The Commander [Nov 02]

At Appledore, towards the close of 1793, a nineteen-year-old Able Seaman Silas Hiscutt Paddon volunteered to join the Royal Navy on board the brig ISCA. Silas, son of James and Catherine Paddon, was born at Abbotsham on the 12th of May, 1774. ISCA, 127 tons, was built for an Exeter company in 1792. Soon after launch she was hired by the Royal Navy and regularly carried men and supplies from Cardiff and other Bristol Channel ports to Portsmouth. She sank in St. George’s Channel on the 17th of December, 1820 when all of her crew were saved. In 1797 Silas transferred to the Viper a twelve-gun cutter. Over the next four years Silas, an acting midshipman, patrolled the French coast and visited Sierra Leone. On December 26th 1799, under the command of Lieutenant Pengelly, Silas assisted in the capture of the French fourteen-gun privateer La Furet and fifty-seven men. During the night of 29th July, 1800, under command of Lieutenant Coghlan, Silas and nineteen men in a single boat captured the seven-gun brig La Cerbere. Alongside in port La Cerbere was within pistol shot of three batteries of heavy guns, several armed vessels and a mile from a seventy-four. In a desperate struggle Viper’s boat was beaten back twice but persisted in it’s attack. Six of La Cerbere’s crew of seventy-eight were killed and twenty wounded including all the officers. Viper had one crewman killed and ten wounded one of whom was Silas. Whilst clambering aboard La Cerbere.

Silas received two pike wounds under the ribs on his right side, two on his left side and through his left leg, in addition two sword cuts, one on his left hand and one on his head. His injuries confined him to his cot for six weeks. Unable to attend a medical assessment board at Greenwich he was denied compensation for his injuries. Later Silas assisted in the capture of a fourteen-gun privateer carrying seventy-three men Le Hero. Also the defeat of the Tapaggeur a sixteen-gun corvette. Viper was paid off in December 1801. Silas transferred to the Cambridge 74 but during 1802 he was also aboard the Centaur 74, the frigate Diamond and the cutter Nimble. In 1803 he sailed for the Mediterranean on the Hindostan store ship but it was ‘burnt out’ in the Bay of Rosas on the 2nd of April, 1804. For short periods during 1804 Silas sailed on the Triumph and Superb 74’s, frigates Juno and Seahorse, the Madras 54 and Thisbe 28. Whilst aboard the Thisbe Silas was advanced to the rank of Lieutenant on the 20th April, 1804. Returning to England he joined the Zealand 64 guardship at the Nore. Silas was a Lieutenant on the Zealand when William Pickard went aboard. See ‘The Boson’ in September’s edition of Buzz. May, 1806 saw Silas in command of the 78 ton four-gun schooner Cuckoo in which he accompanied the 1809 expedition to Walcheren.

Cuckoo was employed on the North Sea stations until wrecked on Haak Sands near Haarlem the 4th of April, 1810. During the sinking a falling spar broke Silas’s right shoulder-blade and two of his ribs. He was also seriously bruised on his back and chest. At the board of enquiry he was admonished for relying too heavily on the pilot Joseph Delaby who, by then, had deserted. Silas’s greater punishment was having his five year old son washed from his arms and seeing him die of exposure. Silas and all of Cuckoo’s survivors were quickly captured and imprisoned by the French. On release Silas was posted to the Prince Frederick, flag ship at Plymouth, until it was paid off in 1815.

From 1815 to 1816 he was in charge of a signal station but without further research one cannot be sure where. On the 27th of March 1826 he was advanced to the rank of Commander and put on half pay. For the rest of his life Silas was troubled by the injuries received during the sinking of the Cuckoo. Regrettably his wife Priscilla, nee Wills Hawkins, whom he married at Stoke Damerel on 4th January, 1802 and all his four children died.

Finally he became Commissioner of Pilotage at Padstow and married a Miss P. Richards on the 19th of February, 1833. Silas and his second wife are buried in Padstow surrounded by her relatives.