User:Ficaia/Richard Hussey Moubray

Richard Hussey Moubray (1776–18??) was a Scottish officer in the British Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue.

Genealogy
Richard Hussey Moubray, descended from an ancient family in Fifeshire, was the second and youngest son of Robert Moubray, M.D., proprietor of the lands of Cockairny, in that county, by Arabella, youngest daughter of Thomas Hussey, of Wrexham, in Denbighshire, Esq. He was born at Plymouth, on 16 March 1776.

Early service
Maunsell commenced his naval career as a Midshipman, on board the Impregnable, of 98 guns, bearing the flag of his relative Richard Bickerton, in 1789. At the time of the Spanish armament, 1790, that ship formed part of the grand fleet under Earl Howe. During the ensuing three years, he served successively in the Pegasus and Andromeda frigates, and Europa of 50 guns, on the Newfoundland, Channel, and Jamaica stations; and in the Europa was present at the capture of Jeremie and Cape Nichola Mole, St. Domingo, by Commodore Ford and Lieutenant-Colonel Whitelocke, on 20 and 23 September 1793.

By Whitelocke, with whom he had proceeded to the West Indies in 1792, Moubray was soon after promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, in the Magicienne, of 32 guns. From that frigate he returned to the Europa, still carrying the Commodore's broad pendant, and was first Lieutenant of her at the capture of Port-au-Prince. He had previously acted as Captain of the Iphigenia, and assisted in landing the troops at Port-au-Prince.

On 9 June 1794, five days after the surrender of Port-au-Prince, Moubray was appointed to command the Fly sloop of war, and ordered to convey Captain Rowley and Lieutenant-Colonel Whitelocke, the bearers of the despatches relative thereto, to England. In the ensuing month of December, he escorted the Duke of York from Helveotsluys to Harwich; and subsequently assisting at the capture of two Dutch line-of-battle ships, one frigate, two sloops of war, nine East Indiamen, and about 60 other vessels in Plymouth Sound. He was afterwards employed in convoying the trade to and from Gibraltar, and the different ports in the Channel.

Post-captain
Captain Moubray's post commission bears date 10 April 1797; from which period he served as a volunteer with Bickerton, in the Ramillies and Terrible, both of 74 guns, till Bickerton's promotion to a flag, on 14 February 1799. In 1801, he obtained the command of the Maidstone frigate; and in the following year was sent to the Mediterranean with despatches relative to the ratification of the treaty of Amiens. Soon after his arrival on that station, he conveyed Chevalier de Statinsky, the Russian Ambassador, from Naples to Constantinople, where he had the honour of being presented with a rich pelisse by the Grand Vizier. The Turks at this time appear to have been very grateful for the support they had received from Great Britain during the late contest with France, as may be inferred from the circumstance of their permitting Captain Moubray, who had determined, in compliance with the wishes of Lord Elgin, to remain a few weeks in that neighbourhood, to pass through the Bosphorus and anchor off Beuykderé, for the purpose of avoiding the plague then raging in Constantinople. On his return to Malta, three swords of very great value were confided to the care of Captain Moubray, as presents from the Sultaun to the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Clarence, and the Duke of York.

Soon after the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Moubray captured the French brig of war l'Arab, of 8 guns and 58 men, from Athens, loaded with antiques for the Consular government. On 1 August 1803, he was appointed by Lord Nelson to the Active, of 38 guns, employed principally as a frigate of observation off Toulon—a service requiring constant vigilance and activity; he was repeatedly chased away by the French squadron.

On 18 January 1805, the Active and Seahorse, the latter commanded by Courtenay Boyle, were pursued by the whole French fleet, but effected their escape, although at one time within gun-shot; and the next day communicated the intelligence to Lord Nelson, who was then lying at anchor between the Madalena Islands, situated to the northward of Sardinia. From that period till the month of April, when it was at length ascertained that Admiral Villeneuve had proceeded down the Mediterranean, Captain Moubray endeavoured to obtain information respecting their destination. He was then despatched with the intelligence to the fleets stationed off Brest and Ireland.

After cruising for some time on the Irish station, where he captured les Amis, a French letter of marque, laden with wine and merchandize, from Bourdeaux bound to Cayenne, Captain Moubray was again ordered to the Mediterranean.

Dardanelles
Early in 1807, he accompanied Sir John T. Duckworth to the Dardanelles, where he greatly distinguished himself in the battle off Point Pesquies. The Active, on that occasion, after sustaining for some time the fire of several other Turkish vessels, drove on shore and blew up a frigate of the largest class, with which she had been closely engaged. The following extract is from the Vice-Admiral’s public letter to Lord Collingwood, dated 21 February: "It is with peculiar pleasure that I embrace the opportunity, which has been at this time afforded, of bearing testimony to the zeal and distinguished ability of Sir Sidney Smith; the manner in which he executed the service entrusted to him was worthy of the reputation which he has long since so justly and generally established. The terms of approbation in which the Rear-Admiral relates the conduct of Captains Dacres, Talbot, Harvey, and Moubray, which, from my being under the necessity of passing the Point of Pesquies before the van could anchor, he had a greater opportunity of observing than I could, cannot but be highly flattering; but I was a more immediate witness to the able and ofiicer-like conduct which Captain Moubray displayed in obedience to my signal, by destroying a frigate with which he had been more particularly engaged, having driven her on shore on the European side, after she had been forced to cut her cables, from under the fire of the Pompde and Thunderer. The 64 having run on shore on Pesquies Point, I ordered the Repulse to work up and destroy her; which Captain Legge, in conjunction with the boats of the Pomp6e, executed with great promptitude and judgment." It will be seen by Sir W. Sidney Smith's letter, already alluded to, that as circumstances rendered it impracticable at the moment to effect the entire destruction of the formidable battery on Point Pesquies, orders were given by that officer to Captain Moubray to remain there for the purpose of completing its demolition. This service was effectually performed by a party commanded by Lieutenants W. F. Carroll and S. Arabin, of the Pompée, and Lieutenant Laurie, Royal Marines, under the protection of the Active.

XX
Returning through the Dardanelles, in company with the fleet, March 3, 1807, the Active received a granite shot weighing 800 pounds, and measuring six feet six inches in circumference, which passed through her side two feet above the water, and lodged on the orlop-deck, close to the magazine scuttle, without injuring a man. The aperture made by it was so wide, that Captain Moubray on looking over the side to ascertain what damage it had done, saw two of his crew thrusting their heads through at the same moment. Had there been a necessity for hauling to the wind on the opposite tack, she must have gone down. The Active, during the whole of these operations, had only 8 men wounded, one of whom, the Boatswain, mortally.

After cruising for some time in the Archipelago where he had been left by Sir John T. Duckworth, on that officer’s departure for Egypt, Captain Moubray proceeded with his former guest, the Russian Ambassador, to Malta, where the Active underwent the necessary repairs.

He was next employed in the Adriatic, and assisted at the capture of the Italian brig of war, Friedland, mounting sixteen long 12-pounders, on board of which was embarked Commodore Don Amilcar Paolucci, Commander-in-Chief of the Italian marine, and a Knight of the Iron Crown. He was subsequently appointed to the Montagu, 74, and served in that ship at the reduction of Santa Maura by the naval and military forces under Captain (now Sir George) Eyre, and Brigadier-General Oswald. The former officer, by whom he had been authorized to treat with the French Governor for the surrender of the island, in writing to the Commander-in-Chief, warmly acknowledged the assistance he had received from Captain Moubray, “and his unremitting attention to every piece of duty that was going forward,” particularly during the time that he was himself on the opposite side of the island. In addition to this public mark of approbation, Captain Moubray had the gratification of receiving the personal thanks of the Brigadier and Captain Eyre; a copy of which we have unfortunately mislaid, but still hope to be able to insert in the addenda. The Montagu on this occasion had 4 men killed and 21 wounded.

Soon after this event, our officer, in company with General Oswald, visited Ali Pacha at his palace at Prevesa, and was presented by that celebrated chieftain with a superb pair of Albanian pistols. Early in 1811, he exchanged into the Repulse, of 74 guns; and from that period, till towards the conclusion of the war, was chiefly employed with the in-shore squadron off Toulon. At the latter end of May, 1812, when an attempt was about to be made by a detachment from Sir Edward Pellew’s fleet to take the town of Ciotat by a coup-de-main, and thereby obtain possession of the shipping lying in the mole of that place; the Repulse was attached to the squadron under the orders of Rear-Admiral Hallowell, and selected to conduct the boats to the coast, cover the landing of the marines intended for that service, and then attack the sea defences. The boats reached the point of debarkation by day-break on the 1st June; but the wind unfortunately failed before the whole of the squadron could enter the bay, and the enemy being alarmed, the enterprise was necessarily abandoned. A party of seamen and marines, however, sent from the Kent, 74, and other ships of the detachment, after some skirmishing with a body of French troops, succeeded in destroying a fortification on the island of Veske. The Kent, in the mean time, being engaged with the enemy’s batteries, had 2 men killed and 8 wounded. One of the former, Lieutenant Robert Watson, a young officer of great professional merit, fell when in the act of pointing a gun, to which he had affixed a sight of his own contrivance, and died regretted by all who had the honor of his acquaintance.

On the 2d May, 1813, Captain Moubray being off the port of Morjean, in company with the Volontaire and Undaunted frigates, and Redwing sloop of war, observed the enemy actively employed in preparation for remounting cannon on two batteries which had some time previous thereto been taken and dismantled by a detachment landed from the latter vessels. Viewing the importance of this situation as a place of protection to the coasting trade, he caused 100 marines of the Repulse, under the command of Captain Innis, to proceed, in conjunction with those of the frigates, for the purpose of destroying the works, whilst the boats should bring out some vessels that were in the harbour. The whole, under the direction of Lieutenant Isaac Shaw, of the Volontaire, whose local knowledge rendered him peculiarly qualified to conduct the enterprise, covered by the fire of the Redwing, and launches with carronades, were landed, and drove the enemy to the heights in the rear, where he was kept in check until the vessels were secured, and the batteries, on which were found nine gun carriages, and a 13-inch mortar, blown up, and completely destroyed. This service was performed with the loss of 2 men killed, and 4, including Lieutenant Shaw, wounded. The enemy had 12 men killed, and several taken prisoners.

In the month of August following, the Repulse, in company with l’Aigle frigate, fell in with some small trading vessels near Vernazza, in the Gulf of Genoa; one laden with iron ore, and another with sulphur were taken; but the remainder having sought refuge in the harbour, it was necessary, in order to get at them, to take possession of that town; this was accomplished by anchoring the ships close to it, and landing the marines, who, driving the enemy’s troops out, occupied it, whilst a considerable body, hastening from the neighbourhood to its relief, were kept back by the fire of the ships, until the French vessels were burnt, their crews having previously scuttled them. The enemy lost several men in this little affair, which was admirably conducted by Lieutenant Harris, of the Repulse, and fortunately without a casualty on the part of the British. The royal marines, led by Captain Innis and Lieutenant Dixie, behaved in their customary gallant manner.

Early in 1814, Captain Moubray escorted a fleet of merchantmen from Malta to England; and in the month of June following, paid the Repulse off at Plymouth. He was nominated a C.B. June 4, 1815; and advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral, July 19, 1821.

Our officer married, Jan. 5, 1815, Emma, daughter of William Hobson, of Markfield, co. Middlesex, Esq., by whom he has three children. His brother, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Moubray, is the present proprietor of the estate of Cockairny, which has been in this family, descending in regular succession from father to son, for several centuries.

XXX