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BRENTON-BRERETON-BRETON-BRETT.
two large ships which had been stranded on the coasts of Wicklow and Wexford; and, in acknowledgment of his exertions, was presented by the owners, for himself and his men, with two sums of 200l. each. He has since been unemployed.
BRENTON, K.S.V. (Captain, 1822. f-p., 16; h-p., 33.)
John Brenton was born 28 Aug. 1782.
This officer entered the Navy, 28 Aug. 1798, as A.B., on board the Asia 64, Capt. Robt. Murray, bearing the flag at Halifax of Vice-Admiral Geo. Vandeput, in which ship he attained the rating of Midshipman a few days afterwards, and returned home with convoy in Dec. 1800. He then in succession joined the Assistance 50, Capts. Robt. Hall and Rich. Lee, employed in the North Sea in blockading the Dutch fleet, and Caesar 80, Capt. Jahleel Brenton, flag-ship of Sir Jas. Saumarez, under whom he participated, 6 July, 1801, in the battle off Algeciras, and, on 12 of the same month, in the destruction of two Spanish first-rates and capture of a French 74 in the Gut of Gibraltar. He was next, as Acting-Lieutenant, present at the evacuation of Minorca, consequent on the treaty of Amiens; and, from that period until Dec. 1805, served with Rear-Admiral Sir Rich. Hussey Bickerton, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and again as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Kent 74, Royal Sovereign 100, and Queen 98, into which latter ship Lord Collingwood shifted his flag after the battle of Trafalgar. Having been intermediately attached to the Nautilus sloop, Capt. John Sykes, Mr. Brenton was, in March, 1806, appointed to the San Ildefonso, Capt. John Quilliam, one of the Spanish third-rates taken at Trafalgar, to assist in navigating her to England. He was not, however, ofiicially promoted until 5 Sept. 1806, when,- after a further servitude, as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Hibernia 110, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent, and London 98, Capt. Thos. Western, both in the Channel, he was confirmed into the Orion 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington, off Cadiz. From 17 Jan. 1807, until July, 1812, we next find him employed in the San Josef 110, Hibernia 110, Diomede 50, and Victory 100, all flag-ships of his friend Sir Jas. Saumarez, on the Channel, Guernsey, and Baltic stations. On 14 of the latter month Capt. Brenton, to whom had been awarded the rank of Acting-Commander, was despatched, in conjunction with Capt. Hew Steuart, to aid the Russian Admiral Muller in fitting out a flotilla of gun-boats for the protection of Riga. For his meritorious conduct in the discharge of the duties which there devolved on him, including an expedition against the French and Prussians at Mittau, on the river Aa, he received the sanction of the Admiralty to his promotion by commission dated 20 Nov. in the same year. He subsequently, from 27 June, 1814, until paid off, 14 Nov. 1815, commanded the 14-gun brig Hasty, on the North Sea and Irish stations; and, on 26 Dec. 1822, was advanced to his present rank. He was placed upon retired half-pay 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Brenton, whose services at Mittau were rewarded with the insignia of a Knight of the Russian order of St. Vladamir, of the fourth class, married, 28 Sept. 1815, his cousin, Henrietta, daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Jahleel Brenton, and sister of Vice-Admiral Sir Jahleel Brenton,[1] Bart., K.C.B., and of Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton,[2] R.N.
BRERETON. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 22; h-p., 20.)
Godfrey Brereton entered the Navy, 24 Jan. 1805, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Puissant 74, Capt, John Irwin, lying at Spithead, where he was immediately transferred to the Royal William 100, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Montagu. He next served, from April, 1807, to Jan. 1811, latterly as Midshipman, in the Alcmene and Belle Poule frigates, both commanded by Capt. Jas. Brisbane, under whom we find him present – besides contributing to the capture of many small armed vessels – at the taking, 15 Feb. 1809, of Le Var of 26 guns, laden with corn for the relief of the French garrison at Corfu; and at the reduction of the islands of Zante, Cephalonia, and Sta. Maura. He then, in succession, joined – the Montagu and Warrior 74’s, Capts. Rich. Hussey Moubray and John Wm. Spranger, in the latter of which ships he returned home – the Antelope 50, bearing the flag off Newfoundland of Sir John Thos. Duckworth – the Defiance 74, flag-ship in the Baltic of Sir Geo. Hope – the Princess Caroline 74, Capt. Hugh Downman, on the same and North Sea stations – and the Dover 18, Capt. Augustus Vere Drury, with whom he proceeded to North America in May, 1814. From that date until June, 1815, Mr. Brereton, who was confirmed in the rank of Lieutenant on 16 Jan. in the latter year, was actively employed, under Commodore Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo, in the Niagara 20, and in gun-boat service on the Lakes of Canada. His succeeding appointments were – from July, 1816, until he invalided in Oct. 1819, to the Queen Charlotte and Boyne, flag-ships of Sir Edw. Thornbrough at Portsmouth, and to the Tees 26, Capt. Geo. Rennie, and Eurydice 26, Capt. Robt. Wauchope, off St. Helena – next, between June, 1822, and the close of 1823, to the Pandora 18, Sappho 18, and Tribune 42, Capts. Fred. Hunn, Jenkin Jones, and Gardiner Henry Guion, on the Irish and Mediterranean stations – and, 30 April, 1827, to the Britannia 120, flag-ship at first of Admiral Lord Northesk at Plymouth, and afterwards commanded by Capt. Geo. Burdett in the Mediterranean, where he was superseded in April, 1830. Since 11 May, 1843, Mr. Brereton has been employed as Admiralty-Agent in a contract mail steam-vessel on the West India station Agents – Holmes and Folkard.
BRETON. (Lieutenant, 1827.)
William Henry Breton entered the Navy 7 Jan. 1812; passed his examination in 1818; and obtained his commission 10 March, 1827. He has since been on half-pay. Lieut. Breton is at present employed as a police magistrate at Launceston, Van Diemen’s Land.
BRETT. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 1 7; h-p., 28.)
Henry Brett, born 29 Dec. 1790, is fourth son of the late Capt. Peircy Brett, R.N. (a participator in Admiral Keppel’s action with the Comte d’Orvilliers, 27 July, 1778), by a daughter of the late Capt. David Phipps, R.N. He is brother of the late Commander Peircy Brett, R.N. (1812), and of the late Lieut. Spencer Phipps Brett, R.A., who was under Gen. Skerrit in the attack of the bridge at Seville, 27 Aug. 1812; also of Major Wm. Thomson Brett, Hon. E.I.C.’s service; and grand-nephew of the late Admiral Sir Peircy Brett, who circumnavigated the globe, when Lieutenant, with Lord Anson, and was afterwards, in 1766, a Lord of the Admiralty.
- ↑ Sir Jahleel Brenton waa born 32 Aug, 1770. He served, as Lieut, of the Barfleur 98, in the action off Cape St. Vincent, 14 Feb. 1797; commanded the Caesar 80, Sir James Saumarez’ flag-ship, on the memorable 6 and 12 July, 1801; was wrecked and taken prisoner in La Minervr, off Cherbourg, 2 July, 1803; and, after assisting at the reduction of the Ionian Islands, gained, as Capt. of the Spartan, of 46 guns and 258 men, a brilliant and single-handed victory over a Franco-Neapolitan squadron, carrying altogether 95 guns and about 1400 men, 3 May, 1610. The Patriotic Society, in acknowledgment of the latter exploit, in the execution of which Capt. Brenton was desperately wounded, voted him a sword valued at 100l.; the King of the Two Sicilies presented him with the Grand Cross of St. Ferdinand and of Merit; and his own Sovereign raised him to the dignity of a baronet, besides conferring on him the K.C.B. He afterwards discharged the duties of Resident Commissioner at the Cape of Good Hope, and of Lieut.-Governor of Greenwich Hospital, and died a Vice-Admiral of the White, 21 April, 1844.
- ↑ Capt. Edward Pelham Brenton’s services were of an arduous and useful rather than of a splendid character. He was born 19 July, 1774; entered the Navy in Nov. 1788; attained Post-rank 13 Dec. 1808; and died 6 April, 1839. His ‘Naval History of Great Britain,’ and his ‘Life of St. Vincent,’ are well known. Capt, Brenton enjoyed the reputation of a philanthropist.
