In 1764 the family returned to Ireland; and in 1769 William, who had been at school in Kilkenny, was entered on board the cutter Goodwill at Waterford, commanded by his father's brother-in-law, Lieutenant John Buchanan.

The Salisbury came home in the end of 1777, and Wolseley, having passed his examination, was promoted, 11 June 1778, to be junior lieutenant of the Duke, one of the fleet with Keppel in July, though on the 27th she had fallen so far to leeward that she had no part in the action.

When the autumn cruise came to an end, Wolseley, at the suggestion of Sir Edward Hughes, going out again as Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies, effected an exchange into the Worcester, one of his squadron.

After some service against pirates in the Indian seas, he commanded a company of the naval brigade at the reduction of Negapatam in October 1781, and again at the storming of Fort Ostenburg, Trincomalee, on 11 January 1782, when he was severely wounded in the chest by a charge of slugs from a gingal, and left for dead in the ditch.

He was then sent out to join Lord Hood in the Mediterranean; was present at the occupation of Toulon, and on 30 September, while detached under Commodore Linzee, occupied the celebrated Mortella Tower, which, being handed over to the Corsicans, was retaken by the French some three weeks later, and on 8 February 1794 beat off the 74-gun ship Fortitude, inflicting on her severe loss and damage.

[2] Towards the end of 1795 he married Jane, daughter of John Moore of Clough House, County Down, grandson of a Scottish officer, Colonel Muir, who had served in Ireland under William III and obtained a grant of land.

In December 1800 he was moved into the St. George, but on that ship being selected as the Flagship of Lord Nelson, in February 1801, Wolseley was transferred to the San Josef, which was paid off on the signing of the Peace of Amiens.