William Beauchamp - Proctor Admiral Sir William Beauchamp - Proctor , 3rd Baronet ( 14 October 1781 – 14 March 1861 ) was an officer in the British Royal Navy , who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . Biography . Beauchamp - Proctor was born at Langley Hall , Loddon , Norfolk , the eldest son of Sir Thomas Beauchamp - Proctor , 2nd Baronet , and Mary , the second daughter of Robert Palmer , of Sonning , Berkshire . His younger brothers were Colonel Richard Beauchamp - Proctor of the Grenadier Guards ( d . 11 August 1850 ) and Captain Robert Beauchamp - Proctor of the Madras Artillery ( d . 23 May 1813 ) . His nephew , Edward Halhead Beauchamp - Proctor , also served as a naval officer . Beauchamp - Proctor entered the Royal Navy on 4 September 1794 , with the rank of able seaman , aboard the 32 - gun frigate under Captain Joseph Sydney Yorke . On 22 August 1795 , now a midshipman , he took part in the engagement off Norway between four Royal Navy frigates and two frigates and a cutter from the Navy of the Batavian Republic . " Stag " captured the 36 - gun frigate " Alliante " with 240 men aboard , after an action of about an hour , in which the enemy lost between 40 and 50 men killed and wounded , and the British only 4 killed , and 13 , including Beauchamp - Proctor , wounded . He continued to serve in the " Stag " on the home station until January 1798 , when he joined the 98 - gun ship , under Captain John Child Purvis , off Lisbon . The following July he moved to the frigate , under Captain Robert Gambier Middleton , in the Mediterranean , where he was lent for short periods to the frigates under Captain Henry Digby , and under Captain George Cockburn . Beauchamp - Proctor was commissioned as acting - lieutenant aboard the ship , flagship of Admiral Lord Keith , in August 1800 , and on 22 October was transferred to the frigate under Captain Thomas Stephenson . He received confirmation of his commission from the Admiralty on 25 February 1801 , and then served in the Egyptian campaign , receiving the Turkish gold medal . He was promoted to commander on 29 April 1802 , and in April 1803 , was appointed to command of the bomb vessel . In July and August 1804 he served under Captain Robert Dudley Oliver in the bombardment of Le Havre , before being given command of the brig - sloop in August 1804 . Beauchamp - Proctor spent the next six months in " Saracen " , cruising in the Channel , before sailing for the East Indies in March 1805 aboard . On his arrival in July he was given acting - command of the 36 - gun frigate , but was not confirmed in his post - rank until 5 September 1806 . On 21 November 1808 , at sunset , " Dédaigneuse " was stationed off the Isle de France when she encountered the French 36 - gun frigate returning from a cruise in the Indian Ocean . " Dédaigneuse " gave chase and by midnight the two ships were no more than half a mile apart . " Dédaigneuse " fired two or three shots from her bow - chasers , and then a full broadside , as " Sémillante " tacked . " Dédaigneuse " followed suit , but because of the lightness of the wind , the ship would not come round . A boat was lowered down to tow her round , and she was finally able to pursue the Frenchman , now some distance ahead . Unfortunately , " Dédaigneuse " had lost a great deal of copper , being very foul , and at best a bad working ship , so gradually dropped further astern . Beauchamp - Proctor eventually abandoned the chase at about 5 p . m , and soon afterwards " Sémillante " anchored in Port Louis . " Dédaigneuse " continued to patrol the waters off the Isle de France until her water and provisions were almost expended , before sailing to Madagascar to reprovision , and then sailed to Bombay . When the commander - in - chief expressed himself dissatisfied with his conduct , Captain Beauchamp - Proctor requested a court - martial , which was held aboard in Bombay harbour on 27 March 1809 . Every officer of his ship gave strong evidence in the captain ' s favour , and the court acquitted him of all blame , laying responsibility squarely on the poor sailing qualities of " Dédaigneuse " . Beauchamp - Proctor returned to Britain on sick - leave in November 1809 , and despite never serving at sea again , received regular promotions ; to rear - admiral in November 1846 , to vice - admiral in September 1850 , and in June 1857 to admiral , on the retired list . On 20 May 1812 he married Anne Gregory ( 1792 - 1859 ) , the daughter of Thomas Gregory and Julia Elizabeth Brograve , and the niece and heir of Thomas Brograve , of Springfield Place , Essex , and granddaughter of Sir Berney Brograve , 1st Baronet . They had three sons and four daughters . Beauchamp - Proctor was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk in August 1820 , and succeeded his father as third Baronet on 29 June 1827 . He was nominated as High Sheriff for Norfolk in November 1831 . Beauchamp - Proctor died on 14 March 1861 , and he , alongside many other members of his family , was buried at the church of St Michael and All Saints , close to his family home .