► Royal Navy ► O'Byrne
The following is the entry for Manley Hall Dixon in William O'Byrnes 1849 'Naval Biographical Dictionary'.
DIXON. (Captain, 1811. f-p., 20; h-p., 33.) Manley Hall Dixon, born 8 June, 1786, at Stoke Damarell, co. Devon, is son of Admiral of the Red the late Sir Manley Dixon, K.C.B. (who commanded in chief at Plymouth from April, 1830, to April, 1833, and died 8 Feb. 1837), by his first wife, Miss Christiana Hall, of Jamaica; and brother of Capt. Mathew Chas. Dixon, R.E.>br> This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1794, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Porcupine 24, commanded by his father, with whom he continued to serve, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant, in L’Espion 38, the Lion 64, and Le Généreux 74, on the Channel, North Sea, Irish, and Mediterranean stations, until Aug. 1801. On 15 July, 1798, being off Carthagena, he took part in a brilliant action between the Lion and four Spanish frigates of 42 guns each, which terminated in the surrender of one of the latter, the Santa Dorothea; subsequently to which, when in company with the Penelope and Foudroyant at the blockade of Malta, he further assisted at the capture, 31 March, 1800, of the French 80-gun ship Guillaume Tell, after a tremendous conflict, in which the Lion experienced a loss of 8 men killed and 38 wounded. When in Le Généreux, Mr. Dixon witnessed the taking, 24 Aug. 1800, of La Diane, of 42 guns, and the surrender, in Sept. following, of the island of Malta. On next accompanying his father into the Alexander 74, he was officially promoted, by commission dated 10 April, 1802. The latter ship being paid off in the ensuing Aug., he was afterwards appointed – 7 Oct. 1803, to the Terrible 74, Capt. Lord Henry Paulet, which ship, while in pursuit, in the West Indies, of a squadron under M. Villaumez, was totally dismasted and all but lost during a terrific hurricane of 36 hours’ continuance, 18 and 19 Aug. 1806 – and, 4 June, 1807, to the Horatio 38, Capt. Geo. Scott. On 10 Feb. 1809, being First-Lieutenant of that frigate, Mr. Dixon was badly wounded by a musket-ball, which entered the left groin and passed through the thigh, while sharing in a long and severe action which terminated in the capture – with a loss to the Horatio (then in company with the Latona 38, and Supérieure and Driver sloops) of 7 men killed and 26 wounded – of the French 40-gun frigate La Junon. For his gallantry on the occasion he was eventually promoted to the rank of Commander by commission dated back to the day of the action; and, besides the receipt of a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, was awarded for his wounds a pension of 250l. Capt. Dixon, whose next appointment was, 22 Oct. 1810, to the Fly brig, attained Post-rank 28 June, 1811. From that period he officiated as Flag-Captain to his father, in the Vigo and Montagu 74’s, on the Baltic and South American stations, until 29 July, 1813, when he exchanged into the Nereus 42. After accompanying the homeward-bound trade to the northward as far as the Equator, Capt. Dixon assumed charge of a small squadron stationed in the Rio de la Plata. He left the Nereus 11 Jan. 1815; afterwards commanded the Pallas 42, on the West India station, from 15 March, 1831, until some time in the following year; and, since 22 May, 1845, has been employed as Captain of the Caledonia 120, at Devonport.He married, 18 April, 1815, Harriet, second daughter of Wm. Foot, Esq., of Devonport. |
Top↑
 |