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THE

ANNUAL

BIOGRAPHY AND OBITUARY,

OF

1825.

PART I.

MEMOIRS OF CELEBRATED PERSONS, WHO HAVE DIED WITHIN THE YEARS 1824-1825,

No. I.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM
WALDEGRAVE,

BARON RADSTOCK, OF CASTLETOWN, QUEEN'S COUNTY; ADMIRAL
of the red, K.G. C. B.; PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAL CHARIT-
ABLE SOCIETY; COMMISSIONER OF THE CORPORATION LAND-
TAX; A
VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE CLERGY ORPHAN SOCIETY;
OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF VICE; OF THE
BLIND ASYLUM; OF THE FEMALE ORPHAN ASYLUM; OF THE
MARY-LE-BONe general diISPENSARY, &c. &c.

THE family of Waldegrave, formerly written Walgrave, of which this gallant and excellent nobleman was a member, is denominated from a place of their own name in Northamptonshire, where they resided before the year 1200. Lord Radstock's uncle, James, the second Earl of Waldegrave, VOL. X,

B

married Maria, daughter of Sir Edward Walpole.

She

afterwards became the consort of the late Duke of Gloucester, brother of George the Third; and died in August, 1807.

Lord Radstock was the second son of John, third Earl of Waldegrave, by Lady Elizabeth Gower, sister of Granville, first Marquis, and aunt of the present Marquis of Stafford. He was born the 9th of July, 1758. The profession of the navy was his own particular choice, and he was happily placed under the tuition of such officers as were calculated to improve his early genius for nautical science. Having gone through the inferior gradations of service in the Mediterranean and Western Seas, he was promoted to the command of the Zephyr sloop about 1775, and on the 30th of May, 1776, advanced to the rank of post captain in the Rippon of 60 guns, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Edward Vernon.

Captain Waldegrave's time passed on in the usual routine of service until August 10, 1778, on which day the Commodore, being on a cruise off the coast of Coromandel, fell in with a French squadron under M. Tranjolly. An action ensued and was maintained with great obstinacy for two hours, when the enemy, availing themselves of the crippled condition of the British ships, made sail and steered for Pondicherry. On the 21st Sir Edward again got sight of them, but their superiority in sailing prevented his being able to bring them to action; they, however, quitted the coast, which gave the Commodore an opportunity of taking possession of the anchorage in Pondicherry-road, by which means he was enabled to co-operate with the army in the reduction of that place. In October it surrendered to the British arms.

In the above-mentioned action the number of ships on each side was equal. Those of the English mounted 148 guns; those of the French 180. The loss of the former consisted of 11 killed, and 53 wounded (the Rippon had 4 killed, and 15 wounded); the loss of the enemy was never ascertained. The Sartine French frigate, mistaking the British for her own squadron, was afterwards taken.

The climate of the East Indies not agreeing with Captain Waldegrave's health, he returned to England, and immediately on his arrival was appointed to the Pomona of 28 guns. In this ship he captured the Cumberland American privateer, of 20 guns, and 170 men. This was an important service, for the enemy's vessel had been exceedingly destructive to our trade. Some months after, Captain Waldegrave removed into La Prudente of 38 guns and 280 men, and after making a voyage to the Baltic was attached to the Channel fleet.

On the 4th of July, 1780, Captain Waldegrave having been sent by Sir Francis Geary to cruise off Cape Ortegal, in company with the Licorne of 32 guns, fell in with, and, after an obstinately contested action of four hours, captured La Capricieuse, a new French frigate, pierced for 44 guns, but mounting only 32, with a complement of 308 men, above 100 of whom, including her Commander, were either killed or wounded. Upon taking possession of the prize she was found in so disabled a state, owing to her gallant defence, that upon the report of a survey, held by the carpenters of the British frigates, Captain Waldegrave ordered her to be burnt.

La Prudente bore the brunt of the above action, and was consequently a greater sufferer than her companion. She had four midshipmen and 13 seamen killed, her second lieutenant, one midshipman, and 26 men wounded. The Licorne had only three men slain and seven wounded.

In the spring of 1781, Captain Waldegrave accompanied Admiral Darby to the relief of Gibraltar, and towards the close of that year he assisted at the capture of a number of French transports that were proceeding with troops and stores to the West Indies, under the protection of M. de Guicher. The skill displayed by the British squadron on this occasion, in presence of an enemy's fleet, nearly double in numbers and force, deserves to be recorded. The following are the particulars of this affair, which reflected credit on all present.

In the month of November 1781, the French fleet, consisting of nineteen sail of the line, many of which were first and se

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