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The following is the entry for Nicholas Vansittart in William O'Byrnes 1849 'Naval Biographical Dictionary'.
VANSITTART. (Commander, 1847.) Nicholas Vansittart is fifth son of the late Arthur Vansittart, Esq., of Shottesbrook, co. Berks, by Caroline, fourth daughter of William, first Lord Auckland, and sister of the late First Lord of the Admiralty. One of his brothers, Arthur, the eldest, is married to a daughter of General Sir John Crosbie, K.C.B., of Watergate, co. Sussex; another, Francis, is a First-Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery; and two more, William and Henry, are in the civil service of the Hon.E.I.Co. He is brotherin-law of Lord Vaux of Harrowden; and cousin of the present Lord Bexley and the late Vice-Admiral Henry Vansittart.This officer entered the Navy 3 Feb. 1832; passed his examination 9 March, 1839; and, sailing in 1841 for China, as Mate, in the Cornwallis 72, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker, took part there, in 1842, in the operations on shore at Tsekee, in the attack upon the fortified heights at Chapoo, and at the capture of the batteries at Woosung. As a reward for his services he was presented with a commission bearing date 23 Dec. 1842. He was afterwards, from 18 Jan. 1843 until advanced to his present rank 7 Jan. 1847, employed, the latter part of the time as First-Lieutenant, in the Agincourt 72, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Sir Thos. John Cochrane on the East India station. On 8 July, 1846, having accompanied (he was at that period filling the post of Flag-Lieutenant) an expedition conducted by the Rear-Admiral in person against the Sultan of Borneo, he was present, on the staff; at the destruction of the enemy’s forts and batteries on the river Brune. In the course of the same month he was engaged, as Aide-de-Camp to the commanding officer, Capt. Geo. Rodney Mundy, in an arduous and fruitless pursuit of the Sultan’s person up a branch of that stream and across a difficult swampy country. His conduct on the latter occasion obtained Capt. Mundy's thanks. |
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