William Frederick Fead

The grandson of General George Fead, he joined the Royal Navy on June 9, 1824, and served for over 26 years. His first posting was under his uncle, Captain Francis Fead, R.N. until he became commander of the Express 6 on July 3, 1851. That same year, Fead and the Express were involved in an incident on the Mosquito Coast involving Cornelius Vanderbilt that sparked a diplomatic crisis between the US and the UK. ==Personal life==

On August 1, 1843, Fead married Charlotte Rawlings, née Hillier, the widow of a lieutenant who had served in the 48th Regiment. ==The Prometheus Incident==

One of the earliest tests of the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty, the Prometheus Incident arose from Cornelius Vanderbilt's refusal to pay customs duty in what was then Greytown – now San Juan de Nicaragua. Upon receiving a fifth such refusal, on November 21, 1851, the British resident, James Green, asked Commander Fead to provide physical assistance. Fead promptly maneuvered his ship into position and fired a live round across the bow of the Prometheus – an American vessel owned by the canal company – while Vanderbilt was on board. After being forced to pay the customs duty, an enraged Vanderbilt returned to the US and inflamed anti-British sentiment in the press. Fead's actions were found to be in violation of Article 1 of the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty. == References ==