William Fisher

Rear-Admiral William Fisher (1780-1852) entered the navy in 1796. After serv ing in the North Sea, at the Cape of Good Hope, in the Mediterranean, he was acting lieutenant of the Foudroyant on the coast of Egypt and was confirmed in the rank on 3 September 1801. In 1805 he was lieutenant of the Superb during the chase of Villeneuve to the West Indies and in 1806 was promoted to commander. In 1808 he commanded the Racehorse of 18 guns in the Channel, and in the same ship, in 1809-10, was employed in surveying in the Mozambique. In March 1811 he was made post and in 1816-17 commanded in succession the Bann and Cherub, each of 20 guns, on the coast of Guinea, in both of which he captured several slavers and pirates, some of them after a desperate resistance. From March 1836 to May 1841 he commanded the Asia in the Mediterranean, and in 1840, during the operations on the coast of Syria, was employed as senior oflicer of the detached squadron off Alexandria, with the task of keeping open the mail communication through Egypt. For this service he received the Turkish gold medal and diamond decoration. He had no further service afloat, but became a rear-admiral in 1847.

He wrote one historic naval fiction novel which is not copyright in many countries is available as a free eBook