# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Woollcombe, George

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​WOOLLCOMBE. (Captain, 1830. f-p., 17; h-p., 22.)
George Woollcombe was born 14 April, 1795. This officer entered the Navy, 13 May, 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Wm. Bedford, bearing the flag in the Channel of Lord Gambier; under whom we find him, on removing to the Caledonia 120, present at Lord Cochrane’s celebrated attack upon the French shipping in Aix Roads, in April, 1809. In the following Nov. he attained the rating of Midshipman; and in Jan. 1811, after having co-operated in the defence of Cadiz, he joined the Loire 38, Capts. Alex. Wilmot Schomberg, Geo. Wm. Blarney, and ​Thos. Brown. In her he cruized in the Baltic, went for convoy to St. Helena, and proceeded ultimately to the coast of North America; where, particularly in the Chesapeake, he saw much active service, and was constantly employed in the boats. He assisted in landing the marine battalion at different places; was present at the taking of Benedict, Marlborough, and other towns; and came into frequent contact with the flotilla under Commodore Barney; who on one occasion attacked the Loire, the Narcissus, and Jaseur, at the same time that a masked battery, in the end blown up, opened on them a fire and struck the Loire in several places with hot shot. Some of the enemy’s gun-boats were in this affair destroyed. In Aug. 1814 Mr. Woollcombe was transferred on promotion to the Tonnant 80. While in that ship, which bore the flag of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, he witnessed the attacks upon Washington and Baltimore, and accompanied the expedition against New Orleans. During the operations connected with the latter service he landed with the naval brigade under Sir Edw. Thos. Troubridge, and on 8 Jan. 1815 “particularly distinguished himself,” and was severely wounded, in leading a party of seamen, under the immediate orders of Capt. Rowland Money, to the assault of a battery on the right bank of the Mississippi. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 23 Feb. 1815, and was subsequently appointed – 22 April, 1815, for five months, to the Madagascar 38, Capt. Bentinck Cavendish Doyle, on the coast of North America – 29 June, 1816, to the Lee 20, Capt. John Pasco, in the Channel, where he served until ill health obliged him, in Dec. 1817, to go on shore – 12 Jan. 1819, to the Active 46, Capt. Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon, in which frigate he was for nearly three years employed on the Halifax, Home, and Mediterranean stations – 11 March, 1823, to the Windsor Castle 74, Capt. Chas. Dashwood, lying at Flymouth – and, 17 Oct. following, as first, to the Owen Glendower 42, Capt. John Filmore, on the coast of Africa. On the return of Capt. Filmore to England, Mr. Woollcombe succeeded, 21 Jan. 1824, to the acting-command of the Owen Glendower, then at Cape Coast Castle, where, as Senior officer, he effectually cut off from the Ashantees all supply of provisions by water, and by the other services he performed afforded the Lieut.-Governor, Colonel Chisholm, an opportunity of declaring, in a despatch dated 17 June, 1824, that “he attributed the Elmina people not having joined the enemy to Capt. Woollcombe’s exertions and cordial co-operation.” He was nominated, 17 Feb. 1824, Acting-Commander of the Bann 20; promoted by the Admiralty 10 April following; employed, from 25 May in the same year until 21 Aug. 1827, in the Victor 18; appointed next, 4 March, 1830, to the Curlew 10, fitting at Woolwich; and advanced to his present rank 22 July ensuing. In the Bann he made prize of a vessel carrying between 300 and 400 slaves; and in the Victor, in which he was afterwards employed on the Irish station, he was again for some time Senior officer at Cape Coast Castle. He there landed all his marines and one watch of sailors to serve as a garrison.
Capt. Woollcombe is married, and has issue. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.