A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Onslow, John James
ONSLOW. (Captain, 1834. f-p., 19; h-p., 18.)
John James Onslowis second surviving son of the late Admiral Sir Rich. Onslow, Bart., G.C.B.,[1] by Anne, daughter of Commodore Matthew Mitchell, of Chiltern, co. Wilts. He is brother of the present Sir Henry Onslow, Bart., a Captain in the Royal Artillery; and brother-in-law of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, who died 16 March, 1807.
This officer entered the Navy, 19 April, 1810, as Fst.-oL Vol., on board the Surveillante 38, Capt. Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, under whom he was for some time actively employed on the north coast of Spain, particularly in the boats at the capture of Bermeo and Deba. He continued in the {sc|Surveillante}}, in the capacity of Midshipman, until April, 1812; and between that period and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 5 Sept. 1816, was employed on the Brazilian, Jamaica, and Home stations in the Montagu 74, flag-ship of the late Sir Manley Dixon, Aquilon and Ceres frigates, both commanded by Capt. Wm. Bowles, Araxes 38, Capt. Geo. Miller Bligh, and Boyne 98, Capt. Edmund Boger. He joined soon afterwards the Conqueror 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Robt. Plampin at St. Helena; whence, at the close of 1817, he returned to England in the Iphigenia 42. From Sept. 1818 until superseded at his own request in Sept. 1819, he served in the Downs on board the Alert sloop, Capts. Henry John Leeke and Chas. Farwell; and, on 23 April, 1822, he attained the rank of Commander. His next appointments were – 22 July, 1824, to the Beaver 8, on the Jamaica station, where he remained about two years – and, 30 April, 1830, to the Clio 18, fitting for South America. While on that station Capt. Onslow was sent by Rear-Admiral Sir Thos. Baker to reclaim possession of the Falkland Islands, which lapse of time had encouraged the Buenos Ayreans and other foreigners to consider as absolutely abandoned by the British. Arriving, in Dec. 1832, at Port Egmont (West Falkland), he exercised the rights of sovereignty, and employed his boats in examining Brett’s Harbour, Byron’s Sound, and other anchorages as far to the westward as Point Bay, a distance of 60 miles from the place at which the Clio lay. He then proceeded to Berkeley Sound (East Falkland), anchored at Port Louis, and ejected a Buenos Ayrean force stationed there under the protection of a schooner-of-war. He returned to Portsmouth from Rio de Janeiro with upwards of 880,000 dollars, 3 June, 1833; and on 17 of the same month was paid off. He was advanced to Post-rank 27 Aug. 1834; and was lastly, from 23 July, 1842, until put out of commission in the early part of 1847, employed in the Pacific on board the Daphne 18.
Capt. Onslow is married and has issue. Agent – J. Hinxman.
- ↑ Sir Rich. Onslow (son of Lieutenant-General Onslow, Governor of Plymouth, and grand-nephew of Admiral Sir George Walton) was born 23 June, 1741. He obtained his first commission 17 Dec. 1758; acquired the rank of Commander 11 Feb. 1761; and was made Post 14 April, 1762, into the Humber of 40 guns. He afterwards commanded tile Aquilon frigate, Diana 32, St. Alban’s 64, and Bellona and Magnificent 74’s. In the St. Alban’s, in 1778, he served in Admiral Barrington’s attack upon Ste. Lucie, and in the same officer’s encounters with the Comte d’Estaing; and in the Bellona, prior to accompanying Lord Howe to the relief of Gibraltar, he eifected the capture, after a sharp action, of the Dutch ship Princess Caroline of 54 guns. He became a Rear-Admiral 1 Feb. 1793, and a Vice-Admiral 4 July, 1794; was appointed, in March, 1796, Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth; and hoisted his flag shortly afterwards as second in command of the fleet under Admiral Duncan. For his distinguished conduct in the action off Camperdown he was raised to the dignity of a Baronet 30 Oct. 1 797, voted the thanks of Parliament, and presented by the City of London with its freedom and a sword worth 100l. He was advanced to the rank of full Admiral 14 Feb. 1799, and was afterwards appointed a Lieutenant General of Marines, and nominated a G.C.B. He died at Southampton 3 Jan. 1818.