# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Quin, Michael

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​QUIN. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 26; h-p., 17.)
Michael Quin entered the Navy, 2 Nov. 1804, as Midshipman, on board the Dragon 74, Capts. Edw. Griffith and Matt. Henry Scott; and, on 22 July, 1805, was present in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets off Cape Finisterre. Removing in March, 1807, to the Maida 74, Capt. Saml. Hood Linzee, he enacted the part of Master’s Mate in the ensuing expedition against Copenhagen; after which, in Dec. of the same year, he joined the Sultan 74, Capts. Edw. Griffith and John West, on the Mediterranean station; where, in Dec. 1811, we find him assisting in a boat with only 10 men, at the capture of a French xebec of 6 guns and 43 men. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 16 July, 1812; and was afterwards appointed in that capacity – 22 Oct. 1812, to the Weasel 18, Capts. JohnWm. Andrew, Jas. Black, and Hon. Fred. Noel, in which vessel, employed principally on the east coast of the Adriatic, he continued until Sept. 1814 – 10 Feb. 1815, to the Arachne 16, Capt. Wm. M‘Kenzie Godfrey, with whom he served for nearly 17 months in the Mediterranean – 11 Feb. 1818, to the Sappho 18, Capt. Jas. Hanway Plumridge, fitting for St. Helena, whence he invalided in July, 1819 – 20 Oct. 1820 and 6 Dec. 1821, to the Satellite 18, Capts. Armar Lowry Corry and Robt. Gore, and Leander 60, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood, both in the East Indies – and, 14 April, 1823, as Senior, a few months after his return to England, to the Naiad 46, Capt. Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer, equipping for the Mediterranean. While serving in the Weasel Mr. Quin commanded the boats of that sloop, in conjunction with those of the Apollo frigate, at the capture and destruction of the tower of St. Cataldo (the strongest between Brindisi and Otranto), containing a telegraph, 3 guns and 3 swivels, 21 Dec. 1812. In April, 1813, having pursued an enemy’s convoy into the bay of Boscaline, the Weasel was there for two days critically engaged with a large number of gun-boats, whose fire was strengthened by that of a body of musketeers and several heavy guns from the shore. She at length, after having destroyed six of the gunboats and eight of the merchantmen, succeeded in warping herself out, but in a very shattered condition, 5 of her people being killed and 20 wounded, and her hull and rigging much injured. On 18 Aug. in the same year Mr. Quin served with the boats of the Weasel, Wizard, and Saracen, and was mentioned in the highest terms for his conduct at the destruction, under a heavy fire of round shot and musketry, of two batteries situated on commanding points at the entrance of the Boco di Cattaro. He had, in the course of the preceding month, commanded the batteries at the capture of Mezzo, an island near Ragusa, defended by 5 long 9-pounders, a 5½ inch howitzer, and 60 men; as he subsequently did, in Dec. 1813, at the taking of Trieste and of the strong fortress of Zara. On 31 Jan. 1824, being then on board the Naiad, he contributed to the utter defeat of the Tripoli Algerine corvette of 18 guns and 100 men; and on the night of 23 May following, he contrived, with her boats under his orders, to effect the brilliant destruction of a 16-gun brig, moored in a position of extraordinary strength alongside the walls of the fortress of Bona, in which was a garrison of about 400 soldiers, who from cannon and musket kept up a tremendous fire almost perpendicularly on the deck. “I have great pleasure,” observes Capt. Spencer in his official account of the latter affair addressed to Sir Harry Burrard Neale, the Commander-in-Chief, “in adding, that notwithstanding so very different a return might have been expected, I have only to report a few men hurt by severe contusions and none killed, chiefly to be attributed to the masterly manner the business was conducted in; the whole of the credit of which is due to Lieut. Quin, to whom I confided the entire arrangement, and I hope you will honour him with your recommendation.” He was in consequence promoted to the rank of Commander by commission bearing date 5 Oct. 1824. His succeeding appointments were – 17 Sept. 1828, to the Pelorus 18, on the Mediterranean station, whence he returned home and was paid off in May, 1830 – next, for a few months to the Second-Captaincy of the Windsor Castle 74 – and, 29 July, 1834, to the Raleigh 16, fitting for the East Indies. While in the latter vessel, in which he ​continued until put out of commission at the close of 1838, he was promoted, 10 Jan. 1837, to the rank he now holds. His last appointment was, 29 Nov. 1841, to the Minden hospital-ship in the East Indies. He has been on half-pay since the end of 1844. Agents – Messrs. Chard.