3d May, 1807, he captured l’Oiseau French letter of marque. In the ensuing summer, he was appointed to the command of the Dover district of Sea Fencibles. His promotion to the rank of Rear-Admiral took place Aug. 12, 1819. He married, Dec. 23, 1804, Miss Farbrace, of Dover.
