Gould was born in 1758 at Bridgewater, the son of a
clergyman. He joined the navy in May 1772. By 1779 he had attained the rank of
Lieutenant. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War and was present at
the victory at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. In
June 1782 he was appointed commander and given his own ship. Between 1784 and
1800 Gould commanded several ships and was engaged in the major sea battles of
the time. In particular, he was at the Battle of the Nile with Horatio Nelson.
Ill health caused Gould to leave the sea in 1804. He was
promoted to Rear Admiral in 1807, Vice Admiral in 1810 and Admiral in 1825. For
his services at the Battle of the Nile he was awarded a gold medal. He became a
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1815, and a Knight Grand Cross of
the Order of the Bath in 1833. On 17th November 1846 he attained the
rank of Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom.
The memorial inscription reads
SACRED
TO THE MEMORY OF
SIR DAVIDGE GOULD,
OF
HAWKSHEAD IN THE COUNTY OF HERTS.
ADMIRAL OF THE RED,
AND
VICE ADMIRAL OF ENGLAND.
KNIGHT GRAND CROSS OF
THE MOST NOBLE
AND MILITARY ORDER OF
THE BATH
YOUNGEST SON OF
WILLIAM GOULD ESQ
OF
SHAMPTON PARK IN THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET.
HE ENTERED THE NAVY
AT AN EARLY AGE,
AND SERVED IN THE
FIRST AMERICAN WAR,
WAS PRESENT IN RODNEY’S
VICTORY OVER COUNT DE GRASSE,
AND COMMANDED SHIPS
AT THE SIEGES
OF BASTIA AND CALVI
IN LORD HOTHAM’S
ACTION:
AND THE AUDACIOUS AT
THE MEMORABLE BATTLE OF THE NILE.
HE LIVED TO BE
THE LAST SURVIVING
CAPTAIN OF THIS GREAT VICTORY
AND DIED ON THE 23RD
OF APRIL 1847, IN HIS 90TH YEAR,
DEEPLY LAMENTED BY
HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS,
AND ABOVE ALL BY HIS
AFFECTIONATE WIDOW,
WHO CAUSED THIS
MONUMENT TO BE ERECTED.
THEY THAT GO DOWN TO
THE SEA IN
SHIPS THAT DO
BUSINESS IN GREAT WATERS;
THESE SEE THE WORKS
OF THE LORD, AND HIS WONDERS IN THE DEEP.