Robert Murray ( Royal Navy officer ) Robert Murray ( c . 1763 – 30 June 1834 ) was an officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . Murray entered the navy at a young age , probably using the patronage of a relation , Captain the Hon . Robert Digby . After service at sea , Murray was serving as a lieutenant during the American War of Independence and saw action at the Battle of Ushant in 1778 . He followed Digby to other ships after Digby was promoted to flag rank , and was then given his own commands on the North American Station shortly before the end of the war . He saw some service during the years of peace , commanding a frigate in the Caribbean for a time , before the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars brought further opportunities . Murray commanded the frigate HMS " Oiseau " on the North American station for a time , operating with success against French warships and privateer s . Serving under Murray during this time was Yuri Lisyansky , who became an important explorer in the Imperial Russian Navy , and , albeit in name only , Provo Wallis , whom Murray had been persuaded to enter onto his books despite Wallis only being four years old . Murray moved to command a ship of the line , still at Halifax , after his time in " Oiseau " , and spent some years as the flag captain of the station commander . Returning to Britain , he was promoted to flag rank himself , but saw little active service . He was appointed as Commander in chief at North Yarmouth in 1811 , serving as such until the end of the wars with France . He was promoted to the rank of admiral and busied himself with sailor ' s welfare , helping to secure the establishment of a floating chapel at Liverpool before his death in 1834 . Family and early life . Little is recorded of Murray ' s early life and service , but he was born circa 1763 and entered the navy at a young age , " The Annual Biography and Obituary " noting that he " may almost be said to have been cradled on the wave . " After a period serving at sea , he was appointed lieutenant aboard the 74 - gun under Captain the Hon . Robert Digby . Murray was distantly related to Digby , and probably benefited from his patronage . Murray was present at the Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778 , at which the French fleet was defeated at a cost to " Ramillies " s complement of 28 men killed and wounded . Murray continued to serve with Digby after Digby ' s promotion to rear - admiral , moving with him to his new flagship , the 98 - gun . Also serving on the " Prince George " at this time was the young Prince William Henry . After some time serving on this ship , Murray was promoted to commander on 28 April and briefly put in command of the 28 - gun . He left her on his promotion to post - captain on 15 December 1782 , towards the end of the American War of Independence . He briefly commanded the newly purchased 16 - gun sloop at New York in January 1783 , but she was broken up at the end of the month . The naval draw - down after the war meant there was little opportunity for employment . Murray finally received a ship in January 1789 , when he was appointed to command the 32 - gun prior to and during the Spanish Armament . He took her out to the Leeward Islands and served there under the station commander , Sir John Laforey , but returned to Britain in 1792 . French Revolutionary Wars . With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars , Murray was appointed to command the 36 - gun HMS " Oiseau " in September 1793 . He took her out to the Leeward Islands with a squadron under Rear - Admiral George Murray , departing Plymouth on 18 May 1794 . Serving aboard " Oiseau " at this time as a volunteer was the Russian officer Yuri Lisyansky , who later recorded his experiences in his memoirs . Murray commanded " Oiseau " out of Halifax , where Rear - Admiral Murray ' s orders were to suppress privateer s and intercept French warships . " Oiseau " took part in the interception of a French - bound merchant convoy off the American coast , and despite the presence of the escorting French frigate " Concorde " , captured several merchants and an armed brig . After a refit at Halifax , she undertook a winter cruise , but was blown off station by a powerful storm and swept as far south as the West Indies . She was able however to capture , in company with , the 22 - gun French warship , off the $ 3 on 8 January 1795 . During this period Murray had the future admiral of the fleet , Provo Wallis , serving aboard his ship , albeit in spirit only . Wallis ' s father , Provo F . Wallis , was chief clerk at Halifax , and convinced Murray to enter his son on his ship ' s books as a way of giving the young Wallis sea time , and therefore seniority when it came to promotions . Murray agreed , and the four - year old Wallis was entered with the rank of able seaman . Murray ' s decision meant that when Wallis actually came to join a ship , the 32 - gun in 1804 at the age of thirteen , he already had nearly ten years of service logged , allowing him to amass 96 years of service in the Royal Navy before his death at the age of 100 . After paying " Oiseau " off in 1795 , Murray received an appointment to command the 64 - gun and returned to Halifax in August 1796 . In October 1798 " Asia " became the flagship of Vice - Admiral George Vandeput , after his previous flagship , the 74 - gun had been sent back to Britain to be paid off , with Murray remaining in command . Vandeput died in March 1800 , and on the arrival of his successor as commander at Halifax , Sir William Parker , Murray returned to Britain to pay " Asia " off . He had served well during his time as Vandeput ' s flag - captain , and had been praised for saving the Dockyard in August 1799 , when some " daring incendiaries made repeated attempts to set it on fire . " On his return to Britain he transported 600 Jamaican Maroons who had been deported from Jamaica the previous year and were now to be settled in Sierra Leone . " Asia " departed Halifax on 8 August and disembarked the Maroons in Sierra Leone on 30 September . Flag rank and later life . Murray was promoted to rear - admiral on 23 April 1804 , and thereafter rose through the ranks , reaching vice - admiral on 25 October 1809 . He was appointed to be Commander in Chief , North Yarmouth in summer 1811 , and hoisted his flag aboard HMS " Solebay " . He held the post until the end of the Napoleonic Wars , and was promoted to admiral on 12 August 1819 , though he never again served actively . He remained interested in naval affairs in his retirement , and in 1821 played an important part in the establishment of a floating chapel at Liverpool for the use of sailors , persuading the Admiralty to loan them for the purpose . He had at least two sons during his life , who followed their father into the navy and by the time of his death had reached the ranks of commander and lieutenant . Admiral Robert Murray died on 30 June 1834 at his residence , South Hill , near Liverpool , at the age of 71 and the rank of admiral of the white . Notes . a . Sources disagree on the exact date of Murray ' s death . " The Annual Biography and Obituary " uses 30 June , while " The Gentleman ' s Magazine " uses 31 June . There are only thirty days in the month of June , so " The Gentleman ' s Magazine " may be in error . b . Sources say that Murray was appointed to a 32 - gun frigate named HMS " Blonde " in this period , which they suggest was a captured French ship . However the 32 - gun captured in 1760 had been wrecked in 1782 . A later British - built entered service in 1789 , but Winfield ' s " British Warships in the Age of Sail " records she was commanded by Captain William Affleck in this period . A captured former French frigate , the 32 - gun was also in the Royal Navy at this time , though she was only renamed " Blonde " in 1805 , and was not in commission in 1789 . Winfield instead records Murry as being appointed to the 32 - gun " Blanche " in 1789 , and serving in command until 1792 . c . Lisyansky became a prominent officer and explorer after his return to the Imperial Russian Navy , serving on the first Russian circumnavigation of the globe under Adam Johann von Krusenstern . While in the West Indies he was struck by yellow fever , and later recalled how Murray had helped his recovery , even giving up part of his own accommodation for the sick Lisyansky . d . In his long career Wallis served during the War of 1812 and as second lieutenant of , was present at the capture of USS " Chesapeake " , and commanded the prize crew that took her to Halifax . His time in command qualified him for further promotions before the end of the Napoleonic Wars , and he rose to the rank of admiral in 1863 , and admiral of the fleet in 1877 . The Admiralty suggested he retire when he reached his nineties , as being on the active list meant he was liable for calling up for a seagoing command . Wallis instead replied he was ready to accept one , and remained on the active list until his death in 1892 .