Rear Admiral William Furlong Wise, (21 August 1784 – 29 April 1844) was a British naval officer.
Childhood
Wise was born at the family home in Woolston near Kingsbridge, Devon, the son of George Furlong Wise of Woolston and his wife, Jane (née Dacres). His mother was the sister of Vice-Admiral James Richard Dacres (1749–1810) and also of Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dacres (1761–1837), two connections which would serve him well in his future naval career. Indeed, the name James Richard Dacres appears several times in Wise's lifetime because his uncle James Richard Dacres had a son, also called James Richard Dacres (1788–1853) who served alongside Wise at various times.
Early career
Wise entered the navy on 7 February 1797 on the frigate under his uncle Richard Dacres, and served, for the most part, with him on the home station, the coast of France, and in the West Indies.
On 1 May 1804 he was promoted to lieutenant of the at Jamaica. At that time his uncle Vice Admiral James Dacres was second in command on the Jamaica station, serving under Sir John Thomas Duckworth and flying his flag in the Franchise.
Wise was a lieutenant on when she was caught in a hurricane off the West Indies in September 1804. His fellow lieutenant on Theseus Edward Burt (later Captain) drew a set of four prints which are in the National Maritime Museum. Wise was to later commission Thomas Luny recreate two of them as oil paintings when they had both retired to Devon. Wise then spent a brief period on .
On 1 November 1805 (confirmed on 22 February 1806) he was promoted to commander of the Drake. On 14 January 1806 he was transferred to , a sloop of war which was previously under the command of his cousin Commander James Richard Dacres
On 5 May Elk, under Wise's command, captured a Spanish privateer rowboat armed with a swivel gun and small arms. The privateer was five days out of Santiago and had taken two doggers. Elk caught up with the privateer off Cape Cruz, Cuba, captured her and retook one of the doggers. The privateer was the Cubana, with a 14-man crew, only five of whom were still aboard.
HMS Mediator
On 18 May 1806 he was promoted to post-captain and appointed to the Mediator. On 16 February 1807 Wise in Mediator and James Richard Dacres in Bacchante led a raid on the fort at Samana. He was subsequently awarded a sword worth £100 from Lloyd's Patriotic Fund, which bears the inscription "From the Patriotic Fund at Lloyd's to William Furlong Wise Esq. Capt. of H.M.S. Mediator for his Gallant Conduct in Storming and Destroying with the Seamen and Marines belonging to His Majesty's Ships Bacchante and Mediator the Fort and Cannon in the Harbour of Samana on 16th of February 1807 as Recorded in the London Gazette of the 25th of April" In July 1807 Wise was invalided out of Mediator, and spent some time in the West Indies recuperating.
Marriage
On 16 June 1810, he married Frances Grant Grenfell of England, the only daughter of William Grenfell. Fanny accompanied Wise on at least one voyage, as attested to by Captain Coggeshall of the Leo in his account of his capture and passage to Gibraltar as Wise's prisoner.
HMS Granicus - Bombardment of Algiers
In November 1813 Wise commissioned the 36-gun frigate Granicus.
On 2 December 1814 he captured the Leo, an American privateer of 6 guns and 76 men, near Cape Spartel
On 27 August 1816 in Granicus he was with Admiral Lord Exmouth at the Bombardment of Algiers. He was cited for notable action.