# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Parsons, William (b)

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​PARSONS. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 18; h-p., 23.)
William Parsons (b) was born 12 Aug. 1794, at Portsea, co. Hants. He is brother of Lieut. John Parsons, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Dec. 1806, as L.M.j, on board the Milbrook 16, Lieut.-Commander Jas. Leach; which vessel, until wrecked in a storm 26 March, 1808, was very actively employed off the coasts of Spain and Portugal; where she captured a Spanish polacca ship, retook the Badger brig, of London, drove on shore a Spanish gun-boat and her prize, and was on one occasion totally dismasted and compelled to part with her guns. After serving for short periods on board the Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Cotton, Mediator 44, Capt. Geo. Wm. Blarney, and Desperate bomb, Lieut.-Commanders Jas. Leach and Robt. Ellary, Mr. Parsons (who had been engaged, in the boats of the Desperate, on secret service on the coast of France) joined, in March, 1809, the Podargus 14, Capt. Wm. Hellard; under whom, while holding the rating of Midshipman, he aided, at different times, in driving on shore, on the French coast, a lugger privateer, a schooner with naval stores on board, and another privateer, together with her prize an English ship. In effecting the latter service he was for an hour and a-half under fire of the batteries at Dieppe. Following Capt. Hellard, in Nov. 1810, into the Snake 18, he was soon afterwards involved in that vessel in a running action, on the coast of Norway, with five Danish brigs-of-war, from which, however, although at one time completely surrounded, she effected a very gallant escape. In Nov. 1811, the Snake, being caught in a gale of wind, drifted as far to the northward as lat. 73° 38'. When subsequently, in the early part of 1812, on a cruize between the Orkney and Shetland islands, Mr. Parsons, during another gale, volunteered in the most handsome manner to put off in a boat to the assistance of a vessel in distress. He accordingly made two trips, and had the good fortune to rescue the whole of the crew, consisting of 11 persons; although, on reaching the Snake the second time, the boat was stove and lost. Continuing in the same sloop, with Capts. Geo. Robbin and Joseph Gale, until July, 1815, at which period he was presented with a commission, bearing date 21 of the preceding Feb., Mr. Parsons was afforded an opportunity of making a voyage to the West Indies, and of cruizing for some time on the coast of Ireland and in the Downs. In the winter of 1814 he intrepidly jumped overboard at night and saved the life of a seaman; and on 15 Dec. in the same year he was washed in a gale of wind out of the fore-rigging, and fractured his left arm. After having been for several years employed in the East India trade, Lieut. Parsons succeeded, 3 Jan. 1838, in obtaining the command, which he still holds, of a station in the Coast Guard. Since he has been in that service he has been the means of convicting 12 smugglers, three of whom he captured with his own bands. He has also received an English silver and a French gold medal for his exertions in having saved the crew, eight in number, of a French vessel on shore in a gale of wind under St. Alban’s Head; together with a letter of thanks for the rescue of 12 Englishmen wrecked at the same place.
The Lieutenant married, 26 Aug. 1822, Eliza, daughter of Mr. Goble, a Master in the merchant service, by whom he has issue eight children. His eldest son, William F. Parsons, is a Second-Master in the R.N. (1845). Agents – Hallett and Robinson.