# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stocker, Stephen

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​STOCKER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 36; h-p., 6.)
Stephen Stocker is brother of Commander Walter B. Stocker, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 2 Feb. 1805, as A.B., on board the Scorpion 18, Capts. Philip Carteret and Fras. Stanfell; under the former of whom, after blockading the Texel and assisting at the capture, 11 April, 1805, of L’Honneur, Dutch national schooner of 12 guns, he sailed with convoy, early in 1806, for the West Indies; where the Scorpion watched a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Villaumez at Port Royal, Martinique, and, on the escape of the latter, dogged it for many days. She subsequently accompanied Sir John Borlase Warren in pursuit of the enemy to North America; and while cruizing next, on the Home station, made prize of, among other vessels, the privateers Bourgainville of 18 guns and 93 men (taken after a long chase and running fight of 45 minutes), La Glaneuse of 16 guns and 80 men, and Le Glaneur of 10 guns and 60 men. In March, 1809, Mr. Stocker removed as Midshipman, a rating he had acquired in Nov. 1806, to the Comet 18, Capt. Rich. Henry Muddle; and in the course of the following month he joined the Bucephalus 32, Capts. Chas. Pelly and Joseph Drury. After commanding a boat in the attack upon Flushing, he sailed for the East Indies; where he assisted, in 1810, at the capture of the Mauritius, and in 1811 again.had charge of a boat at the reduction of Java. Being then left at Batavia, the Bucephalus, during her sojourn at that place, lost 128 officers and men, including her Captain, Pelly, from the effects of the climate; and on the occasion of her departure, about April, 1812, she had, out of a crew consisting originally of 264, only 56 capable of performing duty. Previously to following Capt. Drury as Master’s Mate, in August, 1812, into the Hecate sloop, Mr. Stocker, who had been nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Bucephalus, 17 Nov. 1811, accompanied a highly successful expedition conducted by Capt. Jas. Bowen of the Phoenix frigate against the pirates of Palembang, and aided in forming a settlement on the island of Banca. In the Hecate he united, and had command of a boat, in a series of arduous operations against the Sultan of Sambas, in Borneo, whose fortifications were destroyed and depredations effectually checked. From March, 1814, until paid off, on his return to England, in August, 1817, Mr. Stocker served with Capts. Drury, Henry Warde (acting), and John Reynolds, still in the East Indies, in the Volage 22. Being strongly recommended by Capt. Drury for his general good conduct, and in particular for his exertions in the attack upon Sambas, he was during that period a second time, 16 March, 1815, ordered by Commodore Sayer to act as Lieutenant. Although not at the time aware of the circumstance, he had been promoted at home by a commission bearing date 1 of the preceding Feb. In the early part of 1817 the Volage, while lying at Trincomalee, was hove down on both sides; and for his services on this occasion Mr. Stocker received the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Rich. King. His appointments, after he left the Volage, were – 20 Jan. 1823, to the Coast Guard – 27 Sept. 1828, to the command, for three years, of the Dove Revenue-cruizer – 28 Jan. 1832, again to the Coast Guard, in which he remained until 12 March, 1843 – and 7 July in the latter year, and 22 May, 1845, to the San Josef 110 and Caledonia 120, Capts. Fred. Wm. Burgoyne and Manley Hall Dixon, both stationed at Devonport, where he had charge of a division of the ships in Ordinary. He has been on half-pay since 10 Aug. 1846.
While serving in the Scorpion Mr. Stocker fell from the main futtock-shrouds to the deck, owing to a ratline giving way, and injured his right leg. On the night of 14 Nov. 1828 the Dove, which he then commanded, parted three chains in a heavy gale and drove on shore; and he and his crew were with difficulty saved. After being for a week on shore she was hove off.