In 1789 Lord Amelius was appointed to act as Lieutenant of the Europa, a 50-gun ship, in which he returned to England; but does not appear to have been confirmed in that rank until the Spanish armament, in the ensuing year. In 1791 we find him serving on board the Swiftsure, 74, from whence he was removed into the Druid frigate; and at the commencement of the war with the French republic, went with Lord Hood to the Mediterranean, where he obtained the rank of Post Captain in the Nemesis, of 28 guns, by commission dated Sept. 16, 1793. His next appointment was, about the month of March 1794, to the Juno, another small frigate, in which he encountered and beat off a French frigate of the same name, mounting 36 guns, a corvette and a brig, in the vicinity of the Hières islands. Immediately after this event, our officer communicated the intelligence of the departure of the enemy’s fleet from Toulon to Vice-Admiral Hotham, by whom he was despatched with the tidings to the Commander-in-Chief, at that time engaged in the blockade of Bastia.
The Juno formed part of the British fleet at the capture of the Ca Ira and Censeur, French line-of-battle ships, March 14, 1795[1], and continued on the Mediterranean station until Sept. 24 following, on which day she sailed from Gibraltar in company with a squadron commanded by Captain T. Taylor, for the purpose of affording protection to the homeward bound trade.
On the 7th of the ensuing month, the body of the convoy was attacked, off Cape St. Vincent, by six sail of the line and two large frigates, under the orders of Admiral Richery, who succeeded in cutting off the Censeur[2], and about fifteen of the
- ↑ See p. 340.
- ↑ See Rear-Admiral Sir John Gore.
his age. He was universally allowed to be a most able and judicious commander. For the courage, skill, and magnanimity displayed by him in ten glorious actions, he was raised to the dignity of a Baron of the kingdom of Ireland, Dec. 29, 1800; and created a British peer Nov. 15, 1806. He left a very numerous family, including three sons in the navy, all of whom are now deceased; viz. Vice-Admiral Lord Gardner, died in London Dec. 24, 1815; Rear-Admiral Hon. Francis Farrington Gardner, died at Havre, July 7, 1821; and the Hon. Valentine Gardner, late Captain of H.M.S. Dauntless, died at Canton in Nov. 1820.
