Admiral Sir R. Moorsom, K.C.B.

May 14. At his seat, Cosgrave Priory, near Northampton, in his 75th year, Sir Robert Moorsom, K.C.B. Admiral of the Blue.
He was the second son of Richard Moorsom, Esq. of Airy-Hall, near Whitby, an extensive shipowner, and a magistrate for Yorkshire. Having received an excellent education under the Rev. Mr. Holmes, at Scorton, in that county, he spent some time on board one of his father's ships; and, about the age of seventeen, entered the royal navy. He served as a midshipman under Captain Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, in the Ardent and Courageous; and in the latter ship bore part in the battle off Ushant, the relief of Gibraltar, and other important services.
After passing his examination for a lieutenancy, he went with Commodore Sir John Linzee to the Mediterranean, and was appointed first to the Sphinx, and afterwards to the Thetis, which, having been employed in the Grecian Archipelago, and at Athens, returned to England, and was paid off in 1786.
In the following year, Lieutenant Moorsom joined the Ariel sloop, intended for the East Indies, to examine the Bengal coast, and report on the practicability of refitting ships there. He was specially employed in several surveys on the coast of Pegu and Sumatra, and the neighbouring islands, and manifested a peculiar fitness for the employment. Having at length resigned his command, from ill-health, he returned to England in May, 1791, and found he had been made a post-Captain in the preceding November.
When the war of 1793 broke out, Captain Moorsom was appointed to the Niger frigate, and sent to ascertain the enemy's force at Brest, which he satisfactorily accomplished. Shortly after he was appointed to the Astrea frigate, in which he proceeded to Elsineur, and brought home the Baltic convoy.
In 1804, he was appointed to the Majestic, 74, and joined Admiral Russell, of the Texel. In April 1805, he was appointed to the Revenge, 74, and was attached to the Channel fleet, under Admiral Cornwallis; by whom he was sent, in Sir R. Calder's squadron, to re-inforce Lord Collingwood off Cadiz, where they were joined shortly afterwards by Nelson: then came the ever memorable day of Trafalgar.
In order to give every scope to individual exertion. Nelson made the signal for each ship to close her opponent in the line as quickly as possible. Captain Moorsom's plan was decided in a moment. Instead of following in the team, he instantly hauled out of the line of battle, and, marking his antagonist, steered directly for her, pouring a tremendous raking fire into each of the enemy's ships as he cut their line, to grapple with his opponents muzzle to muzzle.
The Prince of Asturias, of 112 guns, bearing an admiral's flag, and four other ships, appeared to form a corps de reserve to leeward; and for two hours Captain Moorsom was engaged with these ships; Gravina, in the three-decker, on one side, a French 74 on the other, and the remaining three firing at him, how and when they could. The Africa, which, being in Nelson's division, had run the gauntlet along the enemy's line, now approached to his support, and the rear of Collingwood's line being at hand, Gravina and his squadron at length bore round up out of the fight, without having been actually engaged with any other ship but the Revenge. The science and seamanship evinced by Captain Moorsom in the mode of carrying his ship into action, were no less conspicuous on this occasion than the cool resolution with which he attacked so superior a force; and it has been truly observed, that in this decisive victory Captain Moorsom bore a most distinguished and active part.
At the funeral of Nelson, Capt. Moorsom bore the great banner. In 1806, he resigned the command of the Revenge, and in 1807 was nominated private-secretary to Lord Mulgrave (brother to his former commander), who was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Captain Moorsom's scientific acquirements peculiarly fitted him for this situation. In 1809, he was appointed Colonel of Marines, and nominated one of the Lords of the Admiralty; soon after which, Lord Mulgrave becoming Master-general of the Ordnance, Captain Moorsom was appointed to the office of Surveyor-general of that board, accompanied with a seat in Parliament for Queenborough.
The life of a man holding office in a department of the executive government, seldom affords an incident for the pen of the biographer. Those reforms and improvements which administrative talent and straight-forward honesty of purpose will effect, are known only to those concerned in the circuit of the office duties. Such improvements were effected by Sir Robert Moorsom in the several offices he filled, and in none of them were his benevolence and humanity more conspicuous than in the change from the old mode of grinding gun-barrels, to which many lives were sacrificed. At his suggestion, the turning-lathe was substituted for the grindstone. He was succeeded as Master-general by the present Lord Downes, in March 1820.
In 1810, he was appointed a Rear-Admiral, and in 1814 a Vice-Admiral. At the enlargement of the order of the Bath, in 1815, he was nominated a Knight-Commander, and from 1824 to 1827, was Commander-in-chief at Chatham. In 1830 he attained the full rank of Admiral. His latter years were spent at Cosgrave Priory, in Northamptonshire, a seat which he rented of J. C. Mansel, Esq., and which had previously been the residence of Lord Lynedoch.
Sir Robert Moorsom married, in 1791, Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Scarth, Esq. of Stakesby, near Whitby, and by that lady, who died April 12,1828, in her 63d year, and was buried at Cosgrave, he had several children, of whom Captain Robert Moorsom, R.N. died in 1826 in command of the Jasper; Constantine Richard, post-Captain 1818, commanded the Fury bomb at the battle of Algiers; and Maria Margaret was married Aug. 8, 1815, to the Rev. Henry Longueville Mansel, Rector of Cosgrave, who died in the spring of the present year (see vol. iii. p. 441), leaving seven children.

From the Google book - The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 4, Sylvanus Urban, 1835.

Admiral Sir R. Moorsom, K.C.B.

May 14. At his seat, Cosgrave Priory, near Northampton, in his 75th year, Sir Robert Moorsom, K.C.B. Admiral of the Blue.
He was the second son of Richard Moorsom, Esq. of Airy-Hall, near Whitby, an extensive shipowner, and a magistrate for Yorkshire. Having received an excellent education under the Rev. Mr. Holmes, at Scorton, in that county, he spent some time on board one of his father's ships; and, about the age of seventeen, entered the royal navy. He served as a midshipman under Captain Phipps, afterwards Lord Mulgrave, in the Ardent and Courageous; and in the latter ship bore part in the battle off Ushant, the relief of Gibraltar, and other important services.
After passing his examination for a lieutenancy, he went with Commodore Sir John Linzee to the Mediterranean, and was appointed first to the Sphinx, and afterwards to the Thetis, which, having been employed in the Grecian Archipelago, and at Athens, returned to England, and was paid off in 1786.
In the following year, Lieutenant Moorsom joined the Ariel sloop, intended for the East Indies, to examine the Bengal coast, and report on the practicability of refitting ships there. He was specially employed in several surveys on the coast of Pegu and Sumatra, and the neighbouring islands, and manifested a peculiar fitness for the employment. Having at length resigned his command, from ill-health, he returned to England in May, 1791, and found he had been made a post-Captain in the preceding November.
When the war of 1793 broke out, Captain Moorsom was appointed to the Niger frigate, and sent to ascertain the enemy's force at Brest, which he satisfactorily accomplished. Shortly after he was appointed to the Astrea frigate, in which he proceeded to Elsineur, and brought home the Baltic convoy.
In 1804, he was appointed to the Majestic, 74, and joined Admiral Russell, of the Texel. In April 1805, he was appointed to the Revenge, 74, and was attached to the Channel fleet, under Admiral Cornwallis; by whom he was sent, in Sir R. Calder's squadron, to re-inforce Lord Collingwood off Cadiz, where they were joined shortly afterwards by Nelson: then came the ever memorable day of Trafalgar.
In order to give every scope to individual exertion. Nelson made the signal for each ship to close her opponent in the line as quickly as possible. Captain Moorsom's plan was decided in a moment. Instead of following in the team, he instantly hauled out of the line of battle, and, marking his antagonist, steered directly for her, pouring a tremendous raking fire into each of the enemy's ships as he cut their line, to grapple with his opponents muzzle to muzzle.
The Prince of Asturias, of 112 guns, bearing an admiral's flag, and four other ships, appeared to form a corps de reserve to leeward; and for two hours Captain Moorsom was engaged with these ships; Gravina, in the three-decker, on one side, a French 74 on the other, and the remaining three firing at him, how and when they could. The Africa, which, being in Nelson's division, had run the gauntlet along the enemy's line, now approached to his support, and the rear of Collingwood's line being at hand, Gravina and his squadron at length bore round up out of the fight, without having been actually engaged with any other ship but the Revenge. The science and seamanship evinced by Captain Moorsom in the mode of carrying his ship into action, were no less conspicuous on this occasion than the cool resolution with which he attacked so superior a force; and it has been truly observed, that in this decisive victory Captain Moorsom bore a most distinguished and active part.
At the funeral of Nelson, Capt. Moorsom bore the great banner. In 1806, he resigned the command of the Revenge, and in 1807 was nominated private-secretary to Lord Mulgrave (brother to his former commander), who was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Captain Moorsom's scientific acquirements peculiarly fitted him for this situation. In 1809, he was appointed Colonel of Marines, and nominated one of the Lords of the Admiralty; soon after which, Lord Mulgrave becoming Master-general of the Ordnance, Captain Moorsom was appointed to the office of Surveyor-general of that board, accompanied with a seat in Parliament for Queenborough.
The life of a man holding office in a department of the executive government, seldom affords an incident for the pen of the biographer. Those reforms and improvements which administrative talent and straight-forward honesty of purpose will effect, are known only to those concerned in the circuit of the office duties. Such improvements were effected by Sir Robert Moorsom in the several offices he filled, and in none of them were his benevolence and humanity more conspicuous than in the change from the old mode of grinding gun-barrels, to which many lives were sacrificed. At his suggestion, the turning-lathe was substituted for the grindstone. He was succeeded as Master-general by the present Lord Downes, in March 1820.
In 1810, he was appointed a Rear-Admiral, and in 1814 a Vice-Admiral. At the enlargement of the order of the Bath, in 1815, he was nominated a Knight-Commander, and from 1824 to 1827, was Commander-in-chief at Chatham. In 1830 he attained the full rank of Admiral. His latter years were spent at Cosgrave Priory, in Northamptonshire, a seat which he rented of J. C. Mansel, Esq., and which had previously been the residence of Lord Lynedoch.
Sir Robert Moorsom married, in 1791, Eleanor, daughter of Thomas Scarth, Esq. of Stakesby, near Whitby, and by that lady, who died April 12,1828, in her 63d year, and was buried at Cosgrave, he had several children, of whom Captain Robert Moorsom, R.N. died in 1826 in command of the Jasper; Constantine Richard, post-Captain 1818, commanded the Fury bomb at the battle of Algiers; and Maria Margaret was married Aug. 8, 1815, to the Rev. Henry Longueville Mansel, Rector of Cosgrave, who died in the spring of the present year (see vol. iii. p. 441), leaving seven children.

From the Google book - The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 4, Sylvanus Urban, 1835.