William Mounsey CB (1766 – 25 September 1830) was a British officer of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. He served during the

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, the

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and the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

, rising to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Family and early life

Mounsey was born in 1766, as the fifth son of George Mounsey, of

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from xcb, Caer Luel) is a city that lies within the Northern England, Northern English county of Cumbria, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, Scottish border at the confluence of the rivers River Eden, Cumbria, Eden, River C ...

. He joined the navy on 23 February 1780, at the age of 13, becoming a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

aboard , under Captain

Sir Digby Dent Rear Admiral Sir Digby Dent (1739–1817) was a Royal Navy commander. Life He was from a long line of "Digby Dents" who served in the Royal Navy including his grandfather and uncle. He was baptised in Portsmouth on 16 November 1739 one of ...

, who would become Mounsey's patron. The ''Royal Oak'' was sent to the

North American Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the t ...

in May to reinforce Vice-admiral

Mariot Arbuthnot Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot (1711 – 31 January 1794) was a Kingdom of Great Britain, British admiral, who commanded the Royal Navy's North American station during the American War for Independence. Early life A native of Wey ...

's fleet. During the voyage Mounsey took part in the capture of a French

East Indiaman East Indiaman was a general name for any sailing ship operating under charter or licence to any of the East India trading companies of the major European trading powers of the 17th through the 19th centuries. The term is used to refer to vesse ...

. They reached their destination on 13 July, after which Arbuthnot raised his flag aboard the ''Royal Oak'', whilst Dent and Mounsey moved aboard . The ''Raisonnable'' then returned home with despatches, but the ship was so badly damaged by a gale whilst crossing the Atlantic, that she was paid off on her arrival for large-scale repairs. Dent and Mounsey transferred again, this time to , initially under Vice-Admiral

George Darby Vice Admiral George Darby (c.1720 – 1790) was a Royal Navy officer. He commanded HMS ''Norwich'' at the capture of Martinique in 1762 during the Seven Years' War. He went on to command the Channel Fleet during the American Revolutionary ...

, but later being detached to land stores at

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

in April 1781. Dent and Mounsey were transferred again at the end of the year, this time to the

third rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...

. Dent retired about this time due to ill-health, with Captain William Allen. Mounsey and the ''Cumberland'' sailed to the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies), is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The Indies refers to various lands in the East or the Eastern hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainlands found in and around t ...

on 6 February 1782, joining the squadron there under Sir Richard Bickerton. They were in time to see action at the Battle of Cuddalore, between Sir Edward Hughes and the Bailli de Suffren. ''Cumberland'' had two killed and 11 wounded in the battle, fought on 20 June 1783. Mounsey returned to England in May 1784, becoming midshipman aboard the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

. He passed his lieutenant's examination on 3 December 1788, and went on to serve aboard , , and .

Lieutenancy and promotions

With the outbreak of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

, Mounsey returned to HMS ''Victory'', then under Admiral Lord Hood. He was promoted to lieutenant on 22 May 1793, and appointed to , under Robert Manners-Sutton, and then to the frigate . He was present at the occupation of

Toulon Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...

, and at numerous assaults during the capture of

Corsica Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...

. Whilst blockading

Bastia Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...

, he led a dangerous attempt to cut-out a vessel laden with gunpowder, lying the harbour. Mounsey was successful, and the loss of the ship accelerate the fall of the city. He returned to Britain aboard , and was afterwards appointed to , , HMS ''Duke'', and in succession. On 6 July 1801 he led the boats from ''Clyde'' and her escorts to destroy the beached wreck of , coming under heavy fire as they did so. Mounsey remained aboard HMS ''Clyde'' until being promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on 29 April 1802. He was appointed on 17 May 1802 to command of the sloop ''Rosario''. During his time aboard her he was tasked with carrying despatches, reconnoitering enemy positions, escorting convoys, and conducting anti-smuggling patrols. Also during this period he captured a number of enemy merchants, as well as a 22-gun

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

HMS ''Bonne Citoyenne'' and the ''Furieuse''

He left the ''Rosario'' in autumn 1808, and on 18 April 1809, he was appointed to the 20-gun . He was sent with despatches for

Earl St Vincent Viscount St Vincent, of Meaford in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 27 April 1801 for the noted naval commander John Jervis, Earl of St Vincent, with remainder to his nephews William H ...

then at

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. He returned to England after completing this, and on 18 June sailed from

Spithead Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast. It receives its name from the Spit, a sandbank stretching south from the Hampshire ...

in company with . The two were acting as escorts for a convoy bound for

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. Whilst travelling with the convoy on 2 July, a suspicious sail was sighted astern, and Mounsey dropped back to investigate. In doing so he lost sight of the convoy and in sailing to rejoin them, came across a French frigate on 5 July, which was in the process of capturing an English merchant. Despite the much larger size of the frigate, Mounsey immediately gave chase, at which the French ship fled northwards. After a chase lasting 18 hours the ''Bonne Citoyenne'' caught up with the French ship on the morning of 6 July and brought her to battle. The subsequent engagement lasted seven hours, with ''Bonne Citoyenne'' at a disadvantage early on, when three of her guns were dismounted. She nevertheless fired 129 broadsides to the enemy's 70. By the end of the battle ''Bonne Citoyenne'' had lost her top masts, her lower masts were badly damaged, and her rigging, sails and boats had been shot to pieces. Running out of powder Mounsey decided to force the issue and ordered his men to be prepared to board the French ship. Before he could do so, the French surrendered and Mounsey took possession. The enemy ship was discovered to be the ''Furieuse'', which had sailed from the

Îles des Saintes The Îles des Saintes (; "Islands of the Female Saints"), also known as Les Saintes, is a group of small islands in the archipelago of Guadeloupe, an overseas department of France. It is part of the Canton of Trois-Rivières and is divided int ...

on 1 April, carrying sugar and coffee to France. She was capable of carrying 48 guns, but was only carrying 20 at the time. Despite this she had a much larger crew, with 200 sailors, 40 soldiers, and a detachment of troops from the 60th regiment of the line. She had suffered heavy damage, with her masts shot away, five feet of water in the hold and 35 killed and 37 wounded. In contrast, ''Bonne Citoyenne'' had just one man killed and five wounded. The frigate was patched up and towed into Halifax, where both were repaired. The captured frigate was later commissioned into the Royal Navy as , whilst the ''Bonne Citoyenne'' returned to England in September. The capture of the ''Furieuse'' was hailed as a great victory.

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First Lord of the Admiralty The First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible for the di ...

wrote to Mounsey

Sir, - I did not fail this day, to lay before his Majesty the particulars of your conduct in the attack and capture of the Furieuse, French frigate, on 6 July. The enterprising gallantry with which you approached and attack a ship bearing such an appearance of a commanding superiority of force, and the skill, courage, and perseverance manifested by you, and the officers, seamen, and marines under your command, during an action of such long continuance, and so warmly contested, have received his Majesty's fullest approbation...

A round of promotions followed the victory, the first lieutenant was promoted to commander and Mounsey was promoted to post captain. He was offered command of the ''Furieuse'', once she had been repaired, which he accepted, taking command on her commissioning in November 1811.

Command of the ''Furieuse''

Mounsey and the ''Furieuse'' were initially employed in escorting a convoy to the Mediterranean, after which she joined the fleet blockading

under Admiral

Edward Pellew Admiral Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB (19 April 1757 – 23 January 1833) was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. His younger brother ...

. The French fleet sailed out in May 1812, consisting of 12 sail of the line and seven frigates, of which one

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...

and two frigates began to chase the British inshore squadron, consisting of the ''Furieuse'', and the frigates and , and the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

. The French gave up the chase when the British made clear their intention to fight. On 9 November 1812 Mounsey captured the French

''Nebrophonus'', and on 10 January 1813 captured the privateer ''Argus''. In February 1813 Mounsey supported

Charles John Napier Admiral Sir Charles John Napier KCB GOTE RN (6 March 1786Priscilla Napier (1995), who is not elsewhere free from error, gives the birth year as 1787 (p. 1, and book title), but provides no evidence. All other authorities agree on 1786. – 6 N ...

in in the capture of the island of

Ponza Ponza (Italian: ''isola di Ponza'' ) is the largest island of the Italian Pontine Islands archipelago, located south of Cape Circeo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is also the name of the commune of the island, a part of the province of Latina in the ...

. They landed troops on 26 February, under fire from shore batteries, which soon subdued resistance. The capture of the harbour eliminated an infamous

corsair A corsair is a privateer or pirate, especially: * Barbary corsair, Ottoman and Berber pirates and privateers operating from North Africa * French corsairs, privateers operating on behalf of the French crown Corsair may also refer to: Arts and ...

haven, and provided an anchorage for Royal Navy ships watching

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

. On 7 May boats from ''Furieuse'' captured the French ''Conception'', towing her out to sea under heavy fire. One man was killed and another five wounded in this operation. On 4 October a convoy was sighted off

Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (; meaning "ancient town") is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located west-north-west of Rome. The harbour is formed by two pier ...

. Despite being heavily protected by two gunboats and a number of shore batteries, an operation was attempted. Marines from ''Furieuse'' boats stormed and captured a fort, under cover from ''Furieuse'' guns. The enemy retreated to a nearby castle and continued to fire on the British forces. Nevertheless, the British were able to sink the gunboats, and bring out 16 of the merchant ships. The ''Furieuse'' kept up a steady fire, preventing reinforcements from Civitavecchia from intervening. Two of the British party were killed and 10 wounded in the operation. For the rest of 1813 ''Furieuse'' formed part of Admiral Sir

Josias Rowley Admiral Sir Josias Rowley, 1st Baronet, (1765 – 10 January 1842), known as "The Sweeper of the Seas", was an Anglo-Irish naval officer who commanded the campaign that captured the French Indian Ocean islands of Réunion and Mauritius in 1810 ...

's squadron, and was present at the capture of Via Reggio, and the unsuccessful assault on

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...

in December. In early March 1814, still with Rowley, ''Furieuse'' assisted in the occupation of

La Spezia La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy. La Spezia is the second largest city ...

and the surrounding areas. On 17 April a squadron consisting of ''Furieuse'', , , and supported the successful assault on

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

. The end of the

War of the Sixth Coalition In the War of the Sixth Coalition (March 1813 – May 1814), sometimes known in Germany as the Wars of Liberation, a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, and a number of German States defeated F ...

in 1814 led to ''Furieuse'' transferring to the Caribbean, where she escorted transports. She conveyed the 62nd regiment to Halifax, and with the end of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, remained in the area to support the troops. HMS ''Furieuse'' was paid off in autumn 1815 and was sold for breaking up in October 1816 at

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century to the late 19th it was home to Deptford Dock ...

. Mounsey was nominated a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...

in June 1815, and also received the

Naval Gold Medal The Naval Gold Medal was awarded between 1793 and 1815 to senior officers of the Royal Navy for specified actions. Two different sizes were struck. 22 large medals were awarded to flag officers ( admirals), commodores and captains of the flee ...

for the capture of the ''Furieuse''. With the end of the wars with France he retired from active service, and died on 25 September 1830 at the age of 64.

Notes

References

* * * * * Lyon, David and Winfield, Rif, The Sail and Steam Navy List, All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889, pub Chatham, 2004,
Career of HMS Furieuse at ageofnelson.orgCareer of HMS Bonne Citoyen at ageofnelson.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mounsey, William Military personnel from Carlisle, Cumbria Royal Navy officers Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars Companions of the Order of the Bath People from Carlisle, Cumbria 1766 births 1830 deaths Royal Navy captains