This officer entered the Navy, 2 July 1798, as Fst.-cl Vol., on board the TIGRE 74, Capt. Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, under whom, after assisting at the defence of Acre, and witnessing the defeat of the Turks at Damietta, he served on shore in the expedition of 1801 to Egypt. The TIGRE, being paid off in Sept. 1802, he next, in March, 1803, rejoined Sir Sidney Smith, as Midshipman, on board the ANTELOPE 50; in the boats of which ship and of the MAGICIENNE, commanded by Lieut. Jas. Boxer, he took part, 31 March, 1804, in the cutting out, after a very sanguinary and obstinate conflict of three-quarters of an hour, of the Schrik guard-vessel of 6 guns and 94 men. On 16 of the following May Mr. Gramshaw appears to have been further present in a gallant attack made by a squadron, under the orders of Sir Sidney Smith, upon a division of the enemy's flotilla passing alongshore from Flushing to Ostend. Towards the close of 1805 we find him appointed, with the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, to the command of a rocket-boat, for the purpose of joining in an attack (afterwards postponed) on the enemy's flotilla at Boulogne. Attaining the full rank of Lieutenant 22 Jan. 1806, he was appointed, in that capacity -28 March 1806, to the BONETTA 14, Capts. Chas. Philip Butler Bateman and Jas. Robt. Philips, successively employed in affording protection to the North Sea convoys, and in contributing to the reduction of Copenhagen, where she led the fleet to its anchorage, and then assisted at the debarkation of the troops-13 Sept. 1807, as First, to the WALDEMAAR 80, Capt. Andw. King, which ship, one of those taken on the latter occasion, he assisted in navigating to England-11 March, 1808, after having aided in clearing the Danish prizes, when brought to Portsmouth, of their lading and stores, to the BARFLEUR 98, Capts. Donald M Leod and Sam. Hood Linzee, bearing the flag for some time of the late Sir Chas. Tyler, in which ship, besides escorting the Russian Rear-Admiral Seniavin's squadron from Lisbon to England, and visiting Vigo, he assisted in embarking Sir John Moore's army after the battle of Corunna, on which occasion he brought off Marshal Beresford, who was the last man to leave the shore - 14 May, 1809, to the GANGES 74, Capts. Peter Halkett and Thos. Dundas, part of the force employed in the ensuing expedition to the Scheldt, where she was stationed off Bergen-op-zoom to watch the movements of the enemy's flotilla - 6 May, 1811 (on the return of the GANGES from the Baltic, whither she had been next sent to act as an escort to the trade passing through the Great Belt), to the ARMADA 74, Capts. Adam Mackenzie, John Ferris Devon, and Chas. Grant, the latter of whom he accompanied to the Mediterranean-and, 2 Oct. 1812, to the HIBERNIA 120, bearing the flag on that station of his old Captain, Sir W. S. Smith. On 18 Aug. 1813 he served with distinguished bravery in the boats of a small squadron, under Capt. Thos. Ussher, in a very gallant attack made on the batteries at Cassis, where, after sustaining a loss of 4 men killed and 16 wounded, the British, in four hours, succeeded in capturing three heavy gun-boats, and 26 vessels laden with merchandise.* Not having been employed since the peace, Mr. Gramshaw, on 5 Jan. 1839, accepted the rank of Retired Commander.
*Vide Gaz, 1813, p. 2011, where the name is misspelt, 'Greenshaw'
SOURCE : British Naval Biographical Dictionary, 1849