Lot Essay
Ex Lieutenant-Colonel Murray Collection, 1882 and Baldwins, March 1939.
The published Naval General Service Medal rolls confirm William Neame as a Midshipman aboard the Spencer for the Fleet action off St. Domingo on 6.2.1806.
Commander William Neame was born in Deal and entered the Royal Navy as a First Class Volunteer aboard the Gun Brig Steady during the course of 1799, aged 19 years. In her he served in the North Sea and West Indies, latterly as a Midshipman, and, following two more seagoing appointments, he joined, in 1803, the 74-gun Spencer. In the latter ship he fought with distinction at St. Domingo in February 1806, sustaining a slight wound (London Gazette 24.3.1806, refers) and immediate nomination to Acting Lieutenant of the Canopus, the Flagship of Rear-Admirals Thomas Louis and George Martin. Under the former of these Officers, he assisted, between 1806-07, at the capture of the French Frigate Le President, and was present in the expeditions to the Dardanelles and Egypt.
Neame was confirmed in his rank in June 1808 and next joined the Scout as Senior Lieutenant, an appointment that led to his participation in the destruction of the French Store-ships Giraffe and Nourrice on 1.5.1811, the latter having been protected by a 5-gun Battery, a Martello Tower and a body of some 200 troops, the whole situated in Sagone Bay, Corsica:
'Finding by 5.30 p.m. that the calm still continued, and fearing any longer delay would enable the French to increase their force, the Pomone, Unite and Scout, in the most animated manner, were towed by their respective companies, in the face of a heavy raking fire, into a position within range of grape; when, at 6.00 p.m. the British ships opened their broadsides. The mutual cannonade lasted, without any intermission, until 7.30 p.m.; when the Giraffe, bearing a Commodore's Pendant, and then the Nourrice, was observed to be on fire. Afterwards the brands from the Nourrice set fire to the Merchantman, and in ten minutes all three ships were completely in a blaze. The Pomone and her consorts now quickly towed themselves out of danger from the explosions; the first of which, that of the Giraffe, took place at 8.50 p.m., and that of the Nourrice a few minutes afterwards. Some of the timbers of the latter, falling on the [Martello] Tower, entirely demolished it, and the sparks set fire to the Battery below, which also exploded' (The Naval History of Great Britain, by William James, refers).
Neame was again wounded, this time severely (James refers), but saw out the remainder of the War in the Scout, next joining in March 1814, the Hyacinth. This would prove to be his last regular seagoing appointment:
'He was one of the first Officers appointed by the Treasury to the preventive service, in which, and the Coast Guard, he continued, we believe, from 1816 until promoted to his present rank [Commander] on 4 April 1832. He was appointed Inspecting Commander of the Coast Guard in the District of Bray, Ireland on 18 March 1834; and has lately been removed to the Dublin District, with orders for him to discharge the duties of Assistant Inspector-General' (Marshall refers).
The gallant and long served Neame was the recipient of a Patriotic Fund pension in lieu of wounds received in the Great War with France, but as is made plain from his response to O'Byrne's request for a summary of service, such distinctions never damaged his transparent modesty:
'I have to acknowledge the receipt of your note and acquaint you I have no wish to furnish you with a memo. of my services. From my age they could not benefit me or be interesting to any other person, but if you would like to forward forty more fly sheets of your work, I will distribute them to the Naval Officers of the Coast Guard in the country'.
The published Naval General Service Medal rolls confirm William Neame as a Midshipman aboard the Spencer for the Fleet action off St. Domingo on 6.2.1806.
Commander William Neame was born in Deal and entered the Royal Navy as a First Class Volunteer aboard the Gun Brig Steady during the course of 1799, aged 19 years. In her he served in the North Sea and West Indies, latterly as a Midshipman, and, following two more seagoing appointments, he joined, in 1803, the 74-gun Spencer. In the latter ship he fought with distinction at St. Domingo in February 1806, sustaining a slight wound (London Gazette 24.3.1806, refers) and immediate nomination to Acting Lieutenant of the Canopus, the Flagship of Rear-Admirals Thomas Louis and George Martin. Under the former of these Officers, he assisted, between 1806-07, at the capture of the French Frigate Le President, and was present in the expeditions to the Dardanelles and Egypt.
Neame was confirmed in his rank in June 1808 and next joined the Scout as Senior Lieutenant, an appointment that led to his participation in the destruction of the French Store-ships Giraffe and Nourrice on 1.5.1811, the latter having been protected by a 5-gun Battery, a Martello Tower and a body of some 200 troops, the whole situated in Sagone Bay, Corsica:
'Finding by 5.30 p.m. that the calm still continued, and fearing any longer delay would enable the French to increase their force, the Pomone, Unite and Scout, in the most animated manner, were towed by their respective companies, in the face of a heavy raking fire, into a position within range of grape; when, at 6.00 p.m. the British ships opened their broadsides. The mutual cannonade lasted, without any intermission, until 7.30 p.m.; when the Giraffe, bearing a Commodore's Pendant, and then the Nourrice, was observed to be on fire. Afterwards the brands from the Nourrice set fire to the Merchantman, and in ten minutes all three ships were completely in a blaze. The Pomone and her consorts now quickly towed themselves out of danger from the explosions; the first of which, that of the Giraffe, took place at 8.50 p.m., and that of the Nourrice a few minutes afterwards. Some of the timbers of the latter, falling on the [Martello] Tower, entirely demolished it, and the sparks set fire to the Battery below, which also exploded' (The Naval History of Great Britain, by William James, refers).
Neame was again wounded, this time severely (James refers), but saw out the remainder of the War in the Scout, next joining in March 1814, the Hyacinth. This would prove to be his last regular seagoing appointment:
'He was one of the first Officers appointed by the Treasury to the preventive service, in which, and the Coast Guard, he continued, we believe, from 1816 until promoted to his present rank [Commander] on 4 April 1832. He was appointed Inspecting Commander of the Coast Guard in the District of Bray, Ireland on 18 March 1834; and has lately been removed to the Dublin District, with orders for him to discharge the duties of Assistant Inspector-General' (Marshall refers).
The gallant and long served Neame was the recipient of a Patriotic Fund pension in lieu of wounds received in the Great War with France, but as is made plain from his response to O'Byrne's request for a summary of service, such distinctions never damaged his transparent modesty:
'I have to acknowledge the receipt of your note and acquaint you I have no wish to furnish you with a memo. of my services. From my age they could not benefit me or be interesting to any other person, but if you would like to forward forty more fly sheets of your work, I will distribute them to the Naval Officers of the Coast Guard in the country'.