​BLENKARNE. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 12; h-p., 31.)

William Blenkarne entered the Navy, in Nov. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Harpy 18, Capt. Edmund Heywood, employed in watching the Boulogne flotilla; and after a short attachment, towards the close of 1805, to the Royal William, bearing the flag at Portsmouth of Sir Isaac Coffin, became Midshipman of the Audacious 74, in which ship he proceeded to the West Indies. He subsequently joined the Dictator 64, Capt. Jas. Macnamara, in the North Sea, and under the same officer, in the Edgar 74, witnessed the embarkation of the Marquis de la Romana’s army from Nyeborg, 11 Aug. 1808. In March, 1810, Mr. Blenkarne removed to the Berwick 74, also commanded by Capt. Macnamara, and in that ship, on 24 March, 1811, he assisted in chasing a large French frigate, L’Amazone, among the rocks near Barfleur, where she was in consequence burnt by her own crew. On Capt. Edw. Brace succeeding to the command of the Berwick, we find him participating, in April, 1814, in the operations which led to the reduction of Genoa, and further present at the surrender of Gaeta, 8 Aug, 1815. A few weeks after the battle of Algiers, on which occasion, 27 Aug. 1816, he fought as Master’s Mate of the Impregnable 104, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral David Milne, Mr. Blenkarne was presented with a commission dated back to 20 March, 1815. He has not since been employed.

BLENNERHASSETT. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 13; h-p., 34.)

James Primrose Blennerhassett entered the Navy, in May, 1800, as a Vol., on board the Pomone 40, Capts. Robt. Carthew Reynolds and Edw. Leveson Gower. While under the latter officer in the Mediterranean, we find him assisting at the capture, 3 Aug. 1801, after a stiff action of 10 minutes, in which the above ship endured a loss of 2 men killed and 4 wounded, of the Carrière, of 40 guns; and on 2 Sept. following, of the frigates Succès and Bravoure. From March, 1803, until March, 1807, he served on board the Tonnant 80, Capts. Sir Edw. Pellew, Wm. Henry Jervis, and Chas. Tyler, flag-ship subsequently of Rear-Admirals Elias Harvey and Hon. Michael De Courcy, und during that period bore a part, under Capt. Tyler, in the battle of Trafalgar. He then acted as Lieutenant of the Confiance 20, commanded off the coast of Portugal by Capt. Jas. Lucas Yeo, until the period of his official promotion, which took place 29 July, 1807. He was next, on 20 Oct. following, appointed to the Bedford 74, Capt. Jas. Walker, in which ship, after escorting the Royal Family of Portugal to the Brazils, he was employed, as First-Lieutenant, at the blockade of Flushing, and on the Jamaica station. Having been on half-pay since Oct. 1813, Mr. Blennerhassett on 3 Sept. 1844, accepted the rank he now holds.

BLIGHT. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 19; h-p.,31.)

Emanuel Blight, born 8 Feb. 1790, is brother of Capt. Wm. Blight, R.N. ​This officer entered the Navy, 24 June, 1803, as A.B., on board the Britannia 100, Capt. the Earl of Northesk, under whom, when Rear-Admiral, he fought, in the same ship, at Trafalgar, 21 Oct, 1805. He accompanied his lordship, in Feb. 1806, into the Dreadnought 98; served next for three years in the London 98, Capts. Edw. Oliver Osborn and Thos. Western, latterly on the Brazilian station, whither he escorted the Royal Family of Portugal; passed his examination 5 July, 1809; and then joined, as Master’s Mate, the Courageux 74, Capt. Robt. Plampin. From the latter ship ho was shortly afterwards detached, in command of No. 63 gunboat, to assist in the expedition to the Scheldt, where he aided in covering the first landing of the troops, co-operated in the bombardment of Flushing, and sustained a loss of 2 men killed and another wounded. From Dec. 1810, until Sept. 1815, Mr. Blight further served, on the West India, Home, and Mediterranean stations, in the Dragon 74, flagship of Sir Fras. Laforey, and Queen and Montagu 74’s, Capts. Lord John Colville, John Coode, and Peter Heywood. He was then, having been awarded a commission dated on 20 of the previous Feb., placed on half-pay, and has not since been employed.

BLIGHT. (Captain, 1830. f-p., 26; h-p., 28.)

William Blight, the son of an officer in the Navy, is brother of Lieut. E. Blight, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 9 May, 1793, as a Vol., on board the Intrepid 64, Capt. Hon. Chas. Carpenter, and continued to serve in that ship (with but a short interval in Dec. 1796, when he appears to have been employed in the Prince George 98, Capt. John Irwin, lying at Portsmouth), as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant, under Capts. Robt. Parker, Edw. Bass, and Wm. Hargood – nearly the whole time in the East and West Indies, where he came into frequent encounter with the enemy – until confirmed, 15 April, 1803, into the Britannia 100, Capt., afterwards Rear-Admiral, the Earl of Northesk. In the latter ship Lieut. Blight participated in the battle of Trafalgar, and during that huge conflict was sent with a party to take possession of the surrendered French 74 L’Aigle, in which he remained, exposed to severe sufferings, until fortunately rescued previous to her total loss in the gale that ensued. He was next employed in navigating to Gibraltar another of the captured ships, the Spanish third-rate Santa Ana. His subsequent appointments, as Lieutenant, were – 14 Feb. 1806, to the Dreadnought 98, as Flag to the Earl of Northesk – 14 Aug. 1806, to the Nereide 36, Capt. Robt. Corbett, of which frigate he ultimately became Senior – 9 Feb. 1809, to the Powerful 74, Capt. Chas. Jas. Johnston – 24 July, 1809, to be Agent for Transports, in which capacity he officiated until 16 Nov. 1815 – and, in Oct. 1819, as First, to the Queen Charlotte, bearing the flag at Portsmouth of Sir Geo. Campbell. While in the Nereide at the attack on Buenos Ayres, in July, 1807, Lieut. Blight was intrusted by Rear-Admiral Murray with the peculiarly dangerous and hazardous service of keeping up a constant communication between the Army and Navy, and for his able discharge of that duty he acquired considerable credit and much official notice.^[1] He was subsequently employed in protecting the British trade in the Rio de la Plata, and in cruizing off and blockading the isles of France and Bourbon. On 21 Oct. 1808, we find him assisting at the destruction of two powerful pirate-vessels, in the Persian Gulf, having 700 men on board, and the simultaneous recapture of the Hon.E.I. Co.’s war-cruizer Sylph, after an action of four hours. During the eventful years of 1812-13-14, at the especial request of Lieut.General Lord William Bentinck, he was stationed at Palermo, the head quarters, to conduct the duties of the Transport Department. On 31 May, 1828, the subject of this memoir, who had been promoted to the rank of Commander 12 Feb, 1821, was appointed to the Britannia 120, flag-ship at Plymouth of his old friend the Earl of Northesk, with whom he continued – latterly in the St. Vincent 120 – until the expiration of his lordship’s command in May, 1830. Capt. Blight was advanced to Post rank 22 July following, but he has not since been employed. It is very worthy of remark, that, from the period of his entering the service in 1793 until 1815, this officer was not, altogether, more than two months unemployed.

He married Louisa, sister of Commander J. B. Howell, R.N.

BLISSETT. (Lieutenant, 1824.)

Charles Edward Blissett obtained his commission 21 Jan. 1824; was appointed, 19 Feb. 1830, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Talavera 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot; and since 31 March, 1831 (with the exception of a command, from 11 June, 1838, until 12 Sept. 1840, of the Dolphin revenue-cruizer), has been in charge of a station in the Coast Guard.

BLOIS. (Commander, 1821. f-p., 23; h-p., 17.)

John Ralph Blois is second son of Sir Chas. Blois, Bart., of Grundisburgh and Coxfield Halls, co. Suffolk, by Clara, daughter of Jocelyn Price, Esq., of Camblesworth Hall, co. York; and brother-in-law of Lord Huntingfield.

This officer entered the Navy, 1 July, 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Colossus 74, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, where, and on the Home station, he afterwards served, as Midshipman, in the Royal Sovereign and San Josef, flag-ships of Sir Edw. Thornbrough and Sir Chas. Cotton, Furieuse 36, Capt. Wm. Mounsey, Repulse 74, Capt. Richard Hussey Moubray, Bacchus, Capt. Wm. Hill, Berwick 74, Capt. Edw. Brace, and Impregnable 104, flag-ship of Sir Josias Rowley. He assisted, while in the Furieuse, at the capture of the island of Ponza and of the town of Via Reggio, as also in the unsuccessful attack upon Leghorn, in 1813; and, in the Berwick, he witnessed the surrender of Gaeta, in Aug. 1815. Having been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 6 March in the latter year, Mr. Blois was next in that capacity appointed – 6 Feb. 1816, to the Meander 38, Capts. John Bastard and Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon, under the latter of whom he narrowly escaped shipwreck, near Orfordness, in Dec. of the same year – and, 3 July, 1818, to the Euryalus 42, Capt. Thos. Huskisson, stationed in the West Indies. He there assumed the acting-command, 30 Dec. 1820, of the Nautilus 18, in which sloop he continued until confirmed into the Bann, 6 March, 1821. He subsequently officiated, from 18 Jan. 1823, until the spring of 1832, as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard, but since the latter date has been on half-pay. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.

BLOOD. (Lieutenant, 1827.)

Frederick Blood entered the Navy, in Aug, 1812, as Midshipman, on board the Ulysses 44, Capts. Henry Edw. Reginald Baker and Wm. Fothergill, employed off Jersey; and subsequently served, on the Home, East India, Newfoundland, West India, Irish, and Lisbon stations, in the Dannemark 74, Capt. H. E. R. Baker, Royal Sovereign and Tonnant, both commanded by Capt. Edw. Pelhara Brenton, Towey 24, Capt. Hew Steuart, Valorous 24, Capt. Jas. Murray, Sappho 18, Capt. Jas. Hanway Plumridge, and Ocean and Spartiate, bearing each the flag of Lord Amellus Beauclerk. Having passed his examination in 1818, he was promoted (while serving in the last-mentioned ship) to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 15 Dec. 1827. He has not been employed since 1829.

BLOW. (Captain, 1842. f-p., 29; h-p., 34.)

John Aitkin Blow is son of the late Lieut. Sam. Blow, B.N., who was present in Rodney’s actions in