# Royal Naval Biography/Purcell, Edward

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EDWARD PURCELL, Esq. [Captain of 1828.]
Was born at Tymogue Castle, in the Queen’s County, Ireland; and entered the royal navy, in June 1804, as midshipman on board the Niobe frigate. Captain (now Vice-Admiral) Matthew Henry Scott, employed as a Channel cruiser. Towards the end of 1807, he followed the same officer into the Dragon 74; and on that ship being paid off, after a trip to the West Indies, we find him joining l’Impetueux 76, Captain (now Admiral) John Lawford; by whom he was entrusted with the command of an armed launch during the operations against Flushing, in Aug. 1809. Subsequent to the reduction of Walcheren he ascended the East Scheldt, and served with the flotilla for a period of five weeks.
On her return home, l’Impetueux was ordered to Lisbon; and in 1810, when the British army retreated to the lines of Torres Vedras, Mr. Purcell again obtained the command of her launch, then armed with two carronades, and went up with other boats to Alhandra, for the purpose of annoying the French forces encamped on the banks of the Tagus. This service proved most harassing and severe, the boats being almost incessantly engaged with the enemy’s field-pieces and riflemen for nearly two months.
In Dec. 1810, Mr. Purcell was received on board the Elizabeth 74, for a passage home to join his first naval patron, ​Captain Scott, who had just been appointed to the Marlborough, of similar force. On his arrival in England he was transferred to the Amethyst 36, Captain Jacob Walton, in which frigate he suffered shipwreck, near Plymouth, Feb. 16th, 1811. A few weeks after this disaster he was removed from the Marlborough to the Victory, of 100 guns, bearing the flag of Sir James Saumarez, commander-in-chief on the Baltic station.
In Sept. following, Sir James Saumarez, then lying in Wingo Sound, near Gottenburg, received intelligence that two Danish gun-vessels were lurking about the coast to the southward, intending to attack the rear of a homeward-bound convoy. The Victory’s pinnace and yawl were ordered to go in search of the enemy, and one of these boats was placed under the command of Mr. Purcell. On the ensuing day they fell in with the Danes, strongly posted, with some small guns, among rocks, and were received with a very smart fire. The vessels were immediately boarded and carried, although their crews amounted to five times the number of the assailants. Of the former, two were killed and five wounded; the British had not a man slain, and only three wounded.
For his conduct on this occasion, Mr. Purcell received the thanks of Sir James Saumarez; and, in Nov. 1811, was ordered to act as a lieutenant of the flag-ship, an appointment confirmed by the Admiralty on the 4th of the following month. He subsequently served for a short period in the Muros sloop, Captain James Aberdour, from which vessel he appears to have been removed to the Marlborough, on the North Sea station. In Aug. 1812, he accompanied Rear-Admiral Scott into the Chatham 74; and on the return of Napoleon Buonaparte from Elba, we find him appointed flag-lieutenant to the same officer, with whom he continued, at Deal, until the autumn of 1815.
Lieutenant Purcell’s subsequent appointments were, – Feb, 2d, 1816, to the Rivoli 74, Captain (now Sir Charles) Ogle, stationed as a guard-ship at Portsmouth; – July 24th, 1816, to be first of the Driver sloop, Captain John Ross, by whom he was very often employed in boats for the suppression of smuggling, on the western coast of Scotland; – and lastly, ​Sept. 7th, 1818, to the Tribune 42, Captain (now Sir Nisbet J.) Willoughby, fitting out for the Irish station. Between this latter period and the spring of 1820, he had many narrow escapes whilst pursuing contraband traders. In June 1820, he was promoted to the command of the Falmouth 20, at Barbadoes; and his commission for that sloop was confirmed at home on the 9th of Sept. following.
After serving three years in the West Indies, Commander Purcell brought home, and paid off, the Falmouth, in July 1823. During his passage to England orders were sent to the commander-in-chief at Jamaica, to place his name on the admiralty list for promotion; but unfortunately it was not in his power to return thither, and he consequently remained without advancement until Aug. 25th, 1828, previous to which he had been appointed second captain of the Gloucester 74, commanded by the present Rear-Admiral Horton.
Agents.– Messrs. Stilwell.