William Frederick Fead

William Frederick Fead (1809–1853)[1] was a commander in the Royal Navy who played a key role in the ''Prometheus'' Incident, which caused a major strain on US-British relations concerning Central America, principally the area of the future Panama Canal.

Following several postings to other ships, he became flag-lieutenant of the Trafalgar and was promoted to commander on June 21, 1845, as a consequence of royal review by Queen Victoria at Spithead.

[3] 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.

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.

[1] His tomb, paid for by a subscription raised among local merchants and members of his crew,[1] is featured in a book on cemetery art by Clarival do Prado Valladares.