# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Whiteway, Samuel

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​WHITEWAY. (Retired Commander, 1846. f-p., 19; h-p., 33.)
Samuel Whiteway entered the Navy, 2 Dec. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Invincible 74, Capts. Wm. Cayley and John Rennie, in which ship he continued employed, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, on the West India and North Sea stations, latterly under the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Totty, until she was lost, with about 490 of her officers and crew, near Yarmouth, 16 March, 1801. He cooperated as Master’s Mate, in May, 1796, Feb. 1797, and Aug. 1799, in the reduction of Ste. Lucie, Trinidad, and Surinam. After the wreck of the Invincible he served, from 2 April, 1801, until 24 July, 1802, in the Zealous 74, Capt. Sam. Hood Linzee, off Cadiz and in the West Indies and North Sea; from 25 July, 1803, until Aug. 1804, in the Virginie 38, Capt. John Poo Beresford, on the station last named; from Aug. 1804 until Jan. 1805, part of the time as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Agamemnon 64, Capt. John Harvey, again off Cadiz; and from 7 Jan. until Oct. 1805, as Master’s Mate and Acting-Lieutenant (order dated 4 July), in the Glory 98, flag-ship of Admirals Sir John Orde and Chas. Stirling. Under the latter officer he fought in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets off Cape Finisterre 22 July, 1805. On leaving the Glory he became Sub-Lieutenant of the Wizard brig, Capt. Edm. Palmer, in the Mediterranean, where he was present, in March, 1807, at the reduction of Alexandria, and nominated, 18 Feb. 1808, Acting-Lieutenant of the Thames 32, Capts. John Taylor, Hon. Granville Geo. Waldegrave, and Chas. Napier. In that frigate, to which he was confirmed 21 Dec. following, he was present, 25 July, 1810, in company with the Weazle and Pilot brigs, at the capture and destruction, under the batteries of Amantea, of a convoy of 31 vessels laden with provisions and stores for the enemy’s army at Scylla, together with seven large gun-boats and five armed scampavias. He was present at the cutting-out, also, 5 Oct. in the same year, by the boats of the Thames and Éclair sloop, of 10 transports collected near Agricoli, in the Gulf of Salerno; and commanded a detachment from the Thames and Cephalus sloop at the destruction, 16 June, 1811, of a similar number of armed feluccas on the beach near Cetraro. On 21 July, 1811, after the Thames and Cephalus, the latter commanded by the present Sir Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford, had succeeded in silencing the fire of a flotilla of 11 gun-boats, together with a felucca, carrying in the whole 13 guns and 280 men, moored across the harbour of Porto del Infreschi, Mr. Whiteway, then Senior of the Thames, landed with the marines under Lieut. David M‘Adams, and assisted in successfully storming a round tower, and in taking prisoners an officer and 80 men, besides putting to flight a troop of musketeers who lined the adjacent hills. On his return to the shore he united, under Capt. Clifford, in the operation of launching and bringing off 14 merchant-vessels and 34 spars. “I hope,” says Capt. Napier, in his official account of this very gallant affair addressed to the Senior officer off Palermo, “it will not be thought presumptuous in me begging you will recommend Capt. Clifford and my First-Lieutenant, Whiteway, to the Commander-in-Chief, particularly as this is the third convoy the former has discovered and contributed to destroy since his appointment to the Cephalus; the latter has been likewise at the taking of two and destroying one since his joining the Thames.” The total loss sustained by the British, we may add, did not exceed 2 men badly and 3 slightly wounded. In Dec. 1811 Mr. Whiteway removed to the Leyden 64, troop-ship, Capts. Edw. Chetham and John Davie, under the latter of whom he successively visited Lisbon, Alicant, Palermo, Zante, Ponza, Santander, Kronstadt, and Danzig. The Leyden being paid off in Dec. 1814, he was appointed, 15 May following, to the charge, which he retained until April, 1816, of a telegraph station. He accepted the rank of Commander on the Retired List 3 Nov. 1846. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.