Bath, in order to reside with his son, who about that time had become proprietor of the Bath Chronicle. By this time he was in the most advanced stage of consumption; he daily grew weaker and weaker; and on the evening of the 2d of September, 1830, he expired, apparently of mere weakness and exhaustion. As he always expressed the utmost horror of being buried in any of the "great charnel-houses of Bath" (as he used to term the burial grounds of that populous city), he was interred at Combhay, a lonely and beautiful little village about four miles from Bath.

Mr. Carrington's widow and six children are now under the protection of the poet's eldest son, Mr. H. E. Carrington, of Bath.

288

No. XX.

ADMIRAL SIR JOSEPH SYDNEY YORKE,

KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST HONOURABLE MILITARY ORDER OF THE BATH; MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR REIGATE; A DIRECTOR OF GREENWICH HOSPITAL; AND HALFBROTHER OF THE EARL OF HARDWICKE.

THE Right Honourable Charles Yorke, Lord Chancellor of England, was the second son of Philip, first Earl of Hardwicke, who had also held the same high office. He received the seals in 1770, and was created a Peer by the title of Baron Morden; but dying before the patent had passed the Great Seal, it did not take effect, and was never afterwards completed, though it had passed through the Privy Seal Office, and every other form. His eldest son, however, on the demise of his uncle, the late Earl of. Hardwicke, succeeded that nobleman both in title and in estates.

The subject of the present memoir was the third and youngest son of Lord Chancellor Yorke; by his second wife, Agneta, one of the daughters and co-heiresses of Henry Johnson, Esq. of Great Berkhamstead, in Hertfordshire.

He was born in London, June 6th, 1768; entered the naval service February 15th, 1780; and, after serving some time as Midshipman in the Duke of 98 guns, commanded by Sir Charles Douglas, Bart., removed with that distinguished officer into the Formidable, another second rate, bearing the flag of Lord Rodney, to whom he acted as Aid-de-camp at the great battles fought off Guadaloupe, April 9th and 12th, 1782; in which the French fleet was totally defeated, and Admiral the Count de Grasse taken prisoner.

The Formidable having returned to England, Mr. Yorke, after a short interval, joined the Assistance of 50 guns, Com

modore Sir Charles Douglas, stationed on the coast of America; and subsequently the Salisbury of 50 guns, Captain Sir Erasmus Gower, bearing the broad pendant of Admiral J. Elliot, in which ship he continued on the Newfoundland station nearly three years, in the capacity of master's mate.

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, June 16. 1789 and served as such on board the Adamant of 50 guns, RearAdmiral Sir R. Hughes, Bart., Thisbe frigate, and Victory of 100 guns; in the last of which he continued during the Spanish and Russian armaments.

In February, 1791, he was promoted to the command of the Rattlesnake sloop of war, in which vessel he cruised in the Channel until the commencement of the war with the French Republic, when he was made Post into the Circe of 28 guns, by commission dated February 4. 1793; and placed under the orders of Lord Howe. The Circe was actively employed in the Channel Soundings, Bay of Biscay, &c.; and Captain Yorke had the good fortune to capture several of the enemy's large privateers, and a number of merchant vessels. He also took the Espiégle French corvette close to Brest harbour, and in sight of a very superior French squadron.

In August, 1794, Captain Yorke removed into the Stag of 32 guns; and after serving some time on the same station as before, and on the coast of Ireland, he was ordered to join the North Sea fleet, at that period commanded by Lord Duncan.

On the 22d of August, 1795, Captain Yorke, being in company with a light squadron, under the orders of Captain James Alms, gave chase to two large ships and a cutter, and brought the sternmost to action. After a conflict for about an hour, the enemy struck, and proved to be the Alliance Batavian frigate, of 36 guns and 240 men; her consorts, the Argo, of the same force, and Nelly cutter of 16 guns, effected their escape, after sustaining a running fight with the other ships of the British squadron. In this spirited action, the Stag had 4 men slain and 13 wounded, and the enemy between 40 and 50 killed and wounded.

Captain Yorke continued to command the Stag, and cruised with considerable success against the armed and trading vessels of the enemy, until March, 1800, when he was appointed to the Jason of 36 guns; and in the following year removed to the Canada 74, which formed part of the western squadron during the continuance of the war.

After the renewal of hostilities in 1803, Captain Yorke commanded successively the Prince George 98, Barfleur 98, and Christian VII. of 80 guns. He was knighted April 21. 1805, when he acted as proxy for his brother the Earl of Hardwicke, at the installation of the Order of the Garter then celebrated.

When his brother the Right Honourable Charles Yorke was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, in June, 1810, Sir Joseph was nominated one of the junior Commissioners; and he retained his seat until 1818. During the period of the two brothers sitting at the Board, the Break-water in Plymouth Sound was decided upon and commenced; the Dock-yard at Pembroke, and the improvements in Sheerness-yard, were also determined upon; the iron tanks, iron cables, and round bows of the ships of war, were generally introduced in the service, together with other essential improvements. Previous to Sir J. Sydney Yorke resigning his seat at the Admiralty, the round sterns were also brought forward, at the suggestion of Sir R. Seppings, and their utility strenuously supported by Sir Joseph. On the 31st of July, 1810, Captain Yorke was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue; and, in January following, hoisted his flag on board the Vengeur of 74 guns, and assumed the command of a strong squadron, with which, and a large body of troops intended to reinforce Lord Wellington's army in Portugal, he arrived in the Tagus, March 4. It was in consequence of this reinforcement that the French army, under Marshal Massena, broke up from Santarem, and began its retreat into Spain. He afterwards sailed to the Western Isles, with a squadron consisting of three sail of the line and two frigates, for the protection of the

homeward bound East India fleet, the whole of which reached England in safety.

Sir Joseph attained the rank of Vice- Admiral in 1814; and of Admiral in 1830. On the enlargement of the Order of the Bath, he was nominated a Knight Commander, January 1. 1815; and in the course of the same year he was presented with the freedom of the borough of Plymouth.

Sir Joseph Yorke was for the greater part of his life a member of the House of Commons. He was first returned to Parliament for the borough of Reigate (in which his family has long had considerable interest), at the general election of 1790. He was re-chosen at those in 1796 and 1802; but in 1806 retired in favour of his nephew Lord Royston, and was elected for St. Germain's, which he vacated in 1810 in favour of his brother. In 1812, he was elected for Sandwich; in 1818, again for Reigate, and also at the subsequent elections of 1820, 1826, 1830, and 1831. His lengthened parliamentary career was distinguished by sound and constitutional views, unflinching zeal for the interests of his profession, and invincible and irresistible good humour. In the tumult of the most stormy debates, his voice was wont to appease the conflicting senate, and restore at least a momentary harmony by the quaint phraseology and shrewd observations he brought to bear upon the discussion.

Sir Joseph was Chairman of the Waterloo Bridge Company, in the management of whose concerns he took a very active part. His last appearance in public life was on the 29th of April, 1831, when he presided at a meeting at the Thatched House Tavern, for the consideration of a plan suggested by Commander Dickson, R. N., for "A School for the Education of the Sons of Naval and Marine Officers, together with an Orphan Foundation, under the sanction of the King's most excellent Majesty."

Sir Joseph was drowned in the Southampton Water, on the 5th of May, 1831. As a small yacht of fourteen tons, belonging to Captain Bradby, R. N., residing at Hamble, near Southampton, was returning from Portsmouth to Hamble,