# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pym, Samuel

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​PYM, K.C.B (Vice-Admiral of the Blue, 1847. f-p., 30; h-p., 29.)
Sir Samuel Pym, born in 1778, is son of Joseph Pym, Esq., of Pinley, co. Warwick (a descendant of the famous John Pym), by a daughter of Thos. Arnott, Esq., M.D., of Cupar, co. Fife, niece of Sir Wm. Arnott, Bart.; and brother of Sir Wm. Pym, M.D., K.C.H., Inspector-General of Army Hospitals and Superintendent-General of Quarantine.
This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1788, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Eurydice, Capt. Geo. Lumsdaine, employed at first in the Channel and next in the Mediterranean, where, and on the Irish and Jamaica stations, he served, from the summer of 1791 until Nov. 1793, in the Zebra, Kingfisher, and Fly sloops, all commanded by Capt. Wm. Brown. He then joined the Cambridge 74, Capt. Rich. Boger, guard-ship at Plymouth; and after cruizing for about 12 months in the Channel and North Sea as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the Ganges 74, Capt. Wm. Truscott, and Venus and Alcmène frigates, each under the orders of Capt. Wm. Brown, was promoted, 7 March, 1795, to the rank of Lieutenant, and placed in the Martin sloop, Capt. Wm. Grenville Lobb. His succeeding appointments were, as Senior – 4 Sept. 1795 and 7 May, 1798, to Le Babet 20, Capts. W. G. Lobb and Jemmett Mainwaring, and Aimable 32, Capt. W. G. Lobb, both in the West Indies – 12 Nov. 1798, to the Ethalion 38, Capts. Geo. Countess, Jas. Young, and John Clarke Searle, under the last-mentioned of whom he was wrecked on the Penmark Rocks, 25 Dec. 1799 – 12 Feb. 1800, to the Stag 32, Capt. Robt. Winthrop, which ship was also lost in Vigo Bay 6 Sept. in the same year – and, 25 Oct. 1800, to the Robust 74, commanded in the Channel by his friend Capt. Brown. In the spring of 1796 Mr. Pym, then in Le Babet, witnessed the surrender of the Dutch colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice; and on 16 Jan. 1798, having in the handsomest manner volunteered his services, he took command of two of her boats, went in pursuit of, and succeeded, with only one of them, in capturing La Désirée French national vessel of 6 guns and 46 men, after a desperate struggle, in which the British sustained a loss of 1 man killed, another drowned, and himself and all the remainder wounded, and the enemy of 94 killed, 8 drowned, and 15 wounded. Prior to the wreck of the Ethalion he assisted in that ship, under Capt. Young, at the capture, 17 Oct. 1799, of the Spanish 36-gun frigate El Thetis, laden with specie to an enormous amount, his own share alone of which and of that found on board the Santa Brigida, another rich frigate, taken at the same time exceeded 5000l. For the assistance he afforded his Captain on the quarterdeck, as well as for his indefatigable exertions in shifting the wounded masts and yards on board the Thetis, Mr. Pym was warmly recommended to the notice of Lord Bridport, the Commander-in-Chief. He had previously, on 10 June, commanded the boats of the Ethalion, and captured in them, after a fatiguing row, two brigs and five tartans, with wheat and sheep from Barcelona bound to Majorca. On leaving the Robust he was made Commander, 10 Feb. 1801, into the Swan, in which vessel he cruized for about six months on the Portsmouth station. He acquired Post-rank 29 April, 1802; and was subsequently appointed – 29 April, 1804, to the Mars 74, employed at the blockade of Corunna – 29 June ensuing, to the Atlas 74, which ship, after serving in the Channel, North Sea, and South America, formed part of the force under Sir John Duckworth in the action off St. Domingo 6 Feb. 1806, and was subsequently stationed off Cadiz – 13 Oct. 1808, to the Sirius 36 – 27 Feb. 1812, to the Hannibal 74, off Cherbourg – 12 May following, to the Niemen 38, employed for three years on the Home, Lisbon, Cape of Good Hope, North American, and West India stations – and, 22 July, 1830, to the Kent 78, fitting for the Mediterranean, whence he returned to England and was paid off at the close of 1831. In the Sirius Capt. Pym assisted under Commodore Rowley at the capture of the town of St. Paul’s, Ile de Bourbon, 21 Sept. 1809. On that occasion he stood in, anchored within half-musket shot of La Caroline French frigate, two captured Indiamen, and a brig-of-war, and opened so heavy a fire that in 20 minutes the whole of them struck their colours. At the reduction of the Ile de Bourbon in July, 1810, Capt. Pym displayed his usual zeal and ability. He afterwards obtained possession of Ile de la Passe, the key to Grand Port, in the Isle of France; and recaptured, while cruizing off Port Louis, the Wyndham, a British Indiaman recently taken by two French frigates, and a corvette under the orders of M. Duperre. In Aug. 1810, as senior officer of a squadron, consisting, with his own, of the 36-gun frigates Néréide, Iphigenia, and Magicienne, we find Capt. Pym conducting a series of gallant although, from circumstances he could not control, unsuccessful operations, which, in an endeavour to capture the above-named enemy’s vessels and rescue another Indiaman, terminated in the self-destruction of the Sirius and Magicienne, the capture of the Néréide, and the surrender to a powerful French squadron of the Iphigenia. In consequence of this disaster Capt. Pym remained in close captivity until the reduction of the Mauritius in the ensuing Dec. On his release he was tried by court-martial and honourably acquitted. In the Niemen Capt. Pym made prize, 14 July, 1814, after a chase of 14 hours, of the Henry Gilder, American privateer, of 12 guns and 50 men. He was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815, and a K.C.B. 25 Oct. 1839; advanced to Flag-rank 10 Jan. 1837; and made a Vice-Admiral 12 Feb. 1847. From 16 Dec. 1841 until Dec. 1846, he filled the post of Admiral-Superintendent at Plymouth. In Sept. and Oct. 1845, he had command of an experimental squadron consisting of the St. Vincent 120, Trafalgar 120, Queen 110, Rodney 92, Albion 90, Canopus 84, and Vanguard 80.
For his conduct in the action off St. Domingo, Sir Sam. Pym was presented by the Admiralty with a gold medal. He married, in 1802, a daughter of ​Edw. Lookyer, Esq., of Plymouth, by whom he has issue. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1798, p. 295.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1799, p. 1094.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1799, p. 740.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1810, pp. 1681, 1685.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1810, p. 1797.
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