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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Duffill, John

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1695126A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Duffill, JohnWilliam Richard O'Byrne

DUFFILL. (Captain, 1846.)

John Duffill entered the Navy 4 March, 1812; was wounded, we understand, on board the Glasgow 40, Capt. Hon. Anthony Maitland, at the battle of Algiers, 20 Aug. 1816; and passed his examination in 1821. He subsequently, as Master’s Mate of the Larne 20, Capt. Fred. Marryat, contributed, by his zealous exertions and cool intrepidity, to the successful result of various attacks made on the enemy in the river Rangoon, during the Burmese war, in 1824-5.[1] After acting for fourteen months as Lieutenant of the Druid, Bustard, and Espiègle, he was at length confirmed in the latter vessel, by commission dated 8 Sept. 1827. We next find him appointed – 20 May, 1828, again to the Druid – 19 Nov. 1828, to the Coast Blockade, in which he served for nearly two years and a half as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies and Talavera 74’ s, Capt. Hugh Pigot – and, 31 March, 1831, to the Coast Guard. He assumed the successive command, on various stations, 17 Oct. 1832, 16 Dec. 1834, 1 April, 1835, and 15 April and 21 June, 1836, of the Carron, Meteor, Pluto, Salamander, and again of the Pluto steam-vessels. He was confirmed, 4 April, 1839, in the command of the Niagara 20, on the lakes of Canada; and, from 21 Jan. 1843, until posted, 2 July, 1846, was employed in the Hecla steam-sloop, on the Mediterranean station. He has since been on half-pay.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1825, p. 1493.