William Mounsey CB (1766 – 25 September 1830) was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary, the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of Captain.
Family and early life
Mounsey was born in 1766, as the fifth son of George Mounsey, of Carlisle. He joined the navy on 23 February 1780, at the age of 13, becoming a midshipman aboard , under Captain Sir Digby Dent, who would become Mounsey's patron. The Royal Oak was sent to the North American Station in May to reinforce Vice-admiral Mariot Arbuthnot's fleet. During the voyage Mounsey took part in the capture of a French East Indiaman. They reached their destination on 13 July, after which Arbuthnot raised his flag aboard the Royal Oak, whilst Dent and Mounsey moved aboard . The Raisonnable then returned home with despatches, but the ship was so badly damaged by a gale whilst crossing the Atlantic, that she was paid off on her arrival for large-scale repairs. Dent and Mounsey transferred again, this time to , initially under Vice-Admiral George Darby, but later being detached to land stores at Gibraltar in April 1781.
Dent and Mounsey were transferred again at the end of the year, this time to the third rate . Dent retired about this time due to ill-health, with Captain William Allen. Mounsey and the Cumberland sailed to the East Indies on 6 February 1782, joining the squadron there under Sir Richard Bickerton. They were in time to see action at the Battle of Cuddalore, between Sir Edward Hughes and the Bailli de Suffren. Cumberland had two killed and 11 wounded in the battle, fought on 20 June 1783. Mounsey returned to England in May 1784, becoming midshipman aboard the sloop . He passed his lieutenant's examination on 3 December 1788, and went on to serve aboard , , and .
Lieutenancy and promotions
With the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars, Mounsey returned to HMS Victory, then under Admiral Lord Hood. He was promoted to lieutenant on 22 May 1793, and appointed to , under Robert Manners-Sutton, and then to the frigate . He was present at the occupation of Toulon, and at numerous assaults during the capture of Corsica. Whilst blockading Bastia, he led a dangerous attempt to cut-out a vessel laden with gunpowder, lying the harbour. Mounsey was successful, and the loss of the ship accelerate the fall of the city. He returned to Britain aboard , and was afterwards appointed to , , HMS Duke, and in succession. On 6 July 1801 he led the boats from Clyde and her escorts to destroy the beached wreck of , coming under heavy fire as they did so. Mounsey remained aboard HMS Clyde until being promoted to commander on 29 April 1802. He was appointed on 17 May 1802 to command of the sloop Rosario. During his time aboard her he was tasked with carrying despatches, reconnoitering enemy positions, escorting convoys, and conducting anti-smuggling patrols. Also during this period he captured a number of enemy merchants, as well as a 22-gun privateer.
HMS Bonne Citoyenne and the Furieuse
He left the Rosario in autumn 1808, and on 18 April 1809, he was appointed to the 20-gun . He was sent with despatches for Earl St Vincent then at Lisbon. He returned to England after completing this, and on 18 June sailed from Spithead in company with . The two were acting as escorts for a convoy bound for Quebec. Whilst travelling with the convoy on 2 July, a suspicious sail was sighted astern, and Mounsey dropped back to investigate. In doing so he lost sight of the convoy and in sailing to rejoin them, came across a French frigate on 5 July, which was in the process of capturing an English merchant. Despite the much larger size of the frigate, Mounsey immediately gave chase, at which the French ship fled northwards. After a chase lasting 18 hours the Bonne Citoyenne caught up with the French ship on the morning of 6 July and brought her to battle. The subsequent engagement lasted seven hours, with Bonne Citoyenne at a disadvantage early on, when three of her guns were dismounted. She nevertheless fired 129 broadsides to the enemy's 70. By the end of the battle Bonne Citoyenne had lost her top masts, her lower masts were badly damaged, and her rigging, sails and boats had been shot to pieces. Running out of powder Mounsey decided to force the issue and ordered his men to be prepared to board the French ship. Before he could do so, the French surrendered and Mounsey took possession.