THE ANNUAL BIOGRAPHY AND OBITUARY, OF 1833. PART I. MEMOIRS OF CELEBRATED PERSONS, WHO HAVE DIED WITHIN THE YEARS 1832-1833. No. I. THE RIGHT HON. EDWARD PELLEW, VISCOUNT EXMOUTH (1816), AND BARON EXMOUTH OF CANONTEIGN, COUNTY OF DEVON (1814); A BARONET (1796); ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE; VICE-ADMIRAL OF ENGLAND; KNIGHT GRAND CROSS OF THE MOST HONOURABLE MILITARY ORDER OF THE BATH; KNIGHT OF THE SPANISH ORDER OF KING CHARLES III.; knight GRAND CROSS OF THE ORDER OF ST. FERDINAND AND OF MERIT OF NAPLES, AND OF THE ORDER OF WILHELM OF THE NETHERLANDS; KNIGHT OF THE ROYAL SARDINIAN MILITARY ORDER OF ST. MAURICE AND ST. LAZARUS, AND KNIGHT OF THE SARDINIAN ORDER OF ANNUNCIATION; DOCTOR OF THE CIVIL LAW; HIGH STEWARD OF YARMOUTH; ONE OF THE ELDER BRETHREN OF THE TRINITY HOUSE; PRESIDENT OF THE LIVERPOOL SEAMAN'S FRIEND SOCIETY, AND BETHEL UNION; A VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE MARINE, NAVY CHARITABLE, AND NAVAL AND MILITARY BIBLE SOCIETIES, ETC. ETC. By the death of this distinguished officer, the Royal Navy of England has been deprived of, perhaps, its ablest seaman. VOL. XVIII. B Like many others of our most celebrated commanders, Lord Exmouth was the architect of his own fortune. Born to no inheritance, he raised himself to great and well-merited reputation by the steady application of all his powers to the duties of his profession, supported by that undaunted and indefatigable spirit which carried him triumphantly through every service of difficulty or danger in which he was engaged. His immediate ancestor was George Pellew, of Flushing, near Falmouth, Esq., who married Judith Sparrow, by whom he had three sons: viz. first, John; second, Israel, who married Gertrude Trefusis, the descendant of a very ancient family in Cornwall, and a relation of Lord Clinton; and third, Samuel, who married Constance Longford, by whom he had issue, first, Samuel Humphrey; second, Edward, the subject of this memoir; third, Israel, a Vice-Admiral of the White, who died in 1832; fourth, John, an officer in the army, who was killed at Saratoga; and fifth, Catharine, wife of the son of the Vice-Admiral of Sweden. Edward Pellew was born 19th April, 1757, at Dover, where his father then commanded the government packetboat. At his death, in 1765, the young sailor was deprived of his natural patron, and had to struggle against those difficulties in attaining a nautical education which are now removed by a liberal public provision for such as are destined for the King's service. At the age of thirteen he began his career at sea in the Juno frigate, commanded by Capt. Stott, with whom he sailed to the Falkland Islands, and afterwards accompanied him in the Alarm to the Mediterranean; where, some misunderstanding arising between Captain Scott, himself, and another Midshipman, the two latter were cruelly sent on shore at Marseilles, and obliged to return to England by land. At the opening of the war with the American colonies, he became Midshipman of the Blonde frigate, with Captain Pownoll; and was detached, in February, 1776, to serve under the late able and intelligent Admiral Schank (then a Lieutenant), to take part in the struggle for naval supremacy on Lake Champlain. During this arduous service they cut down trees from the neighbouring forests, and in a few weeks converted them into vessels of war, with which they succeeded in driving the force under General Arnold from the lake; and, in giving this effectual support to the British army, Mr. Pellew gained great credit from his Admiral, whose testimony deserves to be recorded: - "H. M. S. Eagle, New York, 20th Dec. 1776. "SIR,-The account I have received of your gallant behaviour from Captain Charles Douglas, in the different actions upon Lake Champlain, gives me much satisfaction, and I shall receive pleasure in giving you a Lieutenant's commission when you may reach New York. "To Mr. Edward Pellew, (Signed) HOWE." Commanding the Carleton schooner, Lake Champlain." With this rank of acting Lieutenant, which could not be confirmed till he returned to England, he continued to cooperate with the army under General Burgoyne, and shared in all the toils and dangers of the disastrous campaign of 1777. A letter from that General may properly be inserted here, to show the high sense which was entertained of his services. "Camp at Saratoga, 14th Oct. 1777. "DEAR SIR,It was with infinite pleasure General Phillips and myself observed the gallantry and address with which you conducted your attack on the provision-vessel in the hands of the enemy. The gallantry of your little party was deserving of the success which attended it, and I send you my sincere thanks, together with those of the whole army, for the important service you have rendered them on this occasion. (Signed) "Lieut. Edward Pellew, Royal Navy." JOHN BURGOYNE." The éclat of this little exploit was speedily merged in the unfortunate issue of the battle of Saratoga, and the subsequent surrender of the whole British force to the American army under General Gates. Soon after the convention was signed, Mr. Pellew, being released on his parole, returned to England, bearing a letter from Sir Guy Carleton, expressing such high commendation "of his gallantry and merit during two severe campaigns," that on his arrival he was immediately confirmed in his rank of Lieutenant. After serving some time in the Licorne, Captain Bellew, he was appointed first Lieutenant of the Apollo frigate, under his old Commander, Captain Pownoll, who, in the spring of 1780, while closely engaged with an enemy's ship of equal force, fell mortally wounded, and shortly expired in the arms of his attached friend and follower. His last words were, "Pellew, don't give his Majesty's ship away." Nor were they uttered in vain; for, immediately assuming the command, he continued the action with such determined resolution, that his opponent fled from the contest, and, having gained the neutral anchorage of Ostend, thus disappointed him of his prize. This gallant service was promptly rewarded by the following letter from the Admiralty: : "Admiralty Office, 18th June, 1780. "SIR, After most sincerely condoling with you on the loss of your much lamented patron and friend, Captain Pownoll, whose bravery and services have done so much honour to himself and country, I will not delay informing you, that I mean to give you immediate promotion, as a reward for your gallant and officer-like conduct. "Lieut. Edward Pellew, H. M. S. Apollo, Sheerness." (Signed) SANDWICH." Being appointed to command the Hazard sloop-of-war, he was very actively employed in her till March, 1782, when he removed to the Pelican, in which, on the 31st of May, 1782, |