# Royal Naval Biography/Moubray, George

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GEORGE MOUBRAY, Esq. [Post-Captain of 1812.]
Son of George Moubray, Esq. a junior branch of the very ancient and once potent family seated at Cockairny, in Fifeshire, by Elizabeth, daughter of the late Captain Richard Toby, R.N.
This officer commenced his naval career, June 4, 1789, as a midshipman on board the Adamant 50, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Hughes, Bart, commander-in-chief at Halifax. In 1792, he successively joined the Hannibal 74, Captain John Colpoys, and Juno 32, Captain Samuel Hood, the latter ship then employed in attendance upon the royal family at Weymouth.
​In 1793, Mr. Moubray visited Genoa, Leghorn, Naples, Smyrna, Malta, and Ancona; and he appears to have continued in the Juno until after her remarkable escape from the inner harbour of Toulon, when he was discharged into Lord Hood’s flagship, the Victory of 100 guns, on promotion.
On the 27th May, 1794, Mr. Moubray was appointed Lieutenant of la Mozelle sloop, in which vessel we find him present at the capture of two French line-of-battle ships, by the fleet under Vice-Admiral Hotham, Mar. 14, 1795.
In July following, la Mozelle narrowly escaped being captured by an enemy’s squadron, consisting of one 80-gun ship and four 74’s, which had been sent from Toulon to attack a small force under Captain Horatio Nelson, employed in cooperation with the Austrian army at Vado.
The enemy were first discovered, under Spanish colours, on the evening of the 6th July, and at day-light next morning it was found that they had gained considerably on the British detachment, which consisted of the Agamemnon 64, Meleager and Ariadne frigates, la Mozelle, and Mutine cutter. La Mozelle, then commanded by Captain Charles Brisbane, had lost her main-top-gallant-mast in the night, which obliged the heroic Nelson to shorten sail repeatedly to support her; and the enemy were so intimidated by his daring behaviour, that they did not open their fire till the British were close in with Cape Corse, which the Agamemnon very fortunately weathered by about half a mile. The Meleager, Ariadne, and Mutine were well to windward; la Mozelle, however, the dullest sailer, being to leeward of it, had no alternative but to surrender, run on shore, or attempt the almost impracticable passage between the rocks near the cape and a little islet, at a short distance from it. Captain Brisbane, with his usual intrepidity, having decided upon trying the passage, la Mozelle bore up, and the Frenchmen, knowing it was impossible to follow, opened their fire in succession to sink her: all the spare sails had previously been spread between decks, with a quantity of tar, and every thing else inflammable, ​Captain Brisbane being determined to destroy his sloop, rather than that she should be captured.
Oil the 19th Aug. 1796, Lieutenant Moubray joined la Virginie frigate. Captain Anthony Hunt. The manner in which he was employed from that period till the end of 1798, will be seen by reference to pp. 247–251 of Suppl. Part II. He returned to England in the same ship, from the East India station, under the command of Captain George Astle, Feb. 14, 1803; and was paid off at Deptford on the 12th of the following month.
Lieutenant Moubray’s subsequent appointments were, in April, 1803, to the Seahorse frigate. Captain the Hon. Courtenay Boyle, fitting for the Mediterranean; Nov. 4, 1804, to the Royal Sovereign, a first rate, bearing the flag of Sir Richard Bickerton, Bart.; and Oct. 5, 1805, to be first of the Polyphemus 64, Captain Robert Redmill, employed in the blockade of Cadiz.
The Polyphemus sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 4 wounded at the glorious battle of Trafalgar. During the tremendous gale that ensued, she took the Argonauta, Spanish 80, in tow, and anchored her in safety: she afterwards escorted Nelson’s flag-ship to the entrance of the Straits; and finally towed the Swiftsure, French 74, from her anchorage near Cadiz to Gibraltar. But for the assistance rendered by the Polyphemus to the small party in charge of that prize, the French would have been able to boast, that not one of their ships captured by Nelson’s fleet had entered a British port.
Captain Moubray’s commission as a commander bears date Dec. 24, 1805. He returned home in the Polyphemus about the end of Jan. 1806; and was appointed to the Rhodian brig, of 10 guns, fitting for foreign service, Jan. 27, 1809. he removed from that vessel to the Moselle, of 18 guns, on the Jamaica station, June 26, 1812; and continued to command the latter until Mar. 31, 1813. His promotion to post rank took place Aug. 12, 1812.
This officer married, in June, 1812, Eliza Pellew, eldest daughter of A. N. Yates, Esq. naval storekeeper at Jamaica, ​by whom he has had issue several sons and daughters. One of his sisters is the lady of Captain James Katon, R.N.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part II. p. 804, and the addenda to Rear-Admiral Moubray’s memoirs.
* ↑ See Vol. II. Part II. pp. 645–648.
* ↑ See Vol. I. Part I. note at p. 340.