A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Robertson, John
ROBERTSON. (Capt., 1838. f-p., 18; h-p., 32.)
John Robertson entered the Navy, 5 Oct. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Standard 64, Capt. Thos. Revell Shivers, attached to the force in the North Sea; and from April, 1798, until Aug. 1803 was employed, chiefly on the Home station, in the Superb 74, Capt. John Sutton, Ville de Paris 110 flag-ship of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, Immortalité 36, Capts. Hon. Henry Hotham and Edw. W. C. R. Owen, and Mars 74, Capt. J. Sutton. As Master’s Mate of the Immortalité he was in frequent action with the enemy’s flotillas along the Dutch and French coasts. On 31 of the month last mentioned he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Tigre 74, Capt. Benj. Hallowell. While in that ship, to which he was confirmed 26 Jan. 1805, he went with Nelson to the West Indies in pursuit of the combined squadrons of France and Spain, and, joining in the operations of 1807 in Egypt, served on shore with a brigade of seamen, and was wounded, in the attack bn Rosetta. Being next, 19 March, 1808, appointed to the Belle Poule 38, Capt. Jas. Brisbane, he assisted, 15 Feb. 1809, at the capture of Le Var of 26 guns, laden with corn for the relief of the French garrison at Corfu; and was present, in 1809-10, at the capture of the islands of Zante, Cephalonia, and Sta. Maura. He invalided from the Belle Poule in June, 1810; and, after serving for upwards of two years in the Channel in the San Josef 110, Queen Charlotte 100, and Ville de Paris 110, flagships of Lord Keith, was promoted to the rank of Commander 9 Dec. 1816. From 24 June, 1834, until Aug. 1837, he was employed in the Ordinary at Plymouth – the last 12 months with his name on the books of the San Josef. He attained his present rank 28 June, 1838, and has since been on half-pay.