Royal Naval Biography/Parker, George
GEORGE PARKER, Esq
Rear-Admiral of the Red.
At the commencement of the war with France, in 1793, we find this officer serving as First Lieutenant of the Crescent frigate, commanded by the present Sir James Saumarez. After the capture of le Réunion, already mentioned at p. 178, he was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Albicore sloop, on the North Sea station. His post commission bears date April 7, 1795. His next appointment was to the Squirrel, of 20 guns, and from that ship he removed, towards tinclose of 1796, into the Santa Margaritta frigate, in which, after serving for some time on the Irish station, he visited Jamaica, North America, the Mediterranean, and Leeward Islands. He retained the command of the Santa Margaritta during the remainder of the war[1].
In the summer of 1805, Captain Parker commanded the Stately, of 64 guns, in the North Sea. From thence he was sent to the Baltic, where, on the 22d March, 1808, in company with the Nassau, another 64-gun ship, he fell in with the Prince Christian Frederick, a Danish 74, which surrendered after a running fight of near two hours, and soon after grounded near the island of Zealand. It being found impossible to get the prize afloat, the wind blowing strong on the shore, from whence the English ships were only two cables’ length distant, and the Danes preparing their artillery, it was found necessary to set her on fire, by which means she was totally destroyed. The loss of the British on this occasion was trivial when compared with that sustained by the enemy. The former had 5 men killed and 44 wounded; the latter 55 slain and 88 wounded.
Captain Parker was soon after appointed to the Aboukir, of 74 guns, and continued in that ship until the autumn of 1813, when he exchanged into the Bombay, another third rate, attached to the Mediterranean fleet. He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, June 4, 1814.
Residence.– Yarmouth, Norfolk.
- ↑ Among the captures made by Captain Parker, in the Santa Margaritta, were l’Adour, of 16 guns, pierced for 20, and 147 men; la Victorine, of 16 guns and 82 men; the San Francisco, of 14 guns and 53 men; and le Quatorze Juillet, of 14 guns and 65 men.