widow of her late son, Henry Siddons, for the benefit of their children; but the children are barred all benefit from the will of their grandmother if they dispute, to the annoyance of their mother, the will made by their father a short time before his decease.

Mrs. Siddons' will was made in 1815, when her brother, Mr. J. P. Kemble, and her nephew, Mr. Horace Twiss, were appointed executors; but recently a codicil has been added, substituting the name of William Meyrick, Esq., of Red Lion Square, for that of Mr. Kemble. The will was proved by Mr. Meyrick only.

For the foregoing memoir we are indebted to the kindness. of a literary friend.

173

No. XII.

SIR EDWARD BERRY, BARONET;

REAR-ADMIRAL OF THE RED; AND A KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST HONOURABLE MILITARY ORDER OF THE BATH.

THIS gallant and distinguished officer was the fourth son of the late Edward Berry, Esquire, a merchant of London, by Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Thomas Forster, of Barbadoes, F.R.S.

He was born on the 17th of April, 1768; and, having evinced an early predilection for the sea-service, he was introduced into the Royal Navy, under the auspices of Lord Mulgrave, on the 5th of February, 1779, when he wanted some months of being eleven years of age; and made his first voyage to the East Indies in the Burford, of 70 guns. The first recorded circumstance of his professional life was the boarding of a French ship of war; for which action he was rewarded with a Lieutenant's commission. His subsequent conduct in the glorious battle of June 1. 1794, also obtained for him the approbation of his superiors.

Being First Lieutenant of his Majesty's ship Captain, at Porto Ferrajo, Sir Horatio Nelson recommended him for promotion for "the masterly style in which he brought that ship to bear on the batteries."

Early in 1796, Mr. Berry was appointed by Sir John Jervis, under whom he had before served, to the Agamemnon, of 64 guns, commanded by Commodore Nelson, who was at that time employed in laying the foundation of his future fame; and to whose favourable notice he soon recommended himself, as may be inferred from the following passage, which

we extract from a letter addressed by that officer to the Commander-in-chief, May 30. 1796:

"Lieutenant Berry joined me in the Comet; and I have, as far as I have seen, every reason to be satisfied with him, both as a gentleman and an officer. I had, a few days ago, a plan for taking the French brig of war out of Vado, and intrusted the execution of it to him: it miscarried from an unforeseen and improbable event; but I was much pleased by Mr. Berry's strict attention to my instructions."

Passing over occurrences of minor importance, we shall here introduce the contents of a paper written by Commodore Nelson, some time after the memorable battle off Cape St. Vincent; on which occasion the subject of this memoir, by his extraordinary activity in boarding two of the enemy's ships, acquired the honest eulogium of every officer in the fleet:

"A few Remarks relative to myself in the Captain, in which Ship my Pendant was flying on the most glorious Valentine's Day, 1797.

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"At one, P. M., the Captain having passed the sternmost of the enemy's ships, which formed their van and part of their centre, consisting of 17 sail of the line, they on the larboard, we on the starboard tack, the Admiral made the signal to tack in succession: but perceiving all the Spanish ships to bear up before the wind, evidently with an intention of forming their line, going large, joined their separate divisions, at that time engaged with some of our centre ships, or flying from us, to prevent either of their schemes from taking effect, I ordered the ship to be wore; and passing between the Diadem and Excellent, at a quarter past one o'clock, was engaged with the headmost, and of course leewardmost, of the Spanish division. The ships, which I knew, were the Santissima Trinidada, 126; San Josef, 112; Salvador del Mundo, 112; San Nicholas, 80; another first rate, and a 74, names unknown.

2

"I was immediately joined, and most nobly supported, by

the Culloden, Captain Troubridge: the Spanish fleet, not wishing, I suppose, to have a decisive battle, hauled to the wind on the larboard tack, which brought the ships above mentioned to be the leewardmost and sternmost ships in their fleet. For near an hour, I believe (but do not pretend to be correct as to time), did the Culloden and Captain support this apparently, but not really, unequal contest; when the Blenheim, passing between us and the enemy, gave us a respite and sickened the Dons.

"At this time the Salvador del Mundo and Sanysidro dropped astern, and were fired into in a masterly style by the Excellent, Captain Collingwood, who compelled the Sanysidro to hoist English colours; and I thought the large ship, Salvador del Mundo, had also struck: but Captain Collingwood, disdaining the parade of taking possession of a vanquished enemy, most gallantly pushed up with every sail set to save his old friend and messmate, who was to appearance in a critical state; the Blenheim being a-head, the Culloden crippled and astern. The Excellent ranged up within two feet of the San Nicholas, giving a most tremendous fire. The San Nicholas luffing up, the San Josef fell on board her; and the Excellent passing on for the Santa Trinidada, the Captain resumed her station abreast of them, and close alongside. At this time the Captain having lost her fore-top-mast, not a sail, shroud, nor rope left; her wheel shot away, and incapable of further service in the line, or in chase; I directed Captain Miller to put the helm a-starboard, and, calling for the boarders, ordered them to board.

“The soldiers of the 69th, with an alacrity which will ever do them credit, and Lieutenant Pearson of the same regiment, were almost the foremost on this service:—the first man who jumped into the enemy's mizen chains was Captain BERRY, late my first Lieutenant (Captain Miller was in the very act of going also, but I directed him to remain): he was supported from our sprit-sail yard, which hooked in the mizenrigging. A soldier of the 69th regiment having broken the upper quarter-gallery window, I jumped in myself, and was

followed by others as fast as possible. I found the cabin doors fastened, and some Spanish officers fired their pistols: but having broken open the doors, the soldiers fired; and the Spanish Brigadier (Commodore with a distinguishing pendant) fell, as retreating to the quarter-deck. I pushed immediately onwards for the quarter-deck; where I found Captain Berry in possession of the poop, and the Spanish ensign hauling down. I passed with my people and Lieutenant Pearson, on the larboard gangway, to the forecastle, where I met two or three Spanish officers prisoners to my seamenthey delivered me their swords. A fire of pistols, or muskets, opening from the Admiral's stern-gallery of the San Josef, I directed the soldiers to fire into her stern; and calling to Captain Miller, ordered him to send more men into the San Nicholas, and directed my people to board the first rate; which was done in an instant, Captain Berry assisting me into the main-chains. At this moment a Spanish officer looked over the quarter-deck rail, and said they surrendered. From this most welcome intelligence, it was not long before I was on the quarter-deck, where the Spanish Captain with a bow presented me his sword, and said the Admiral was dying of his wounds. I asked him, on his honour, if the ship was surrendered? He declared she was: on which I gave him my hand, and desired him to call on his officers and ship's company, and tell them of it; which he did :-and on the quarterdeck of a Spanish first rate, extravagant as the story may seem, did I receive the swords of vanquished Spaniards; which, as I received, I gave William Fearney, one of my bargemen; who put them, with the greatest sang froid, under his arm. surrounded by Captain Berry, Lieutenant Pearson of the 69th regiment, John Sykes, John Thomson, Francis Cooke, all old Agamemnons, and several other brave men, seamen and soldiers. — Thus fell these ships!"

I was

For this heroic conduct, Captain Berry was made a PostCaptain on the 6th of March, 1797. In the course of the same year he appeared at Court with Sir Horatio Nelson; and it has been said that after the King had complimented