Sir William Beauchamp-Proctor, 3rd Baronet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir William Beauchamp-Proctor
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 14 October 1781 Langley Hall, Loddon, Norfolk |
| Died | 14 March 1861 (aged 79) Langley Hall, Loddon, Norfolk |
| Buried |
St. Michael and All Saints Church, Langley
(52°33′19″N 1°28′21″E / 52.555237°N 1.472591°E) |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1794–1809 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars | |
Sir William Beauchamp-Proctor (born October 14, 1781 – died March 14, 1861) was a brave officer in the British Royal Navy. He served during two very important conflicts: the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He later became an Admiral.
Contents
William Beauchamp-Proctor was born in 1781 at Langley Hall in Loddon, Norfolk. He was the oldest son of Sir Thomas Beauchamp-Proctor. His family had a history of serving in the military.
He joined the Royal Navy on September 4, 1794, when he was just 12 years old. He started as an able seaman on the ship Stag. His captain was Joseph Sydney Yorke.
First Battle at Sea
On August 22, 1795, William was a midshipman on the Stag. He took part in a battle off the coast of Norway. Four British ships fought against two ships and a cutter from the Batavian Republic.
The Stag captured a 36-gun ship called Alliante. The battle lasted about an hour. Many enemy sailors were hurt or killed. William was also wounded during this fight.
Rising Through the Ranks
After the battle, William continued to serve on the Stag until 1798. He then moved to other ships, including London and Flora. He also spent short times on Alcmene and Minerve.
In August 1800, he became an acting-lieutenant on Foudroyant. He was officially made a lieutenant in February 1801. He then served in the Egyptian campaign and received a special Turkish gold medal for his service.
Becoming a Commander
William was promoted to commander on April 29, 1802. In April 1803, he was given command of the bomb vessel Zebra. He helped bombard Le Havre in France in 1804.
Later in August 1804, he took command of the ship Saracen. He spent six months sailing the Channel.
Heading to the East Indies
In March 1805, William sailed to the East Indies aboard Hindostan. When he arrived, he was given temporary command of the 36-gun ship Dédaigneuse. He was officially made a post-captain in September 1806.
The Dédaigneuse Incident
On November 21, 1808, the Dédaigneuse was near the Isle de France. They saw a French ship called Sémillante. The Dédaigneuse chased the French ship.
William's ship fired shots, but the wind was very light. The Dédaigneuse had trouble turning and was a slow ship. They tried to tow the ship with a boat to turn it around.
The French ship got further away. William had to stop the chase. He later asked for a court-martial (a military trial) to explain what happened. All the officers on his ship supported him. The court decided that the Dédaigneuse was just a poor sailing ship, and William was not to blame.
Later Life and Honors
William returned to Britain in November 1809 due to illness. He never served at sea again. However, he continued to receive promotions.
- In November 1846, he became a rear-admiral.
- In September 1850, he became a vice-admiral.
- In June 1857, he became a full admiral on the retired list.
Family and Public Service
On May 20, 1812, William married Anne Gregory. They had three sons and four daughters.
He also took on public roles. In August 1820, he became a Deputy Lieutenant for Norfolk. In June 1827, he became the third Baronet after his father passed away. He was also nominated as High Sheriff for Norfolk in November 1831.
William Beauchamp-Proctor passed away on March 14, 1861. He was buried at St Michael and All Saints Church, near his family home.
See also
- Proctor-Beauchamp baronets
