A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Smith, John
SMITH. (Retired Commander, 1847. f-p., 19; h-p., 35.)
John Smith entered the Navy, 22 Sept. 1793, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Impregnable 98, Capts. Geo. Blagden Westcott, Sir Chas. Cotton, Andrew Mitchell, and John Thomas; under the first-named of whom he shared in Lord Howe’s victory 1 June, 1794. Removing as Midshipman, in Aug. 1796, to the Martin sloop, he was present in that vessel, under Capt. Sam. Sutton, at the capture, 14 Feb. 1797, of Le Buonaparte French privateer of 17 guns and 110 men, and, under Capt. Hon. Chas. Paget, in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct. following. With Capt. Paget he served from Dec. 1798 until May, 1800, in the Penelope and Brilliant frigates, the latter stationed at Newfoundland; and from Nov. 1800 until officially promoted 14 Aug. 1801, he was employed in the Channel, part of the time as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Earl St. Vincent and Hon. Wm. Cornwallis. His subsequent appointments were – 22 June, 1803, to the Ranger sloop, lying in the Downs – in July, 1804, to the Clyde 38, Capt. John Larmour, attached to the North Sea fleet – 16 Sept. following, to the Lucifer bomb, Capt. Robt. Elliot, in which vessel, on proceeding to the Mediterranean, he accompanied Sir John Duckworth past the Dardanells – in Dec. 1807 to the Glatton 50, Capts. Thos. Seccombe, John Clavell, Henry Hope, and Geo. Miller Bligh, with whom he continued in the Mediterranean until Nov. 1809 – 8 Feb. 1810, to the Courageux 74, Capts. Robt. Plampin, Wm. Butterfield, and Philip Wilkinson, stationed in the Channel and Baltic – and 23 Nov. 1811 to the command of the Cheerly gun-brig. In the latter vessel he was employed in the Downs, Baltic, and North Sea, until Dec. 1814. He accepted his present rank 28 Jan, 1847.