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Lot Essay
Ex Glendining's, September 1903.
The published Naval General Service Medal rolls confirm William 'Wooldridge' as a Midshipman aboard the Caesar for the action fought on 4.11.1805 and as a Lieutenant aboard the Volage for the action fought off Lissa on 13.3.1811, the latter clasp being one of just 124 on the Admiralty roll.
Captain William Wolrige entered the Royal Navy as a First Class Volunteer aboard the Jason in February 1798, and quickly witnessed action that June, when that ship and the Mars took the surrender of the Hercule. In June following he assisted at the capture of the French 40-gun Frigate La Seine, in company with the Pique and Mermaid, an action that resulted in losses of seven killed and 12 wounded in the Jason. But on 13.10.1798, the latter ship was wrecked near Brest, and the crew taken prisoner.
On his 'release from captivity' in 1799, probably in an exchange, Wolrige joined the Revolutionnaire as a Midshipman, and in 1801, following two years service on the Cork Station, the Donegal, an appointment that witnessed his advancement to Master's Mate. But he would not see action again until late 1805, in the 'mopping-up' operations that led to the capture or destruction of surviving ships of the French Fleet after Trafalgar, carried out under Sir Richard Strachan off Finnistere on 4.11.1805. On that occasion Wolrige was serving as a Midshipman in the Caesar.
In March 1807, he removed to the Volage as a Lieutenant on the Mediterranean Station, and in her, on 28.7.1808, contributed to the capture of the French Brig-Corvette Le Requin and in the defence of Sicily against the threatened invasion of Murat. But the highlight of his posting to the Volage was his advancement to Commander for his gallant conduct in the action fought off Lissa on 13.3.1811, 'a shattering battle of six hours', and subsequent 'Mention' by Captain William Hoste (London Gazette 14-18.5.1811 refers):
'Commodore Dubourdieu, having sailed on 4 March 1811, from Ancona for Lissa (a small island on the coast of Dalmatia), with a Squadron having on board 500 troops, came in sight, on the 13th of a British Squadron under Captain William Hoste. The hostile force numbered four large 40-gun Frigates and two carrying 32 guns, besides a 16-gun Brig and four small vessels. The British Squadron consisted of Amphion, 32, Captain Hoste; Active, 32, Captain A. Gordon; Volage, 28, Captain Phipps Hornby; and Cerberus, 32, Captain Whitby. In all the enemy's ships carried 300 guns and 2500 men, and the British 154 guns and 880 men.
Notwithstanding this disparity of force, the gallant Hoste, one of Nelson's favourite Officers, and a man after his own heart, eagerly accepted battle; with the signal flying, "Remember Nelson", he bore down in compact line, and at 9 a.m. the action commenced ... The French 40-gun Frigate Danae meanwhile engaged the Volage, and the Corona and Carolina the Cerberus. Both ships maintained the unequal conflict with great gallantry until the arrival of the Active, when the three Frigates bore up to the eastward and made sail ... The little Volage also suffered severely, losing out of her complement of 175 men, one Midshipman and 12 men killed, and 33 wounded' (Great Battles of the British Navy, by Lieutenant C.R. Low, R.N., refers).
Wolrige's subsequent appointments were as Acting Captain to several ships on the Home and Mediterranean Stations and in September 1818 he obtained substantive Post Rank. He 'accepted the Retirement' in October 1846.
The published Naval General Service Medal rolls confirm William 'Wooldridge' as a Midshipman aboard the Caesar for the action fought on 4.11.1805 and as a Lieutenant aboard the Volage for the action fought off Lissa on 13.3.1811, the latter clasp being one of just 124 on the Admiralty roll.
Captain William Wolrige entered the Royal Navy as a First Class Volunteer aboard the Jason in February 1798, and quickly witnessed action that June, when that ship and the Mars took the surrender of the Hercule. In June following he assisted at the capture of the French 40-gun Frigate La Seine, in company with the Pique and Mermaid, an action that resulted in losses of seven killed and 12 wounded in the Jason. But on 13.10.1798, the latter ship was wrecked near Brest, and the crew taken prisoner.
On his 'release from captivity' in 1799, probably in an exchange, Wolrige joined the Revolutionnaire as a Midshipman, and in 1801, following two years service on the Cork Station, the Donegal, an appointment that witnessed his advancement to Master's Mate. But he would not see action again until late 1805, in the 'mopping-up' operations that led to the capture or destruction of surviving ships of the French Fleet after Trafalgar, carried out under Sir Richard Strachan off Finnistere on 4.11.1805. On that occasion Wolrige was serving as a Midshipman in the Caesar.
In March 1807, he removed to the Volage as a Lieutenant on the Mediterranean Station, and in her, on 28.7.1808, contributed to the capture of the French Brig-Corvette Le Requin and in the defence of Sicily against the threatened invasion of Murat. But the highlight of his posting to the Volage was his advancement to Commander for his gallant conduct in the action fought off Lissa on 13.3.1811, 'a shattering battle of six hours', and subsequent 'Mention' by Captain William Hoste (London Gazette 14-18.5.1811 refers):
'Commodore Dubourdieu, having sailed on 4 March 1811, from Ancona for Lissa (a small island on the coast of Dalmatia), with a Squadron having on board 500 troops, came in sight, on the 13th of a British Squadron under Captain William Hoste. The hostile force numbered four large 40-gun Frigates and two carrying 32 guns, besides a 16-gun Brig and four small vessels. The British Squadron consisted of Amphion, 32, Captain Hoste; Active, 32, Captain A. Gordon; Volage, 28, Captain Phipps Hornby; and Cerberus, 32, Captain Whitby. In all the enemy's ships carried 300 guns and 2500 men, and the British 154 guns and 880 men.
Notwithstanding this disparity of force, the gallant Hoste, one of Nelson's favourite Officers, and a man after his own heart, eagerly accepted battle; with the signal flying, "Remember Nelson", he bore down in compact line, and at 9 a.m. the action commenced ... The French 40-gun Frigate Danae meanwhile engaged the Volage, and the Corona and Carolina the Cerberus. Both ships maintained the unequal conflict with great gallantry until the arrival of the Active, when the three Frigates bore up to the eastward and made sail ... The little Volage also suffered severely, losing out of her complement of 175 men, one Midshipman and 12 men killed, and 33 wounded' (Great Battles of the British Navy, by Lieutenant C.R. Low, R.N., refers).
Wolrige's subsequent appointments were as Acting Captain to several ships on the Home and Mediterranean Stations and in September 1818 he obtained substantive Post Rank. He 'accepted the Retirement' in October 1846.