Peard, George, 1783-1837 : Naval officer.
George Peard (1783-1837) was born on 18 February 1783. He was the son of Vice-Admiral Shuldham Peard (1761-1833) and his wife Elizabeth, third daughter of Admiral Sir Richard Rodney Bligh (1737-1821). He entered the Royal Naval College in 1807 at the age of 14 and remained two years. He first served in the frigate H.M.S. Lavinia, under Captain Lord William Stuart and in 1810 followed Stuart into H.M.S. Conquestador, a 74-gun ship-of-the-line. On 27 December 1811, off the coast of France between Rochelle and l'Isle d'Aix, he was taken prisoner by the French and only released in 1814 after the abdication of Napoleon.
In June 1814, Peard passed his lieutenant's examination, and in September he was sent to Lake Ontario. On 5 July 1815, the Admiralty confirmed his appointment in the gun-boat service under Sir Edward W.C.R. Owen but, with the coming of peace, the British flotilla on the Great Lakes was dismantled and Peard was sent to Lake Champlain, where he remained until early 1817 when he was ordered home and placed upon half-pay. For two and a half years, between September 1818 and 1821, he served in the 42-gun frigate H.M.S. Hyperion, under Captain Thomas Searle, on the Leith and South America stations.
On 12 March 1825, Peard received his next and last appointment, as first lieutenant of H.M.S. Blossom under Captain Frederick William Beechey (1796-1856). He was advanced to commander's rank by a commission of 7 May 1827 but remained as first lieutenant of H.M.S. Blossom until August 1828. He had no further service and died in London on 17 February 1837.