# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Laurie, Robert

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​LAURIE, Bart., K.C.B. (Admiral of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 30; h-p., 37.)
Sir Robert Laurie, born 25 May, 1764, is son of the late Lieut.-General Sir Robt. Laurie, Bart., Knight-Marshal of Scotland, and for upwards of 30 years J.P. for co. Dumfries, by Mary Elizabeth, daughter of the sixth Lord Ruthven, and niece of the Earl of Bute. He succeeded his father as sixth baronet in 1804.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 April, 1780, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Surprize, Capt. Sam. Reeve, in which ship, and, as Midshipman, in the Crown, he served with the same officer on the Newfoundland and Home stations until the autumn of 1783. He afterwards, until confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant 12 Nov. 1790, served at Newfoundland and Jamaica, part of the time as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Salisbury 50, flag-ship of Admiral Campbell, Edgar 74, Capt. Adam Duncan, Expedition and Europa, bearing each the broad pendant of Commodore Alan Gardner, and Alert sloop, Capt. Geo. Burden. In Jan. 1793 he rejoined Commodore (then Rear-Admiral) Gardner, on board the Queen 98, in which ship he fought and was wounded in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794. Being made Commander, 25 June, 1795, into the Zephyr sloop, Capt. Laurie was for some time employed in that vessel on the North Sea station, whence he ultimately returned to the West Indies, capturing on his passage out, 8 Jan. 1797, La Réfléchie, French privateer of 12 guns and 67 men, and assisting, on his arrival, at the reduction of Trinidad. On 17 July in the same year Capt. Laurie was advanced to Post-rank. His next appointment, we therefore find, was to a frigate, the Andromache 32, the command of which he retained, on the West India and American stations, from Nov. 1798 until Feb. 1804. On one occasion during that period, 22 March, 1801, while cruizing off Punta de Mulas, on the north-east coast of the island of Cuba, in company with the Cleopatra 32, Capt. Israel Pellew, he took charge of the boats of both ships for the purpose of capturing or destroying 25 Spanish vessels, richly laden, and lying at anchor in the bay of Levita under the protection of three armed galleys or gun-vessels, armed with long 24 and 18 pounders. Soon after midnight the boats arrived within gunshot of the galleys, and were received, quite unexpectedly, with a heavy and destructive fire of grape, langridge, and musketry. In spite of this opposition the British gallantly pushed on, and boarded several vessels, but from the heavy loss they sustained (9 killed and 12 wounded) were only able to bring off one of the galleys. Obtaining command, 9 July, 1804, of the Cleopatra, of 38 guns and 200 men. Sir Robt. Laurie continued in that frigate until 17 Feb. 1805; on which date he had the misfortune to be captured, after a brilliant and self-sought action of nearly three hours and a loss to his own ship of 20 killed and 38 wounded, by La Ville de Milan, of 46 guns and 350 men, 10 of whom appear to have been slain. The latter frigate being however so shattered in the combat as to be scarcely able to protect herself, the two, on falling in, six days afterwards, with the 50-gun ship ​Leander, Capt. John Talbot, became easy prizes to that officer. In the following April Sir Robt. Laurie had the satisfaction of being appointed to his late antagonist, which had been added to the British Navy as a 38-gun frigate, and named the Milan. He continued in her until the summer of 1810, and was lastly, towards the close of 1811, intrusted with the successive command of the Berwick and Ajax 74’s; in the latter of which ships he served in the Mediterranean until superseded 26 July, 1813. He became a Rear-Admiral 19 July, 1821; a Vice-Admiral 10 Jan. 1837; and a full Admiral 9 Nov. 1846.
In consideration of the wound he received in Lord Howe’s action. Sir Robt. Laurie, was at the time rewarded with a pecuniary grant from the Patriotic Fund. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1794, p. 557.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1805, p. 540.
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