A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Appleby, John Frederick
APPLEBY. (Capt., 1838. f-p., 284 h-p., 14.)
John Frederick Appleby, born 18 Nov. 1795, belongs to the family of Appleby of Soberton, in Hampshire (formerly of Thirsk, or Blaik Hamilton), and is son of John Appleby, Esq., an agriculturist of that place.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Queen 98, Capt. Fras. Pender, bearing the flag, off Cadiz, of Rear- Admiral John Knight, with whom he continued to serve, in the same ship, and the Guerrier, until April, 1806. During the latter part of that period he saw a good deal of boat service, and was much employed, as Midshipman, in affording protection to the numerous convoys passing through the Gut of Gibraltar. Until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 10 Feb. 1815, he was subsequently employed, chiefly on the Home and Mediterranean stations, in the San Josef 110, successive flag-ship of Sir Chas. Cotton and Sir Jas. Saumarez, Minstrel 18, Capts. John Hollinworth, Ralph Randolph Wormeley, and John Campbell, Wizard 16, Capt. John Bowker, San Josef again, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton, Derwent 18, Capt. Geo. Manners Sutton, Dromedary store-ship, Master-Commander Sam. Perkins Pritchard, Bristol armeé en flûte, Capt. Geo. Wyndham, Akbar 60, Capts. Archibald Dickson and Chas. Bullen, and Puissant 74, Capt. Benj. Wm. Page. While in the Minstrel, Mr. Appleby assisted at the capture, in the Adriatic, of the national schooner Ortenzia, pierced for 16, but carrying only 10 guns, 16 July, 1808; and, on 13 Dec. 1810 [errata 1], served with the boats of a squadron under Capt. Fras. Wm. Fane, at the destruction of a large convoy, protected by two batteries in the mole of Palamos, where, out of 600 British officers and men, upwards of 200 were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. As Acting-Lieutenant of the Bristol, we find him serving in the boats at the capture of La Petite Louise privateer, and also present at the siege of Tarragona, in June, 1813. His appointments, subsequently to his promotion, were – 3 May, 1815, to the Nimrod 18, Capt. Geo. Hilton, employed for the purpose of intercepting Napoleon Buonaparte after the battle of Waterloo – and, in July, 1817, and Jan. 1824, to the Queen Charlotte and Victory, bearing the flags, at Portsmouth, of Sir Edw. Thornbrough, Sir Geo. Campbell, Sir Jas. Hawkins Whitshed, Sir Geo. Martin, and Sir Robt. Stopford. During the whole period of his being borne on the books of those two ships, a term of eleven years and one month, Mr. Appleby commanded the Linnet and Scorpion tenders, and rendered much valuable service to the Revenue. Being advanced to the rank of Commander 28 Aug. 1828, he afterwards, from 1 March, 1831, until April, 1836, and from 29 March, 1837, until promoted to Post-rank, 29 Jan. 1838, served in the Coast Guard. Since the latter date he has been on half-pay.
Capt. Appleby married, 14, Nov. 1827, Ellen, eldest daughter of Wm. Osborn, Esq., of Leominster, near Arundel, Sussex. Agents – Messrs. . Stilwell.