​STOCKER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 36; h-p., 6.)

Stephen Stocker is brother of Commander Walter B. Stocker, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 2 Feb. 1805, as A.B., on board the Scorpion 18, Capts. Philip Carteret and Fras. Stanfell; under the former of whom, after blockading the Texel and assisting at the capture, 11 April, 1805, of L’Honneur, Dutch national schooner of 12 guns, he sailed with convoy, early in 1806, for the West Indies; where the Scorpion watched a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Villaumez at Port Royal, Martinique, and, on the escape of the latter, dogged it for many days. She subsequently accompanied Sir John Borlase Warren in pursuit of the enemy to North America; and while cruizing next, on the Home station, made prize of, among other vessels, the privateers Bourgainville of 18 guns and 93 men (taken after a long chase and running fight of 45 minutes), La Glaneuse of 16 guns and 80 men, and Le Glaneur of 10 guns and 60 men. In March, 1809, Mr. Stocker removed as Midshipman, a rating he had acquired in Nov. 1806, to the Comet 18, Capt. Rich. Henry Muddle; and in the course of the following month he joined the Bucephalus 32, Capts. Chas. Pelly and Joseph Drury. After commanding a boat in the attack upon Flushing, he sailed for the East Indies; where he assisted, in 1810, at the capture of the Mauritius, and in 1811 again.had charge of a boat at the reduction of Java. Being then left at Batavia, the Bucephalus, during her sojourn at that place, lost 128 officers and men, including her Captain, Pelly, from the effects of the climate; and on the occasion of her departure, about April, 1812, she had, out of a crew consisting originally of 264, only 56 capable of performing duty. Previously to following Capt. Drury as Master’s Mate, in August, 1812, into the Hecate sloop, Mr. Stocker, who had been nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Bucephalus, 17 Nov. 1811, accompanied a highly successful expedition conducted by Capt. Jas. Bowen of the Phoenix frigate against the pirates of Palembang, and aided in forming a settlement on the island of Banca. In the Hecate he united, and had command of a boat, in a series of arduous operations against the Sultan of Sambas, in Borneo, whose fortifications were destroyed and depredations effectually checked. From March, 1814, until paid off, on his return to England, in August, 1817, Mr. Stocker served with Capts. Drury, Henry Warde (acting), and John Reynolds, still in the East Indies, in the Volage 22. Being strongly recommended by Capt. Drury for his general good conduct, and in particular for his exertions in the attack upon Sambas, he was during that period a second time, 16 March, 1815, ordered by Commodore Sayer to act as Lieutenant. Although not at the time aware of the circumstance, he had been promoted at home by a commission bearing date 1 of the preceding Feb. In the early part of 1817 the Volage, while lying at Trincomalee, was hove down on both sides; and for his services on this occasion Mr. Stocker received the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Rich. King. His appointments, after he left the Volage, were – 20 Jan. 1823, to the Coast Guard – 27 Sept. 1828, to the command, for three years, of the Dove Revenue-cruizer – 28 Jan. 1832, again to the Coast Guard, in which he remained until 12 March, 1843 – and 7 July in the latter year, and 22 May, 1845, to the San Josef 110 and Caledonia 120, Capts. Fred. Wm. Burgoyne and Manley Hall Dixon, both stationed at Devonport, where he had charge of a division of the ships in Ordinary. He has been on half-pay since 10 Aug. 1846.

While serving in the Scorpion Mr. Stocker fell from the main futtock-shrouds to the deck, owing to a ratline giving way, and injured his right leg. On the night of 14 Nov. 1828 the Dove, which he then commanded, parted three chains in a heavy gale and drove on shore; and he and his crew were with difficulty saved. After being for a week on shore she was hove off.

Walter Broad Stocker was born 2 Aug. 1795. He is brother of

This officer entered the Navy, 4 Nov. 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Medusa 32, Capts. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie and Geo. Bell; under the former of whom he cruized with activity in the Bay of Biscay, assisted at the capture of several privateers, and frequently landed for the purpose of co-operating with the patriots on the north coast of Spain. He was also for some time employed in blockading Cherbourg. Removing, towards the close of 1813, to the Venerable 74, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Philip Chas. Durham in the West Indies, he was there, in 1815, afforded an opportunity of contributing to the reduction of Guadeloupe. He returned home in the spring of 1816; and on 16 Sept. in that year, having fought as Admiralty-Midshipman of the Prometheus sloop, Capt. Wm. Bateman Dashwood, at the bombardment of Algiers, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. From 14 Jan. 1822, until advanced to his present rank, 1 Jan. 1847, he served in the Coast Guard.

Commander Stocker, who is Senior of 1847, married, 4 June, 1839, Jane, daughter of the late Henry Fowkes, Esq., Deputy Recorder of Shrewsbury.

STODDART. (Commander, 1842. f-p., 15; h-p., 5.)

James Stoddart is third son of the late Rear-Admiral Pringle Stoddart.

This officer entered the Navy, 27 April, 1827, as Midshipman, on board the Wellesley 74, Capt. Fred. Lewis Maitland, fitting for the Mediterranean; on his return whence he joined, in Oct. 1830, the St. Vincent 120, Capt. Hyde Parker. He served next, from Feb. 1831 until Oct. 1834, as Midshipman and Mate (he passed his examination in July, 1833), in the Asia 84, flag-ship of the present Sir Wm. Parker off Lisbon – from April, 1835, until Oct. 1837, as Mate and Acting-Lieutenant, in the Columbine 18, Capt. Thos. Henderson, in the Mediterranean and on the coast of Africa – and from the latter date until Dec. 1838, as Mate, in the Donegal 78, Capt. John Drake, again off Lisbon. His official promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place on 27 of the month last mentioned. His next appointments were – 26 June, 1839, for 12 months, to the Princess Charlotte 104, bearing the flag of Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford in the Mediterranean – 27 Oct. 1840 to the Impregnable 104, Capt. Thos. Forrest, fitting at Plymouth – and 5 April, 1841, to the Cornwallis 72, fitting for the flag of Sir Wm. Parker, Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies. For his exertions during the operations on the coast of China, where he served on shore at the capture of Woosung,^[1] assisted at the reduction of Shanghae, and displayed excellent judgment and good conduct in command of the boats in the attack upon Chin-Kiang-Foo,t^[2]he was promoted to his present rank 23 Dec. 1842.^[3]: Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.

STODDART. (Captain, 1825. f-p., 17; h-p., 33.)

John Stoddart entered the Navy, in Dec. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Adamant 50, Capt. Wm. Hotham. In that ship, after cruizing off the coast of France, he sailed for the Cape of Good Hope, and on 11 Dec. 1799 assisted, in company with the Tremendous 74, in driving the French frigate La Preneuse on shore, under a heavy fire from the batteries in the neighbourhood of Port Louis, Isle of France. In Dec. 1801, having returned to England, he removed as Midshipman, a rating he had acquired in 1798, to the Firm sloop, Capt. Bulkeley Mackworth Praed, lying at Sheerness; where, in 1802, he joined the Albion 74, Capt. John Ferrier. In 1803 he was again placed under the command of Capt. Wm. Hotham in the Raisonnable 64, stationed in the North Sea. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 14 May, 1804; was next, from that year until he invalided in July, 1808, employed on the West India, Home, and Halifax stations in La Vertu, Capt. Roberts, and Melampus 36, Capts. Stephen Poyntz and Edw. Hawker; and in April, 1809 and Nov. 1811 was appointed, in the Mediterranean, to the Canopus 80, flag-ship of Admirals Geo. Martin and Chas. Boyles, and Invincible 74, Capt. Chas. Adam. In the Melampus he assisted in capturing two brigs, each carrying 2 long 24- pounders, 1 18-pounder, and 50 men, most of them soldiers; four luggers of 1 long 18-pounder and 25 men each, from Bordeaux bound to Brest; and a Spanish privateer, the Hydra, of 28 guns and 192 men, 3 of whom were killed and several wounded before she surrendered. In Sept. 1806, the Melampus being then in company with the Belleisle and Bellona 74’s, he contributed to the destruction, off Cape Henry, of the French 74 L’Impétueux. While serving in the Canopus he witnessed, 26 Oct. 1809, the self-destruction, off Cape Cette, of the ships of the line Robuste and Lion. He was nominated, 2 May, 1812, Acting-Commander of the Stromboli bomb; was confirmed to that vessel (in which he appears to have actively co-operated with the Catalonian patriots, and to have assisted at the capture of the fort of St. Philippe in the Col de Balaguer^[4]) 3 July following; and was subsequently, from July to Nov. 1814 and from 1 Jan. 1824 until posted 27 May, 1825, employed on the Mediterranean and West India stations in the Crocus and Primrose sloops. He accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846. Agent – J. Hinxman.

STODDART. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1841. f-p., 17; h-p., 47.)

Pringle Stoddart was born 23 May, 1768, and died 29 Jan. 1848, at 10, Bellevue Crescent, Edinburgh. This officer (who had been in the Hon.E.I.Co.’s service) entered the Navy, 29 April, 1783, as Midshipman, on board the Exeter 64, Capt. John Sam. Smith, under whom he took part, 20 June following, in;Sir Edw. Hughes’ action with M. de Suffrein off Cuddalore. In Aug. 1784, three months after he had arrived in England in the Africa 64, Capt. Robt. M‘Douall, he joined the Venus frigate, Capt. Chas. Hudson, on the Irish station, where he remained until paid off in the summer of 1786. He then entered the Russian navy in the capacity of Lieutenant; and, continuing in that service for a period of rather more than four years, was present in 1788-9 in two actions with the Turkish fleet and in a desperate battle fought, 9 July, 17S0, between the Russians and Swedes, the latter of whom gained a complete victory. On the first and last occasions Mr. Stoddart was wounded. In the course of 1791, having returned to England, he was received as Midshipman on board the Formidable 98, bearing the flag of Hon. John Leveson Gower, and Brunswick 74, Capt. Sir Roger Curtis. Towards the close of the same year he again joined the E.I.Co.’s service. On the renewal, however, of the war in 1793 he obtained the berth of Master’s Mate on board the Andromache 32, Capt. Theophilus Jones; and in her he made a voyage to the coast of America. He joined next the Valiant 74, Capts. Thos. Pringle and Christopher Parker (part of Lord Howe’s fleet in the action of 1 June, 1794), and Queen Charlotte 100, Capt. Sir Andrew Snape Douglas. In the latter ship, of which he was ultimately nominated Acting-Lieutenant, he shared in Lord Bridport’s rencontre with the French fleet off Ile de Groix 23 June, 1795. He was confirmed a Lieutenant 16 April, 1796; and was afterwards appointed in succession – in April and Aug. of the same year, to the Trident 64, Capt. Edw. Oliver Oshorn, and Tremendous 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admirals Thos. Pringle and Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian, both at the Cape of Good Hope – 23 Jan. 1799, for a passage home, to the Sphynx 20, Capt. Lord Augustus FitzRoy – 13 July following, to the Trusty 50, Capt. Bowen – and 2 June, 1800, 15 March, 1804, and 4