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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: Koromo on Friday 21 July 06 09:04 BST (UK)
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Hi Mick
Would you be able to see what else is written about:
Capt David PRICE (1815), b. c1790
Entered service: 01 Jan 1801 (so young!!!)
m. 30 Jul 1844 Elizabeth TAYLOR
He has a tenuous link to my family which I'm still trying to establish. An unhappy fellow who as a Rear Admiral lead an attack (30 August 1854) on the Russian harbour of Petropaulovsky in the Crimean War. According to The Times' report:
Admiral Price, at the commencement of the action, is stated to have gone into his cabin and shot himself with a pistol through the heart, his mind having apparently given way under the responsibilities of his position ... and his recent appointment to the command of the Pacific squadron was justly approved, as an appointment conferred on merit alone. The lamentable and unforeseen incident which ended his career at so criticial a moment must therefore be regarded as the result of some infirmity or sudden visitation beyond all human control.
Extraordinary! One wonders if his ship suddenly heeled and and he lost his balance while putting his pistol down, but every reference I've seen has him committing suicide, so there must have been other indications.
Many thanks
Koromo
:)
Edited to add:
Just found his memorial listing on the National Maritime Museum site.
David Powell Price (http://www.nmm.ac.uk/memorials/Memorial.cfm?Search=Price&MemorialID=M5434)
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Hi Koromo,
If Captain David Price is connected with your family then you're in luck as the entry for his Naval service is very detailed and covers a page and a half of the book!.
As there is a lot of information and there is a possibility that he might not be connected, here is the family info extracted from the entry, if you can tie him in from this information, I'll be more than happy to post the rest of the entry for you which deals with his Military career (but it'll take me a while to type it all out) ;D.
David Price, born c.1790 is descended paternally from the Prices of Bulch Trebane, Co. Caermarthen and maternally from the Powells of Abersenny, Co. Brecknock.
He married, 30th July 1844, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late John Taylor ESQ., and niece of the late Admiral William Taylor (d.1830), of Maize Hill, Greenwich.
Regards,
Mick :)
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Yep! My link is through his maternal Powells from Abersenny, near Devynnock, Breconshire.
It's a bit complicated, but his uncle (whom he regarded like a father) was Walter Powell, an attorney in Brecon (childless), who also held shares in the Clydach Ironworks. In his will (1824) he leaves one-sixth of his estate to his nephew Capt David Price, Royal Navy - as well as his 'silver waiter'!
In my gr-gr-gr-grandfather's will (Miles Jones, 1847, Brecon) he authorises his wife to dispose of any interest due from Walter Powell's will as she thinks fit. Walter Powell's will was eventually proved in 1858 so I don't think Capt David Price saw any of it.
I'm trying to make the connection.
Can you scan the page and a half rather than type it all out? I hate to think of you slaving over the keyboard. Perhaps if you could give me any family info, and a brief resumé - especially where he was based/living at the various stages of his career. I've found David Price on the 1841 (HO107/736/4/7/10 Westminster) and in 1851 with wife Elizabeth, born East Indies (HO107/1477/179/11 St George Hanover Square).
Please use your discretion. :)
Best wishes
Koromo
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Hi Koromo,
Here you go,
I'll have to split it as it won't fit on one post.
I hope you find it useful, he certainly had an interesting and distinguished career.
Price Captain - Full Pay 18 years, Half Pay 28 years (by 1849)
David Price, born c. 1790 is descended paternally from the Price's of Bulch Trebanne, Co.Caermarthen and maternally from the Powell's of Abersenny, Co. Brecknock.
This officer entered the Navy 1st Jan 1801 as first class volunteer on board the ARDENT 64, Captain's Thos. Bertie and George M'Kinley, and on 2nd April following was present on the action at Copenhagen. In July 1802 he joined the BLENHEIM 74, Captain's Philip Turner Bover, Murray Maxwell, Henry Matson, and Thos. Graves, employed at first as a guard-ship at Portsmouth, and afterwards under the broad pendant of Sir Sam. Hood in the West Indies, where he was frequently under fire from the batteries at Martinique.
In the course of 1804-5 he removed in succession, on the station last named, to the OSPREY and St. LUCIA sloops, Captain's Wm. Henry Byam Martin and George Edm. Byron Bettesworth, CENTAUR 74, Commodore Sir Sam. Hood, and GALATEA and HYAENA frigates, both commanded by Captain Murray Maxwell. Returning in the latter vessel with convoy to England in Nov. 1805, he again, in Feb. 1806, joined Sir Sam. Hood on board the CENTAUR. While in that ship he assisted as Signal Midshipman, in company with the MARS and MONARCH 74's, at the capture, 25th Sept. 1806, of four heavy French frigates from Rochefort, after an action in which Sir Sam. Hood lost his arm.
Accompanying also Admiral Gambier's expedition against the Danish capital in 1807, he was employed during the bombardment of Copenhagen, in the CENTAUR'S guard-boats, in preventing the arrival of supplies for the besieged from the Baltic side. On the surrender of the enemy he aided in fitting out and conducting to England one of the prizes taken, the NORGE 74.
He subsequently witnessed the occupation of Madeira, and on his return to the Baltic in 1808 was wounded in the hand by a spent musket ball while engaged in one of the CENTAUR'S cutters, under the command of Lieut. Jas. Shea (who was killed), in an ultimately successful attempt to obtain possession of a Danish despatch-boat which had run on shore under protection of a body of troops posted, with several pieces of cannon, upon a high cliff near the island of Moen.
Continued on next post........
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Next bit.....
On 26th Aug. in the same year (1808) we find him, in company with the IMPLACABLE 74, contributing, within sight of the whole Russian fleet near Rogerswick, to the capture of the 74-gun ship SEWOLOD, at the end of a close and furious conflict, in which the CENTAUR had 3 of her people killed and 27 wounded, and the enemy 180 killed and wounded. Being nominated,7th April 1809, Acting Lieutenant of the ARDENT 64, Captain Robt. Honyman, Mr.Price was frequently employed in the boats of that ship on protecting the trade passing through the Great Belt. On one occasion while watering with a small party at the island of Ronsoe, he fell into the hands of 300 Danes, by whom, however, he was detained but a very short period.
When subsequently in charge of a small prize which he had captured, he was cast away and again endured a brief captivity. On finally leaving the Ardent, to which ship the Admiralty had confirmed him by commission bearing date 28th Sept. 1809, he joined as Second Lieutenant, in Feb. 1811 the HAWKE brig, of 16 guns, Captain's Henry Bourchier and Geo. Wyndham. Under Captain Bourchier, Mr. Price was present, 25th March 1811, at the destruction, near Cape Barfleur, of the French 40 gun frigate AMAZONE
On 17th Aug. following we find him cutting out, with the HAWKE'S jolly-boat, a French vessel, protected by a galling fire from the shore, in the same vicinity; and, two days afterwards, participating in a very gallant action fought between the HAWKE on one side, and on the other three gun-brigs, carrying each from 10 to 16 guns, and two luggers from 8 to 10 guns each, in escort of a large convoy. The contest was maintained until the two luggers, together with two of the gun-brigs and 15 of the merchantmen, were driven on shore. The HAWKE shortly afterwards, while in the act of wearing to prevent the third brig from raking her, unfortunately took the ground, and thereby enabled the latter, with a few of the convoy, although they had struck, to effect their escape.
One hour and a half elapsing before the British vessel could be again got afloat, she lay exposed during the whole of that period to an incessant discharge of artillery and musketry from the shore. Being then brought to an anchor for the purpose of repairing her damaged rigging, Mr. Price, owing to the absence of the First Lieutenant in a prize, was sent with the boats to bring out or destroy as many of the enemies vessels as practicable. Although exposed to a galling fire of musketry from the beach, which was lined with troops, he assisted in bringing out 'Le Heron' national brig of 10 guns (pierced for 16), and three large transports laden with timber for ship building, the remainder were all on their broadsides and bilged, and were only prevented from being burnt by the strength of the tide being in their favour. "I feel" says Capt. Bourchier is his despatch narrating the particulars of the exploit, "I am only barely doing justice to the merits of Lieut.Price in recommending him most strongly to their Lordships notice for his spirited conduct in the action, as also in the boats, and in short on all occasions; he is a most deserving and meritorious young officer, to whom I feel myself much indebted." Capt. Bourchier's own conduct, we may add, was rewarded with a Post commission. Not long afterwards Mr.Price was again highly spoken of by Capt. Wyndham for the manor in which, in a small gig he made prize of L'Hirondelle schooner in the river Isere, although opposed by a smart fire of musketry from the shore.
Continued.........
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Last bit....... :P
On 21st Oct. 1811, with two of the HAWKE'S boats, one of them commanded by Mr.Smith the Master, he made a dash at one of several brigs lying in Barfleur harbour, and was received by a heavy fire which killed 2 and wounded 3 of his companions. He nevertheless boarded, with but one follower, and maintained an obstinate struggle until the two were wounded (himself by a thrust of a bayonet) and disarmed. He then, trusting to the chance of being picked up rather than to the certainty of being taken prisoner, jumped overboard, and contrived to keep himself afloat until happily fallen in with by the cutter under Mr.Smith, who had been foiled in his attempts to gain the deck of the French vessel. The boats of the THEBAN frigate had been sent to co-operate in the attack, but did not arrive in time to afford any support. On the return of the HAWKE to Portsmouth Mr.Price was sent to the hospital at Haslar, where, after three months of protracted suffering, it was discovered that instead of his hip-bone, as had been supposed, being fractured, four inches of the bayonet steel had remained lodged in his side. As soon as the state of his health would permit, which was not until Sept. 1812, he was appointed to the MULGRAVE 74, Capt. Thos. Jas. Maling, stationed off Cherbourg.
He next, in Jan 1813, joined the SAN JOSEF 110, Capts. Henry Bourchier and W M. Stewart, in which ship, although but the third in seniority, he was selected by Sir Rich. King, whose flag was at the time flying on board, to perform the duties of First Lieutenant in the partial action fought with the French fleet of Toulon 5th Nov. 1813. Being advanced to the rank of Commander 6th Dec. in the same year, and appointed to the VOLCANO bomb he volunteered, in the summer of 1814, to join in the hostilities then rife off the coast of North America. Proceeding thither accordingly, and arriving in time to form a part in the expedition against Baltimore, he covered the landing at north point, assisted at the bombardment of Fort M'Henry, and was the last, after having covered the re-embarkation of the troops, to leave the Patapsco. When subsequently Aide-De-Camp to Rear-Admiral Pulteney Malcolm in the Potomac, he led on part of the forces up the Yocomoco, while Capt. Rich. Keneh of the AETNA bomb who was killed, led the other up the coan.
On 31st Oct 1814, being then in the windward passage with a transport under convoy bound to Jamaica, the VOLCANO fell in with and, after two broadsides, put to flight the SAUCY JACK American schooner privateer, a vessel of far superior force, 7 of whose people were killed and 14 wounded, with a loss to the British of an officer (Lieut. J. P. Furzer, R.M.A) and 2 men killed. At the commencement of the operations against New Orleans Capt. Price was employed, in conjunction with Capt. Hon. ROBT. Cavendish Spencer, in surprising the American piquet posted at the entrance of the Bayou Catalan, and so effectually was the service executed that not a man escaped, and the British troops were in consequence enabled to land without resistance. On General Keane's army being attacked, on the evening of the 24th, by the enemy, Capt. Price was despatched to acquaint him with the approach of reinforcements. In carrying out his instructions he fell in with a party of the enemy, who fired at and shot him through the thigh. " In this state," reports Rear-Admiral Malcolm, " he not only made his escape, but secured an American soldier: I trust his wound is not dangerous, as he is a gallant young man and an excellent officer."
The VOLCANO subsequently aided in the bombardment of Fort St. Philip, and continued on the Mississippi until the retreat of the British Army. In Feb. 1815, after landing a body of troops on Dauphin Island, Capt. Price took a zealous and active part in the attack of Fort Bowyer. During the proximate siege of Fort Mobile he was sent in charge of a division of boats to intercept a force of 800 men which had been sent from the town of Mobile for the purpose of raising it. Successful in the object of his mission, he effected the capture of two schooners, in one of which were found despatches of consequence from the American General Blew. The importance of Capt. Price's performance was acknowledged in Major-General Lambert's public letter to the War-Office. On the intelligence of peace arriving from England he was sent with a flag-of-truce to communicate the information to the Americans at Mobile, and to restore Fort Bowyer to the proper authorities.
On his return to England he was advanced to his present rank on 13th June 1815. When next in command, from 1st May 1834, until the spring of 1838, of the Portland 52, on the Mediterranean station, he was presented by King Otho with the Order of the Redeemer for his services to the Greek Government. The assistance afforded by him to the British mission was also acknowledged in the official letters of Sir Edm. Lyons, the Minister Plenipotentiary at the court of Athens. Since 10th Nov. 1846 he has been employed as Superintendent of the dockyard at Sheerness and Captain of the OCEAN 80 and Wellington 72.
Captain Price is a Magistrate for Brecknockshire.He married, 30th July 1844, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late John Taylor ESQ., and niece of the late Admiral William Taylor (d.1830), of Maize Hill, Greenwich.
And that's it! ;D
Plenty of research to pick out of that lot! ;)
All the best,
Mick :)
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Mick
Good grief!
The first thing that occurs to me is that he was so young, only 19, and he'd already been in service for 8 years when ...
date 28th Sept. 1809, he joined as Second Lieutenant, in Feb. 1811 the HAWKE brig
... and he must have charmed the Danes ...
he fell into the hands of 300 Danes, by whom, however, he was detained but a very short period.
As for:
it was discovered that instead of his hip-bone, as had been supposed, being fractured, four inches of the bayonet steel had remained lodged in his side
... what would Heath and Safety have to say about that!!!
I still have a niggling feeling that his 'suicide' was accidental. Surely you don't shoot yourself in the heart if you want to kill yourself - and in those days, did most people know with enough accuracy to ensure one's death? Oh, I don't know, but it doesn't feel right to me.
I live in the eastern Mediterranean ...
When next in command ... the spring of 1838, of the Portland 52, on the Mediterranean station ...
... and I will look out to sea with different eyes.
Thank you so much for the marathon typing session. I am indebted to you.
Best regards
Koromo
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and the winner of this weeks custard creams is
Mick
what a fantastic piece of work, huge pat on the back mate
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Glad you said custard creams - one would not nearly be enough!
:D
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Can't match Mick's essay, but I've looked him up in the medal roll for the Naval General Service medal 1793-1840. All ties in with Mick's story:
Bar for Copenhagen 1801 (battle against the Danes on 2 April 1801) - David Price, Volunteer 1st Class HMS Ardent
Bar Centaur 26 Aug 1808 (chase of the Russian fleet and capture of the Sevolod, 74, off Hango Point, Finland) - David Price, Midshipman, HMS Centaur. 42 recipients of this bar
Bar Hawke 18 Aug 1811 (capture of the French corvette Heron and 3 vessels of a convoy, off Barfleur, Cherbourg) - David Price, Lieutenant RN, HMS Hawke. One of only 6 recipients of this rare bar.
Neil
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Mmmmm……Custard Cream’s! I’m not worthy (But I’ll have one anyway!) ;D
I’m pleased that you found the info interesting Koromo.
With regard to Rear Admiral Price’s death, I have to say that from what I’ve read about the circumstances I do think that it’s probable that he did commit suicide. His death is mentioned in some of the books that I have about the Crimean War and there are several reports in the Times (although I couldn’t find the report of 30th August 1854).
The following is from the the book “The Crimean War - The truth behind the myth" by Clive Ponting - P234/5)
Just prior to the declaration of war in the Crimea the British and French Pacific fleets were at Callao in Peru under their commanders Rear Admirals David Price and Auguste Febvrier-Despointes. On April 15th , six days after the British and French ships arrived at the port, the Russian frigate Aurora sailed into the harbour. She had left Kronstadt in September 1853 and was sailing via Rio de Janeiro to reinforce the ships in the north Pacific. The Aurora left on 26th April and news of the outbreak of war arrived on the 7th of May. It was another ten days before the allied warships sailed and travelled via the Marquesas Islands before reaching Honolulu on 17th of July. Here they discovered that the Aurora had left a month earlier.Demonstarting no sense of urgency, the fleet stayed for more than a week, enjoying a series of receptions and dinners with the local ruler. On 25th of July an allied force of nine warships finally left, sailing north-west towards Alaska before changing course for Kamchatka. They arrived at Avacha Bay on the 28th of August before moving towards Petropavlovsk.
Here the allied commanders found that their prolonged voyage across the Pacific had given the Russians plenty of time to prepare their defences. Aurora had arrived on 14th of July (before the allied ships had even reached Honolulu) and half of it’s guns had been unloaded and placed in six shore batteries. An armed transport ship was blocking the passage into the harbour and reinforcements, which had arrived on the 8th of August, had increased the Russian garrison to about 1,000 men.
On the 29th of August there was a desultory exchange of gunfire before the allied ships retreated out of range. The allied commanders decided on a major bombardment of Petropavlovsk the next day, aimed at knocking out two-thirds of the shore batteries. The attack began at 6 a.m. but achieved little. Rear Admiral Price, took lunch at 11 a.m. and retired to his cabin on the President. Shortly after noon he shot himself and died about five hours later. Febvrier-Despointes took command, stopped the bombardment and decided to to try a landing the next day. On 31st August a party of British and French marines and sailors landed and captured one of the batteries. The Russians successfully counter-attacked and the troops were forced to re-embark. A major assault was launched on the 4th of September when 700 men landed in two separate parties. They climbed a hill, where they were ambushed and driven back by the Russians. As they retreated many fell over the cliffs in their panic and others were drowned as they tried to clamber onto the small boats moored just offshore. Overall the Russians lost 115 men (only 40 died on the 4th September attack) whereas the allies lost 209 killed and more than 150 wounded (over half of the force!) during this disastrous operation, the attack on Petropavlovsk was abandoned and the allied ships set sail back across the Pacific, the British went to Vancouver, the French to San Francisco.
Rear Admiral Price was a popular commander, a report in the Times of Nov 23rd 1854 concludes :-
Admiral Price died on the 30th of August as the fleet was preparing for action, the ships immediately anchored on the announcement of this melancholy event, and hostilities were defered till the next day when they fought, with his body on board the President.On the first of September he was buried on shore, at a place called Tarienski, situated some miles from Petropavlovsk on the opposite side of the bay. The Admiral’s death threw a gloom over the whole fleet, for he was universally beloved.
A tragic story for all concerned.
Regards,
Mick :)
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Rear Admiral Price, took lunch at 11 a.m. and retired to his cabin on the President. Shortly after noon he shot himself and died about five hours later.
Oh, it gets worse and worse! As there is no hint anywhere that it was accidental, then it must have been suicide.
It's possible that having had a (cushy?) shore job as Superintendent of the Sheerness Dockyard for a few years, he had lost his appetite for battle or felt out of his depth, as it were. Or did he foresee the hopelessness of the intended battle and couldn't cope with the thought of a 'failure' on his naval record. As for the troops - too awful!
Mick, thank you again, lots and lots! And thank you too to Nell ... the medals are interesting. I've just today found a many-times-grandnephew of Admiral Price ;D and will ask if he knows of them.
[Hands round a fresh load of custard creams :D]
Very gratefully,
Koromo
:)
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Or did he foresee the hopelessness of the intended battle and couldn't cope with the thought of a 'failure' on his naval record. As for the troops - too awful!
Hi Koromo,
I certainly think that it had a lot to do with his decision to take his life. I'm not sure if you've seen it, but I found this on the net.
Professor Lewis prints an interesting eye-witness account with commentary in
the Mariner's Mirror ('An Eye-witness at Petropaulovski', MM, vol. 49, 1963,
no. 4, pp. 265-272).
The attack was on 'Petropaulovski', and the commander, R/A David Price,
"sprung from good families in Caermarthen and Brecknock", killed himself
because, in the words of the witness, the Chaplain, 'he could not bear the
thought of bringing so many noble and gallant fellows into action'. He was
buried the next day without military honours, and was succeeded by Sir
Frederick William Erskine Nicolson.
http://tinyurl.com/z2kzr
There is also a Crimean War forum set up on Suite101 by John Barham.One topic mentions the death of Rear Admiral Price,it would seem that there are a couple of his descendants who are also researching him, they might be worth contacting, you never know!
http://www.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/crimean_war/66428
Best of luck,
Mick :)
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I know this is now a few years on from this post but happened on it quite by accident.
So I'll introduce myself, I'm the great great grandson of Rear Admiral David Powell Price. Some in the family have referred to him as the "Uncle". So whether gggrandson or uncle his direct descendants are very much alive today.
We (I) still have his sabre given to him by Muhammad Ali of Egyt, his gold snuff box given to him by King Otto of Greece, medal and ribbon of The Order of the Redeemer and portrait attached.
(http://)
I have a lot of the information already posted and very interested in bits I haven't seen before as well. There has always been some speculation around the circumstances of this death however I have my views based on family knowledge which does not agree entirely with what has been written due to facts unknown, overlooked and forgotten by commentators and 'witness'.
I would be interested to hear from anybody who has or is researching the Admiral and we can compare notes.
ATB
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What a magnificent story and portrait. The portrait was painted between 1830 and 1837. Scarlet or red collar and cuffs. King William IV, an officer RN himself, when younger, loved the colours scarlet and red and ordered it for RN officers and had the Light Dragoon regiments change their jackets from blue (from 1780's) to red.
Another example of Russian naval effectiveness, they performed better than their army as in the Crimea.
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That's great info. I always wondered how old he was in the picture and just guessed in his forties as he is wearing 'The Order of the Redeemer' which he received around December 1835 or early 1836.
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It's been a while and quite a lot has happened since the last post! I was going over some old notes recently and some info my Grandfather (Walter David Powell Price) handed down to me and thought I'd look this up again.
Koromo - "...I still have a niggling feeling that his 'suicide' was accidental. Surely you don't shoot yourself in the heart if you want to kill yourself - and in those days, did most people know with enough accuracy to ensure one's death? Oh, I don't know, but it doesn't feel right to me..."
This is an interesting view against all the guesswork that's gone on! The "Admiral" (as I've always heard him referred as) whilst serving as Superintendant of Sheerness dockyard had a house in London which I believe was in Belgrave Square and into my lifetime still had tiles with ships painted on them in the basement (presumably kitchen).
The point of this is that very close by was a gunshop in Pimlico ( I have the name somewhere but can't find it) that sold the new Samual Colt Navy London revolver however this was from 1853. Whether he acquired the revolver before he left England or acquired it on his way to the Pacific is unclear but what is clear is that it existed. It must have been returned to the family as my Grandfather remembers it. Sadly during the house sale and break-up of the family estate in South Wales after WW2 a collection of guns were stolen including the revolver, the only remaining gun not taken was a single barreled hammer .410 shotgun which I still have today.
So why relate this... I was a soldier and a commercial skipper and presently a firearms instructor and my knowledge of firearms isn't too bad! So what I can tell you about the early Colt revolver is that it is a deadly piece of equipment to load, let alone point at an enemy! I've used one. To load the pistol it's pointed upwards towards the region of your face (!) and the chambers charged in between cocking the action to turn the cylinder. Now one shouldn't prime the nipples with caps until this is done but being a new fangled bit of kit perhaps the caps were already in place or once loaded the revolver was turned up to check all the chambers and it accidentally went off?
Either way the revolver went off and subsequently killed the "Admiral" after some hours. But this is where i cannot agree with some pundits...he was a trained fighter, had done it all his life, knew how to put down his foe and presumably quite efficiently. But couldn't get it right to kill himself? I doubt it. In my experience as a soldier and as a professional hunter if I wanted to commit suicide, God forbid, I think I'd know how to do it fairly efficiently and quickly!
So do I believe he committed suicide with a distinguished career and knowing what I do and what my Grandfather told me?
Answer - No.
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The Admiral is 3rd great-granduncle and we are very interested in making contact as we have been building on our family tree.
John