THE HAMPSHIRE ANTIQUARY & NATURALIST, 



Court, comes of a well-known Hampshire family, 

 concerning which the London Echo says : 



His ancestors monopolised the Parliamentary representa- 

 tion of either Lymington or Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) for 

 over a century and a half, from 1679 to l8 35' w i tn the ex- 

 ception of one Parliament, during Sir Robert Walpole's 

 second Administration, from 1735 to 1740. Sir Harry is the 

 sixth baronet, the title being created in 1769. Most of the 

 previous bearers of the title have become notorious in one 

 way or another. The first baronet, for instance, Sir 

 Harry, who was M.P. for Lymington for forty-three years, 

 held what was considered the proud position of Bow 

 Bearer to the Ring in the New Forest, and was also Riding 

 Forester to His Majesty, besides being Gentleman Usher to 

 the Prince of Wales. Admiral Sir Harry, the second 

 baronet, held Lymington for forty-six years. He was pre- 

 sented with the thanks of the City of London for the 

 gallantry he displayed at the Mutiny at the Nore, which 

 consisted in cutting the cable of his frigate, the St. 

 Fiorenzo, and successfully running the gauntlet of a 

 severe fire from the men-of-war by which he was sur- 

 rounded. 



A FAMILY OF HEROES. 



Mr. G. Waller, of Southampton, forwards to us 

 a biographical notice of Admiral Ayscough, taken 

 from the Illustrated London News of January 9, 1864. 

 Admiral Ayscough lies buried in St. Mary's Church- 

 yard, the tomb, which was restored a few years ago, 

 being close to the Workhouse wall in the north-east 

 corner. He died in his 8gth year. From the notice 

 referred to we extract the following : 



Admiral John Ayscough, Admiral of the Red, the oldest 

 Admiral in the Navy, whom Sir J. Duckworth characteris- 

 tically styled " a child of the service," was born on board 

 H.M.S. Swan at the very time a desperate action was 

 fought by that vessel on her passage home from North 

 America. He was the son of the late Captain John 

 Ayscough, who was in command of the Swan on the occa- 

 sion, and lost his leg from a wound. Admiral Ayscough 

 was also the brother of Commander James Ayscough, an 

 officer distinguished as Lieutenant in the Monarch, at 

 Copenhagen, in 1801, and presented by the Patriotic 

 Society with a sword for his gallantry in storming a 

 battery in Martinique, and was grandnephew of 

 the Rev. Francis Ayscough, D.D., Dean of Bristol, and 

 preceptor to King George HI, and cousin of Admiral Sir 

 George Cockbum, G.C.B. Admiral Ayscough entered the 

 Royal Navy in August, 1787, and when he obtained his 

 lieutenancy he comtnandeJ the Blanche in the expedition 

 to the Helder, and was one of the first boats that effected 

 a landing. He was in the expeditions to Quiberon and 

 Cadiz, and led a party of seamen in the Egyptian campaign, 

 1801, and obtained, in reward, a Turkish gold medal. 

 After a further course of active and gallant conduct, 

 Ayscough, then a captain, was employed at the blockade 

 of Havre de Grace. He formed part, at the request of 

 Admiral Sir G. Hood, of that officer's squadron in the ex- 

 pedition against Madeira, and, on his return home with 

 the Admiral's despatches, he was sent to a high northern 

 latitude for the protection of Greenland fisheries, subse- 

 quently taking the Earl of Roden and suite to the Medi- 

 terranean, and had charge of a fleet of merchantmen, by 

 the masters of whom Captain Ayscough was forwarded a 



letter of thanks for his great and unremitting attention. 

 During 1809, Captain Ayscough was cruising off Italy, and 

 was at the capture of Procida and Ischia, destroying the 

 batteries and capturing several gun-boats. Captain 

 Ayscough about this time attracted the notice of 

 Admiral G. Martin by his handsome support of 

 the Spartan and Espoir in an attack on 

 the batteries at Terracina. Shortly after, Captain 

 Ayscough, with two frigates and se\ eral sloops under his 

 orders, had assigned to him the deeply responsible duty of 

 protecting Sicily against the threatened invasion of 

 Joachim Murat, whose every attempt although in com- 

 mand of 40,000 troops and 200 gun-boatsto gain a foot- 

 ing on the island Ayscough ablv and happily succeeded, 

 by the most indomitable exertions, in frustrating. From 

 1822 to 1825 he commanded the Ordinary at Plymouth ; 

 and, for his subsequent able management as Commissioner 

 of Jamaica and Bermuda dockyards, was honoured with 

 the thanks of the Board of Admiralty. When the practice 

 of awarding good-service pensions was instituted Captain 

 Ayscough was the first to whom the boon was extended. 

 He became an Admiral of the Red Oct. 3, 1855. The 

 Admiral married Miss Parr, daughter of Commodore 

 Thomas Parr, a descendant of the celebrated Earl 

 Godolphin, and has left a son, Hawkins Godolphin Ays- 

 cough, Esq., and two daughters. The Admiral's remains 

 were interred with naval honours in the family vault in 

 Southampton. 



Admiral Ayscough's son and daughter still reside 

 in Prospect-place, Southampton. 



WEATHER REPORT FOR THE WEEK. 



From the meteorological register made at the Ordnance 

 Survey Office, Southampton, under the direction of Col. Sir 

 Chas. Wilson, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., F.R.S , R.E. Lat. 50 

 54 '' so"N. ; long. i 24' o" W. ; height above sea, 84 feet. 

 Observers Sergt. T. Chambers, R.E., and Mr. J. T. Cook. 



*Black bulb in vacuo. 



