Abstract
ADMIRAL RUSSELL HENRY MANNERS was born in London on the 31st of January, 1800, entered the Royal Naval College the 6th of May, 1813, and embarked March the 6th, 1816, as a volunteer on board the Minden, 74, Captain Paterson, in which, after assisting at the bombardment of Algiers, he proceeded to the East Indies, where he served under the flag of Sir Richard King, until nominated midshipman, the 1st of July, 1818, to the Orlando, 36, commanded by Captain John Clavell, with whom, in 1819, he returned to England on the Malabar, 74. After an intermediate employment on the Channel and West India stations in the Spartan and Pyramus frigates under Captains William Furlong Wise and Francis Newcombe, he became, the 29th of July, 1822, Acting Lieutenant of the Tyne, 26, Captain John Edward Walcot, to which vessel the Admiralty confirmed him the 19th of October following. In May 1823, he rejoined the Pyramus, still commanded by Captain Newcombe, under whom he continued until he obtained his promotion on the 16th of August, 1825. His last appointment was on the 21st of October, 1827, to the command of the Britomart, 10. The Britomart was first employed and intended for the Channel service under the order of the Commander-in-Chief, the Earl of Northesk, at Plymouth. She accompanied the squadron of ships escorting Don Miguel to Lisbon in the early part of 1828. In consequence of the revolution that followed in Portugal on Don Miguel declaring himself absolute, the Britomart was stationed at and off Oporto to watch the British interests there. The Constitutional party, failing to restore the Constitution against the usurped position of Don Miguel, the British Government withdrew her Minister from Lisbon, leaving the British interests in the hands of the Consul only, and Capt. Manners was selected to be in readiness to support him in case of need by keeping in sight of signals from Lisbon as long as the safety of the vessel permitted, but not to anchor within any Portuguese port unless absolutely necessary. This involved a long and vigilant cruising off and on the coast for about eight months, and through the whole of the winter. The only place communicated with during that time was Gibraltar, and then only to receive a supply of provisions and water from the dockyard. The yellow fever unfortunately breaking out at Gibraltar just before going there for this object, no communication could be had with the town, and the stay was confined to from twenty-four to forty-eight hours. The zeal and ability with which this service was carried out by Capt. Manners, as witnessed by Sir George Sartorius, there in command of the Portuguese Constitutional Squadron, and under whose orders in some degree the Britomart was placed, led to Capt Manners receiving his Post-rank on the 4th of March, 1829. He retired from active service in March 1849, became Rear-Admiral in July 1855, Vice-Admiral in April 1862, and Admiral in September 1865.
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Admiral Manners. Nature 2, 84–85 (1870). https://doi.org/10.1038/002084a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/002084a0