REAR-ADMIRAL USSHER, C.B., K.C.H &c.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 219, 5 July 1848, Page 3

REAR-ADMIRAL USSHER, C.8., K.C.H &c.

This distinguished officer died after a very slioiC il'iißo*, on yisttiiky moni'Pf, the Gth nr.t,, at the AdmuJly house, Cove, in the 6 ( Jlli yeai oi h'u a^e Real -Admiral Ussier was nn InUiinan, ami a descendant ot thp celebra'cd A chbi3hop Usshcr. He was born in tin neighboi hood <x Dublu, his tdlhci bong a di'-lui ,ui!ihcJ '.I'inor Fellow of Tnnuy College, and (<nst Astionotnei iio)dl of Inland. HeeiileiecllbdNdv.il facivice at an early a ;e, under the p.itionage of Colonel! IJui toil Conynglhi Hi, and fust ivent to sea in the nquiirel 20 t^uns, commanded by Capt. William 0 linen Drury r on liie liisb station. After set ving in this frigate dining the commencement of tliG war ot the year 1793, ctx the coa*t of Guinea, Air. Ussher was removed to the Invinc.blc, 7i guns, under the command of the Hon. Gaptun Thomas Pakenbam, under whom he bore a dihtingu'fched paitin the battles of Mny 29t'i, and June 21«,t, 1791. In the spring of 1793, Mi. Ucsher followed Captain Pakenham into Li Juste, in the taking of which vessel in the war or "Ji, be a'so boie .'inactive pait. lie subsequently served imclcr Sir Hugh C. Chi isii,iu, KL>' in the I'rincc Geoi }) \ guns, Glory, and Tluiivlcier, 71 guns. In the fifth yo.ir ot his probationary term i.o wi.s appointed Acting Lieutenant of the Minotaur, 71 guns, and assisted S r J. Liforey, aniJ Sir Ralph Ahcrciomb e,in the bieg3 ot the island of St. Lucia, a fie i rhn leductuu ci which island he was fppointul Aelirn Lieutenuni of the Pelican, brig. During his Lieutenancy of this vessel, Mi. Uglier was c igaged in more than twenty bo it attacks, which weie conducted by him with ihe utmost zeal and bravery, ard in one of which he received a severe wound. He was appointed in May, 1709, third of the frigate Trent, under the command of Captain Robert Waller Oltway, and on several oceaMons received the marked thanks of his conira Hiding officer for his remarkable gallantry. Lieutenant Usshei's next appointment, aftei a severe i'l'iesa, conscquo.it on ihe many wounds leceived by him, was tolhsNo\, rattei. ilis subsequent promotions weiu in October 1803, to the Jo&eph, cutter, and in A piil 1804, to the Colpoys, brij,. After several dashing exploits with the Spaniards and French, anil subsequent to the taking of the town and batteries of Hea, on the enact ot Spain, be was again obliged, in. con&cqudiice of his wounds, to icsign. his command^ and letiie fiom active ocrvice — on his recoveiy, he wa3 appoin'ed iv October 180G, by the right honoiable T . Grenville, fust Loid of the Admiialty, to the command of the Redwing. 10 and wisi again pinmoted by the Admiralty* in May, 1808, to the rank oi Post Captain. Shoitly after this latter promotion, hostilities with Spain having ceased, Captain U&s'jci, in consequence of his declining health, letired from the command of the Redwing, and returned to his nati\e city, Dublin, where he was entertained at a dinner, <j yen in consequence of hU arrival, by a large paiy of noblemen and gentry, on which occasion he was presented witk the freedom of the Irish capital. Capt Ujsber's next appointment was in 180!), when Loi'il Mulgrave, tliea at the head ot the Naval ail'iuc, nominated him to the command of the Lsyden, Gi guni. Ow'ng to her de* lectivo state, the Liyden was paid off about the close of 1809, and Capt. Uobher icaiuiiicd on shore till April 181 1, wliea he was f^pointal to the America, 74 guns, and was shortly after promoted to the command of a small squadron on the coast of Cienada. Captain Ussher's subsequent appointments were to the JLurya** hid, frigate, the Kdmburgh, 71 guns, and the Un~ daunted, 48 guns. During his command ot this latter vessel he captuied seven French fiigates, and his services were or such a nature a3 to call forth the repeated acknowledgments of the Admiralty. We may here state that io this same vessel, under Captain Ushlier'& command, Napoleon was conveyed, after his abdication, to the island of Elba. On the 23th of April, 1814, at seven o'clock, p.m., Napoleon quitted his hotel accompanied by Capta-m lJst>her, and followed by the Russian aod Piussian envoys to the beach, when, surrounded by a regiment of cavalry, he alighted from his carriage, and having embraced hia friend», took the arm of Captain Uisher, and stepped on board the barge of the Un* daunted. During the voyage to, and stxy at, Elba, Captain Ussber won the respect and esttem of the fallen Emporoi. His next appointment was to the Duncan, 7 1 guns, in which vessel he returned to England, at the breaking up of the war est bhshment on the Mediturra. nean station. Captain Ussher now ictired from active f-ervice, and was after a short period promoted to the rank of a C.8., and a K.C.H. ; the former appointment was conferred on him in June, 1813. He was norni* nattd Commander in Chief of the liish station in June 1847, and succeeded Sir Hugh Pigotr, to the command at Cove. He was further promoted to the rank of Rear A'imiral of the Wh te, on the 3rd inst., three days pitvioiii to In, do i li. Rcr Admunl U-shpi In- left six children—four sons and two duughlcis. His remains lie at the Ada iraliy Houkc, Cove, whence they will he removed on Monday nul, for inteiment, to the family vault Kmy.tovm, Dublin,— CinkiSia.uiua'a Jtiil. 7«