Davidge Gould
Sir Davidge Gould GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary, French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of admiral. He was one of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson's Band of Brothers at the Battle of the Nile in 1798.
Family and early life
Gould was born at Bridgwater, Somerset, the son of the Richard Gould, of Wells. He was distantly related to the authors Henry and Sarah Fielding, and was the nephew of the naturalist William Gould. His uncle, Sir Henry Gould, was a Justice of the Common Pleas. Davidge joined the navy in May 1772, serving as a volunteer in the Mediterranean aboard. He later moved to the North American coast, where he was advanced to midshipman. He was promoted to lieutenant on 7 May 1779, later serving aboard and. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War, taking part in attacks on shore batteries and cutting out American ships.He served in succession aboard, and, and was present aboard the Conqueror at Admiral Sir George Rodney's victory at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. He then moved aboard and promoted to commander in June 1782, after which he was given command of the sloop Pachahunter, and then and, on the Home and Mediterranean Stations. Gould spent 13 months aboard the Pylades, during which time he was active in anti-smuggling operations. He then spent four years on half-pay, before being promoted to post-captain on 23 March 1789, and assigned to the command of the frigate.
Captaincy
Image:The Battle of the Nile.jpg|thumb|right|The Destruction of 'L'Orient' at the Battle of the Nile by George Arnald. The battle was a decisive victory for the British, and a major blow to Napoleon's eastern ambitionsHe sailed to the West Indies Station aboard her, but by 1794, he was in the Mediterranean, in command of at the reduction of Corsica, and then at the Naval Battle of [Genoa (1795)|Naval Battle of Genoa] in March 1795, and the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands in July 1795, as part of Vice-Admiral William Hotham's fleet. During the action off Genoa, the Bedford came under fire from the Ça Ira and the Censeur, resulting in nine killed and seventeen wounded aboard the Bedford. Gould took command of in 1796, and was present at Admiral John Jervis's attack on Cádiz. He was still in command of Audacious when she was ordered to join Nelson's squadron in their search for the French. On 1 August, Gould commanded Audacious at the Battle of the Nile, engaging the French ship Conquérant and helped to force her surrender. Gould then took part in the blockades of Malta and Genoa for the rest of 1798 and into 1799.