ON CWWG REGISTER – DATE OF DEATH 21/6/15

LAST SOLD BY BRITISH MEDALS .

He was baptised on 16 November 1780, at the Meeting House, Princes Street, Plymouth Dock, Devon.
Son of John Welch by his wife, Grace.
Greenwich Hospital Out-pension on 9 March 1849.
died in 1860.

First Appointed Volunteer 1^st Class 17^th June 1794

Midshipman – 23^rd September 1798

Lieutenant – 17^th November 1803

Commander – 18^th July 1836

1) GALATEA,32.

Served as Vol 1^st Class and A.B 17^th June 1794 – 14 June 1798

Capt. Richard G. KEATS

3/95. Forming part of the Channel squadrons under Sir Edward PELLEW and Sir John Borlase WARREN. She assisted in the capture or destruction of a number of French men of war:- The REVOLUTIONNAIRE frigate taken on 21 0ctober 1794. LE JEAN BART,26, corvette, and EXPEDITI0N,16, formerly a British packet, taken by ARTOIS and GALATEA on 15 and 16 April 1795. ETOILE,30, taken by Sir John WARREN’s squadron after an action with three large frigates, the bulk of which was born by GALATEA, on 20 March 1796. The frigate ANDROMAQUE,48, (mounting 40) was driven on shore by GALATEA near Arcasson, and there completely destroyed by SYLPH, on 23 August 1796.

2) FOUDROYANT,80.

Served as A.B and Midshipman 15^th June 1798 – 16 December 1800

Capt. Sir Thomas BYARD

6/98.Channel station, 1798 Capt. ELPHINSTONE, 12/98. Flagship of Vice Ad. Lord KEITH, 1799 Capt. Thomas HARDY, until 12 October 1799, Lord NELSON’s flagship, Mediterranean. NESON moved his flag from VANGUARD to FOUDROYANT at Palermo on 6 June 1799.
Capt. Sir Edward BERRY returned to the Mediterranean in the autumn of 1799 and took command of FOUDROYANT. On 18 February the following year he was able to take part in the capture of his old opponent the GENEREUX,74, by which he had been taken prisoner in August 1798.
Earlier Lord KEITH, learning that the French were to attempt running reinforcements into Malta, had disposed his blockading ships to cover likely landing places. FOUDROYANT, AUDACIOUS and NORTHUMBERLAND were to chase to windward, LION to cover the passage between Gozo and Malta, while QUEEN CHARLOTTE, PHAETON, MINORCA and a Neapolitan frigate kept close inshore off Valetta.
At daylight on the 18th Lord NELSON in FOUDROYANT, in company with NORTHUMBERLAND, AUDACIOUS and EL CORSO, saw ALEXANDER in chase of a line-of-battle ship, three frigates and a corvette. One of the frigates, the VILLE DE MARSEILLES, struck after a few shots were fired at her, and Capt. GOULD of AUDACIOUS and Capt. RICKETTS of EL CORSO took charge of her. She was loaded with salt meat, brandy, wine, clothing, stores, etc.
SUCCESS, being to leeward, raked the line-of-battle ship with several broadsides, suffering several casualties as she did so. When FOUDROYANT and NORTHUMBERLAND came up the former fired two shot and the enemy fired a broadside and struck her colours. She was the GENEREUX, bearing the flag of Rear Ad. Perree, carrying troops for the relief of Malta. The enemy squadron had sailed from Toulon on the 7th with nearly 40OO troops and supplies. The other ships escaped back to France.Lord NELSON sent Andrew THOMPSON, 1st lieutenant of FOUDROYANT, to take charge of the prize.
Lord NELSON was taken ill at the beginning of March 1800 while off Malta and Capt. BERRY landed him at Palermo on the 16th. On the 18th he nearly died with the swelling of some vessels of the heart. FOUDROYANT sailed on the 21st without him.
On 29 March the GUILLAUME TELL,80, the only remaining ship which had escaped from Aboukir Bay, taking advantage of a strong southerly gale, sailed from Valetta in darkness after the moon had set. The British batteries on Malta immediately set off signal rockets and she was sighted by Capt. BLACKWOOD of the PENELOPE and the news passed to Capt. DIXON of LION by MINORCA. LION gave chase, guided solely by the gunfire of PENELOPE, and sent up a rocket and a showed a blue light every half hour to give a direction for the rest of the squadron FOUDROYANT layed the enemy alongside and was nearly unrigged by a broadside. but she replied with a triple-shotted broadside which crashed through the side of the French ship. The GUILLAUME TELL’s main and mizen masts were brought down and, at the same time, so were FOUDROYANT’s fore-top-mast, jib boom and maintop-sail yard, and all her sails were in tatters.
The French ship refused to surrender until she had become a floating hulk with 20O men killed and wounded. FOUDROYANT’s loss was 8 men killed and 61 wounded. The crippled condition of LION and FOUDROYANT made it necessary for Capt. BLACKWOOD to take charge of the prize and tow her to Syracuse.
FOUDROYANT expended 161 barrels of gunpowder, 120O 32-pound round shot, 1240 20-pound ditto, 10O 18-pound ditto, and 20O 12-pound ditto during the engagement.
PENELOPE and VINCEJO received naval medals for their part in the action.
On 24 April 1800 FOUDROYANT took Lord NELSON Palermo to Syracuse, arriving on the 30th. She was at Malta from 20 May until 1 June when she returned to Palermo. On 5 June FOUDROYANT carried the Queen of Naples, her suite and Lord NELSON to Livorno, where they arrived on the evening of the 14th. in a fresh gale.
By this time FOUDROYANT was in a bad state of repair and badly in need of a refit. The idea of removing her caused panic in the palace but NELSON struck his flag at the end of the month and returned home overland with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and the ship went to Minorca for a refit. At the end of the year Sir Edward sailed for home in the PRINCESS CHARLOTTE.

3) EXPERIMENT,44
Served Acting Lieutenant and Lieutenant 17^th December 1800 – 23^rd February 1805

Captain John Saville, George MacKenzie.

Welch took part in the Landings at Egypt in March 1801 and was in Command of Experiments boats, serving in co-operation with the Army during the remainder of the Campaign. Received the Turkish Gold Medal for his Services.

4) SARACEN, 18

Served Senior Lieutenant 24^th Feb 1805 – 12 July 1810

James PREVOST.

Cape of Good Hope, South America. SARACEN was in the Rio Plata during the summer of 1807 and brought home the naval and military dispatches after the surrender of the British forces by General Whitelocke on 5 July. 1808 ditto, off Cadiz. 1810- Buckland Stirling BLUETT, Jamaica.

5) GARLAND,22

Served  Senior Lieutenant 13^th July 1810 – 30^th April 1811

Capt. T. GRAVES

Jamaica.

6) HEBE,32. Capt. John FYFFE

Served  Senior Lieutenant 1^st May 1811 – 19 August 1811 – Paid Off

Jamaica/passage Home.

7) CERES,32

Served  Senior Lieutenant 21^st December 1812 – 4^th June 1814 – Paid Off

Capt. James PREVOST – flag of Rear Ad. Thomas SURRIDGE, Chatham.

‘During his career afloat he acted a part in a variety of boat affairs. He accepted his present rank 18^th July 1836’ from O’Bryne 1849