# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, William (b)

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​SMITH. (Commander, 1826. f-p., 18; h-p., 34.;)
William Smith, born 22 Feb. 1785, is son of the late Capt. John Sam. Smith, R.N. (1782), who saw much service in the East Indies. His grandfather went round the world with Lord Anson; and his brother, Lieut. John Sam. Smith, R.N. (1813), who died in 1840, was wounded when Midshipman of the Minotaur 74 at Trafalgar.
This officer (whose name had been borne from 1792 until 1794 on the books of the Assistance and Stately, flag-ships of Sir Rich. King at Newfoundland, and Excellent 74, commanded hy his father, Capt. J. S. Smith) embarked, in July, 1795, on board the Flora 36, Capt. Henry Lidgbird Ball, then on the point of sailing for the Mediterranean, where, from the following Aug. until Oct. 1796, he served with Capt. Smith, as Midshipman, in the Captain 74 and Agamemnon 64. Joining next, in Jan. 1798, the Sirius 36, Capt. Rich. King, he assisted in that ship, 24 Oct. following, at the capture, off the Texel, of the Dutch frigates Waakzamheid of 26, and Furie of 36 guns, with French troops, arms, and ammunition on board, destined for the use of the disaffected in Ireland – the latter vessel after a running fight of half an hour. In the same ship he participated in a chase of two days, which terminated in the capture off Cape Finisterre, 28 Jan. 1801, of the French 36-gun frigate Dédaigneuse. After serving for a few months in the Cambridge 74, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Pasley at Plymouth, he was made Lieutenant, 4 July, 1801, into the De Ruyter 64, Capts. Rich. Dacres and Volant Vashon Ballard, fitting for the West Indies; on which station we find him, from Nov. 1803 until July, 1805, employed in the Guachapin 14, Capt. Kenneth Mackenzie, and Amsterdam 32, Capt. Wm. Ferris. While in the former vessel he served on shore at the capture of Surinam in May, 1804, and commanded her boats at the cutting-out of a variety of the enemy’s vessels. His appointments after he left the Amsterdam were – 9 Aug. 1805, to the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Graves and Sir John Borlase Warren, under the latter of whom he witnessed the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule – 7 May, 1807, to the vessel last mentioned, which had been added to the British Navy and placed under the orders of Capt. Edw. Rotheram in the Channel – and, 7 Nov. following, to the Elizabeth 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Curzon, in which ship he served off Lisbon, escorted the Russian fleet to England after the convention of Cintra, aided in embarking Sir John Moore’s army at Corunna, and visited Brazil. He was subsequently employed – from 20 Dec. 1809 until 30 Nov. 1812, in the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Hon. M. De Courcy in South America – from 8 March, 1813, until 24 June, 1815, in the Majestic 56, Capt. John Hayes, on the coast of North America, where he was lent in 1813 to a prize, and was present at the surrender, in 1814-15, of the Terpsichore Frencb frigate of 44 guns (taken after a running action of two hours and a half) and U.S. ship President – and, from 4 Feb. 1826 until promoted to the rank of Commander 27 March following, into the Perseus receiving-ship off the Tower, Capt. Jas. Couch. He has since been on half-pay.