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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Marrett, Joseph

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1825426A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Marrett, JosephWilliam Richard O'Byrne

MARRETT. (Retired Captain, 1845. f-p., 16; h-p., 38.)

Joseph Marrett entered the Navy, 23 Jan. 1793, as Midshipman, on board the Crescent of 42 guns and 257 men, Capt. Jas. Saumarez; and on 20 of the following Oct. was present at the capture of the French frigate La Réunion of 36 guns and 320 men, 120 of whom were either killed or wounded, without however any casualty to the British. In Dec. of the same year he accompanied an expedition under Earl Moira and Rear-Admiral M‘Bride to the coasts of Normandy and Brittany; and on 8 June, 1794, we find him in action with an enemy’s squadron of very superior force, from which the Crescent escaped by the most bold and masterly manoeuvres. On afterwards accompanying Sir Jas. Saumarez (who had been knighted for the capture of La Réunion) into the Orion 74, he shared in Lord Bridport’s action, in the battle off Cape St. Vincent, and in the victory of the Nile. He was confirmed a Lieutenant of the Canopus 80, Capt. Bartholomew James, after having acted for nearly five months in that capacity, 5 April, 1799; and was subsequently appointed – 12 Aug. 1799, to the Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship of Lord Gardner and Sir Henry Harvey in the Channel, where he served until Oct. 1801 – 19 Sept. 1803, to the Eurus sloop, Capt. Alex. Innes, on the Cork station – 24 Nov. 1804, and 8 April, 1805, to the successive command of two gun-brigs, in the latter of which, the Martial, he served in the Channel and off the coast of Spain until compelled by ill health to invalid in Nov. 1809 – and, 29 Sept. 1810, to the Ulysses 44 as Flag-Lieutenant, on the Guernsey station, to the Duc de Bouillon. He was made Commander 26 May, 1812; and accepted his present rank 20 Oct. 1845.

Capt. Marrett’s eldest daughter was the wife of the late Lieut. Wakeman Edwards, R.N. (1810). Agent – Fred. Dufaur.