# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Davis, George Evan

Layout 4
​DAVIS. (Commander, 1842. f-p., 12; h-p., 29.)
George Evan Davis was born 17 Oct. 1795.
This officer entered the Navy, 19 Oct. 1806, as Midshipman, on board the Eliza cutter, Lieut.-Commander Nicholas Kortwright, employed in the Impress service at Swansea; and from Aug. 1807, until Eeb. 1810, was borne on the books of the Royal George 100, and San Josef 110, flag-ships in the Channel of Sir John Thos. Duckworth. During that period he served in a gun-boat throughout the whole of the operations connected with the expedition to the Walcheren, and received the particular thanks of Sir Home Popham for his conduct in the four-hours’ action which preceded the capture of Campvere. After a re-attachment of a few months to the Eliza and San Josef, the latter bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of Sir Chas. Cotton, Mr. Davis, in Feb. 1811, joined the Alacrity, of 18 guns, Capt. Nesbit Palmer. On 26 May following, that vessel, being on a cruize off Cape St. Andre, island of Corsica, with an effective crew on board of not more than 94, of whom 14 were boys, came to a close action, which lasted 45 minutes, with the French corvette L’Abeille, of 20 guns and 165 men. At the end of that time, having sustained a loss of all her officers, and in the whole of 32 killed and wounded, and being othervrise greatly disabled, the Alacrity hauled down her colours, and was taken possession of by L’Abeille, whose own loss on the occasion amounted, as acknowledged, to 7 men killed and 12 wounded. In company with L’Abeille were also a schooner and three xebecs, all heavily armed. On his recovery, Mr. Davis, who had himself been badly wounded, was marched through Italy to France; whence he ultimately effected his escape in Dec. 1813. Previously to his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 10 March, 1815, he further served in the Espoir 18, Capt. Robt. Russell, and Seahorse 38, Capt. Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon; and in the latter ship he took an active part in the hostilities against New Orleans, where he also served on shore. On the transference of the Packet establishment to the jurisdiction of the Admiralty in July, 1837, Lieut. Davis, who for nearly 12 years had been employed in that service by the Post-Office, was re-appointed by the Board to the command, on the Holyhead station, of the Gleaner steam-vessel, in which he remained until 31 March, 1839. He was confirmed in his present rank on 20 Jan. 1842, shortly after his assumption of the acting command of the Comus 18, in the West Indies. He brought that vessel home and paid her off in May following; and since 25 June, 1846, has been in command of the Bulldog steam-sloop at the Cape of Good Hope.
Commander Davis, from the commencement of the peace until 1825, when he entered the service of the Post-Office, was chiefly employed, either in command of a merchant-vessel or steam-packet, or in the capacity of Agent or Managing Director of a Steam-Navigation Company established at Liverpool. He married, 17 Feb. 1823, Isabella, youngest daughter of John Sperling, Esq., of Dynes Hall, co. Essex; and has issue, with one daughter, a son, St. George Clarence Sperling, a Clerk in H.M. Dockyard at Portsmouth.