Captain Stephen Poyntz.



This officer entered the Navy on the 11th of March, 1784, on board the Blenheim, Capt. Boxer, lying at Plymouth. In the course of the same year he sailed for the coast of Africa in the Grampus, Capt. Thompson; and, in 1785-6, he served at Newfoundland in the Winchelsea, Capt. Pellew. After cruizing for a few months on the Halifax station in the Adamant 50, Capt. Knox, he was made Lieutenant into the Thisbe, Capt. George on the 1st of Jan 1791.
He next, in Jan 1793, joined the Leda frigate, Capt. Campbell, attached to the force in the Mediterranean. He attained the rank of Commander on the 31st of Oct 1795, in the Childers sloop, on the Channel station. He was made Post on the 5th of Dec. 1796, into the Camilla 24, also employed in the Channel; and was subsequently appointed, on the 16th of Aug 1797, to the Solebay 32, in the West Indies. On the 1st of Jan 1801 he joined the Beaulieu 40, in the Channel, where he remained until May 1802.

On the 7th of Aug 1804,he removed to the Melampus 36, on the Home and West India stations. then on the 14th of Oct 1806, for two months, to the Tartar 32, at Halifax, and on the13th of Feb 1810, to the Edgar 74, in which ship he served in the Baltic until the following Dec. In the Childers Capt. Poyntz effected the capture, on the 14th of Sept 1796, of La Bonne Espérance a privateer, of 2 swivels and 25 men; and, in company with the Melampus, Capt. Graham Moore, aided in taking, on the13th of Nov following, Aetna corvette, of 18 guns, pierced for 20.
During his command of the Solebay he gained a prize, in the course of 1798, of the privateers Augustine of 2 guns and 23 men, Destin of 4 guns and 46 men, and Prosperite of 8 guns and 61 men. He also gallantly enforced the surrender, on the 24th of Nov 1799, off the island of St. Domingo, of a French squadron, consisting of L’Egyptienne armed store-ship, of 20 guns and 137 men, Eole ship-corvette, of 18 guns and 107 men, Levrier brig-corvette, of 12 guns and 96 men, and Vengeur schooner, of 8 guns and 91 men.

Capt. Poyntz was in command of the Beaulieu in 1801, when the boats of that ship and of the Doris and Uranie frigates cut out La Chevrette corvette, of, 20 guns and 350 men, one of the most surprising exploits of the kind ever achieved. In the Melampus we find him capturing two brigs, each carrying two long 24-pounders, one 18-pounder, and 50 men, most of them soldiers; four luggers of one 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, being in the same ship in company with the Belleisle and Bellona 74’s, he contributed to the destruction, off Cape Henry, of the French 74 L’Impétueux.

He became a Rear-Admiral on the 12th of Aug 1819, a Vice-Admiral on the 22nd of July 1830, and a full Admiral on the 23rd of Nov 1841.He died on the12th of May, 1847, at his seat, Bedhampton, near Portsmouth, aged 78.