# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sellon, William Richard Baker

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​SELLON, formerly SMITH. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 15; h-p., 31.)
William Richard Baker Sellon is eldest surviving son of the late Thos. Smith, Esq., of the Chapter House of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London, Receiver-General to the Dean and Chapter, by Sarah, daughter of the Rev. Wm. Sellon, some time Rector of St. James, Clerkenwell. He assumed, in Jan. 1847, the surname and arms of Sellon on inheriting the property of his maternal aunt, Sophia Sellon.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Centaur 74, commanded by his relative Capt. Bendall Robt. Littlehales, at first in the Channel and next in the West Indies; whence, after having assisted, in the capacity of Midshipman, at the reduction of Ste. Lucie (where he served in the boats at the landing of the troops under a fire from the enemy’s batteries), he returned in 1803 to England in the Morne Fortunée brig, with Capt. Littlehales, who had been charged with the despatches announcing the conquest. On 11 July, 1805, at which period he had been for two-and-twenty months employed in the Downs and North Sea in the Orestes 14, Capt. Thos. Brown, and had been in action with the Boulogne flotilla, he was wrecked, under a heavy fire from the enemy, on the Splinter Sand, in Dunkerque Road. He then joined La Virginie 38, Capt. Edw. Brace, on the Irish station; and on 22 Dec. 1807, having during the last six months there acted as Lieutenant in the Helena 18, Capt. Jas. Andrew Worth, he was confirmed in that rank. His succeeding appointments were – 25 Feb. 1808, to the Alexandria 32, Capt. Nathaniel Day Cochrane, in the North Sea – 28 Dec. following and 12 June, 1809, to the Castor 32, Capt. Wm. Roberts, and Intrepid 64, Capts. Christ. John Williams Nesham and Geo. Andrews, both in the West Indies – 28 Oct. 1809, to the Horatio 38, Capt. Geo. Scott, employed among the Western Islands – and 27 July, 1811, 10 months after ill health had obliged him to leave the Horatio, to the Swiftsure 74, Capts. Hardy, Jeremiah Coghlan, Wm. Stewart, Edw. Stirling Dickson, and Arden ​Adderley, on the Mediterranean station – and 25 Aug. 1815, nearly 11 months after he had left the Swiftsure, to the command of the Swan 16, in the Downs. During his servitude in the Alexandria he was sent in command of two gun-boats up the Dutch rivers to protect the trade then carrying on between Heligoland and Holland; and while so employed he contrived to capture two of the enemy’s gun-vessels. In the Castor, of which frigate he became First-Lieutenant, he contributed to the capture, in April, 1809, of the French 74-gun ship D’Haupoult; and in the Horatio he was present, 21 Feb. 1810, at the surrender, after a long chase and a running fight of one hour, of La Nécessité, pierced for 40 guns but not mounting more than 28, with a complement on board of 186 men, laden with naval stores and provisions, from Brest bound to the Isle of France. While attached to the Swiftsure he distinguished himself in numerous boat affairs, and on one occasion in particular, 26 Nov. 1813, when with four boats containing 58 men, he boarded and carried, off Cape Housse, in the island of Corsica, Le Charlemagne privateer, of 8 guns, pierced for 16, and 93 men, a vessel, whose fierce resistance occasioned the British a loss, out of 58 men, of 5 killed and 15 wounded. Referring to this exploit. Sir Edw. Pellew, the Commander-in-Chief, thus expresses himself in a letter to Capt. Littlehales : “I am happy to inform you that your friend Mr. Smith has signalized himself in boarding a privateer, in a manner much above the common practice. His Captain and those who were with him gave him the loudest praise. Indeed it was a gallant and great achievement, and, what was far more honourable in him, he interceded for mercy with his companions, who were irritated at their loss and the obstinate resistance they had met with. I shall send my mite of praise with Capt. Dickson’s to their Lordships, and earnestly hope it will lead to his promotion.” This, however, it did not do, nor did Lieut. Smith receive any other reward for his gallantry than an assurance of their Lordships’ approbation and an expression of their sincere concern at the loss experienced on the occasion. He resigned command of the Swan on account of family affairs 27 June, 1817; and not having been further employed, accepted, 24 July, 1844, the rank of Commander on the Retired List. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.