Lucius Curtis
Sir Lucius Curtis | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Sir Lucius Curtis (with the frigate HMS Magicienne burning in the background) on a pub sign in Southampton | |
| Born | 3 June 1786 Portsea, Hampshire |
| Died | 14 January 1869 (aged 82) Portsdown Hill, Hampshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1795–1869 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands | HMS Jalouse HMS Rose HMS Magicienne HMS Iphigenia HMS Madagascar Malta Dockyard |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Lucius Curtis, 2nd Baronet, KCB (3 June 1786 – 14 January 1869) was a Royal Navy officer. The son of Roger Curtis, Lord Howe's flag captain at the Glorious First of June, Curtis served in the Napoleonic Wars. During the Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811, he commanded the frigate HMS Magicienne as part of a blockade squadron under Josias Rowley and was still in command when the ship was destroyed at the Battle of Grand Port. Magicienne grounded on a coral reef early in the engagement and despite the best efforts of Curtis and his crew, the ship had to be abandoned, and was set on fire to prevent her subsequent capture.
After Curtis was freed from French captivity in December 1810, he was cleared of any wrongdoing in the loss of his ship and returned to his naval career. Curtis later rose to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. As his eldest son predeceased him, the baronetcy in 1869 passed to his second son, Arthur.