# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Winsor, George

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​WINSOR. (Commander, 1843. f-p., 22; h-p., 15.)
George Winsor was born 9 Aug. 1797. He is brother of Philip Winsor, Esq., Purser and Paymaster R.N. (1814.)
This officer entered the Navy, 3 Dec. 1810, as Sec.-cl. Vol, on board the Edinburgh 74, Capt. Robt. Rolles, with whom, after having served off Flushing, he proceeded to the Mediterranean, and there removed as Midshipman, in 1812, to the Union 98. In April, 1814, he assisted at the reduction of Genoa, and was employed with a party of seamen in dragging guns for the purpose of breaching the walls of the city. Quitting the Union in the following July, he joined, in Sept. of the same year, the Rolla 10, Capt. Robt. Julyan; in which vessel he was for 15 months stationed in the Channel. During the latter part of that period he held the rating of Master’s Mate. Being received, in June, 1816, on board the Fury bomb, Capt. Robt. Moorsom, he was in her present, in the ensuing Aug., at the battle of Algiers. He was employed next, from Dec. 1816 until Aug. 1818, in the Britomart 10, Capt. Hon. Geo. Jas. Perceval (now Earl of Egmont) in the Bristol Channel; and from the latter date (he had passed his examination 5 Nov. 1817) until Feb. 1821, in the Coast Blockade as Admiralty-Midshipman of the Severn 50, Capt.Wm. M‘Culloch. He then sailed for the East Indies, in the capacity last mentioned, in the Sophie 18, Capts. Geo. French and Geo. Fred. Ryves. He served subsequently throughout the whole of the war in Ava, and on many occasions greatly distinguished himself. On 11 May, 1824, he witnessed the capture of Rangoon; and on 3 June he united in a successful attack made upon a strong stockade near Kemmendine. In the course of the same month he commanded a despatch-boat in an expedition sent, under the orders of Lieut. Thos. Eraser of the Larne, to act against the enemy at Pagoda Point; and on the night of ​the 11th he was actively employed in destroying fire-rafts, which were sent by the Burmese in great numbers down the river. He was shortly afterwards, on the Sophie being ordered to Calcutta, lent with a party of seamen (he had volunteered to remain at the seat of war) to the Larne 20, Capt. Fred. Marryat; by whom we find him soon directed to proceed in a small armed schooner up the Irawady, accompanied by the Mercury and Thetis of the Indian Navy, on an exploring mission above the enemy’s works. While thus employed he succeeded, with the assistance of the present Lieut. Henry Lister Maw, in towing a number of large fire-rafts clear of the British vessels. On his way back to the Larne he was again engaged with the stockades at Pagoda Point. He was next placed by Capt. Marryat in charge of the flotilla stationed in advance at Kemmendine, consisting, besides the Thetis cruizer, of 7 armed brigs and schooners, and 10 row-boats, provided with a company of the Bombay Artillery to fight the guns. At the end of 10 days Mr. Winsor, who had had 1 man shot in his own boat while reconnoitring, was attacked by a severe fever brought on by the exertions he had undergone. On 4 Aug. he assisted at the capture of the fort of Syriam, where the natives had stockaded themselves. On the 8th he commanded one of the advanced boats, and had 2 men killed, at the capture, by a force under Lieut.-Colonel Kelly and Lieutenant Fraser, of two stockades up the Dallah Creek. A week or two afterwards he again ascended the river, sounded 20 miles of it, and forwarded the result of his observations in a chart to Capt. Henry Ducie Chads, of the Arachne, who, in a letter to Capt. Thos. Coe, the Senior officer, warmly praised his “exertions and ability.” He was in consequence placed in charge of the E.I.Co.’s steamer Diana, and sent with the Satellite armed transport, which vessel he towed and piloted 25 miles up the Panlang branch, to the attack there of several stockades, the whole of which were taken. For this service he likewise received the thanks of Capt. Chads. Proceeding next, with the Satellite as before, to Than-ta-bain, he behaved with much judgment in the brilliant and decisive operations which led to the capture of that fortified village. On 15 Dec. 1824 the Diana, with the Company’s cruizer Prince of Wales and the pinnaces of the Arachne and Sophie (then again in the Irawady) in tow, went in pursuit of a large number of the enemy’s boats, having cleared a fire-raft laid across the river, she slipped, put on her full steam, and contrived to capture and destroy at least 40 war, provision, and ammunition boats. In a fresh attack made, 9 Feb. 1825, upon Than-ta-bain, whither she had again towed and piloted the Satellite, the Diana, having anchored within pistol-shot of a 36-gun stockade, received in her side as many as 160 shot, one of which passed through the wrought-iron paddle. On this occasion she threw rockets from the bows with great effect. She was subsequently present in an equally conspicuous manner in attacks upon the enemy at Panlang and Donoobew, and in a variety of other operations, too numerous to admit of detail. On the conclusion of hostilities, in April, 1826, Mr. Winsor (who had been in the meanwhile appointed to the Alligator 28, Capt. Thos. Alexander) conveyed sick soldiers to Rangoon, and on then resigning the command of the Diana, was placed in charge of the tender belonging to the Boadicea 46, Commodore Sir Jas. Brisbane. His extremely gallant conduct, we may here state, had caused him to be frequently mentioned in terms of very high praise in the despatches of the latter officer and of Capts. Alexander, Chads, and Marryat. In the words of Capt. Chads, “he commanded the Diana through the war in Ava with courage, energy, and prudence, under a variety of service, frequently the most difficult and perilous.” He returned to England with Capt. Chads in the Alligator; and on his arrival, in Dec. 1826, was presented with a commission dated 22 July in that year. His last appointments were – 30 April, 1830, to the Talbot 28, Capt. Rich. Dickinson, in which ship he was for about four years employed at the Cape of Good Hope and at the Mauritius – 3 Sept. 1841, as Senior Lieutenant, for a few weeks, to the Cambrian 36, Capt. Chads, fitting at Plymouth – and 11 Nov. following, in a similar capacity, to the Belleisle 72, troop-ship, Capt. John Kingcome. The rapidity with which the Belleisle was got ready for sea elicited from the Admiralty a letter extolling the great exertions of her Captain, officers, and crew. She sailed 20 Dec. for China, with General Lord Saltoun, the 98th Regiment and 55 of the Royal Artillery, with in the whole, including women and children, 1278 persons on board. On her arrival in the Yang-tse-Kiang Mr. Winsor, in command of her boats, landed Lord Saltoun. He assisted also in disembarking the second division of troops in the attack upon Chin-Kiang-Foo; and for his conduct was thanked by Capt. Peter Richards of the Cornwallis, who declared that the boats of the Belleisle had done more than those of any other ship. After having suffered much from sickness she returned to England, bringing the 75th Regiment with her from the Cape of Good Hope. On her being paid off, Mr. Winsor was promoted to the rank of Commander 20 Sept. 1843.