Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/594

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580
JEFFERY—JEFFREYS—JENKIN—JENKINS.

and Plymouth, he was confirmed a Lieutenant by oommission dated 12 June, 1807. After he had been employed for a further period of two years on the Home station in the Dreadnought 98, Capts. Wm. Lechmere and Geo. Burgoyne Salt, flag-ship for some time of Rear-Admiral Thos. Sotheby, he was appointed, in April, 1803, First of the Cadmus 10, Capts. E. Wynter, J. Williams, and Thos. Fife. When at Vigo, in June of the same year, Lieut. Jefferson volunteered to take command of a gunboat, and, in unison with three others, manned by Spaniards, to attack two batteries which the French had lately erected in the vicinity.[1] A short time, however, after the commencement of the operations the Spaniards were observed retreating from the conflict, in consequence whereof the British were under the necessity of firing ball-cartridges over their heads, and of thus compelling them to return to their duty. Nothing, on the other hand, could exceed the valour and good conduct of the men under the command of Lieut. Jefferson, who, after they had expended all their cartridges, cut up their jackets, shirts, and stockings, for the purpose of making bags for the loose powder, and, when they victoriously rejoined their ship, were almost in a state of nudity. Struck with admiration at their conduct, the Cadmus had telegraphed to the Lively frigate, Commodore Geo. M‘Kinley, then within signal-distance, the words – “our boat doing gloriously.” Besides receiving a strong letter of approbation from the latter officer, Mr. Jefferson had the satisfaction of being mentioned in Lord Gambier’s despatches as deserving his highest praise. Previously to the above affair he had volunteered to go in-shore with the boats at Corunna, and had brought off a brig from under the batteries. On 24 Dec. 1809 he effected the similar capture, with but one boat under his orders, of two of the enemy’s vessels in Quiberon Bay – an exploit which obtained him a letter of thanks from the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Hon. Robt. Stopford. On 4 Jan. 1810 he further took two vessels off the river Renerve; as, on 17 of the same month, he did three others in the Valeine. Illness at length, induced by severe duty and continual night-service in the boats, obliged him to invalid in Aug. 1810; from which period he remained on half-pay until appointed, 24 Nov. 1825, to the office of Agent for Transports Afloat. In April, 1830, on the night previous to his leaving the ship in which he had been employed as Agent, he hastened on shore, with the whole of his crew, in consequence of the danger which existed of the dockyard at Deptford being set on fire, and removed everything of a combustible nature from the threatened side. For this service he received the thanks of the Navy Board. He has had the command, since 1836, of Her Majesty’s yachts on the Virginia Water, at Windsor.

Lieut. Jefferson married in 1812, and has issue six children.



JEFFERY. (Lieut., 1837. f-p., 22; h-p., 5.)

Bartholomew Jeffery is nephew of Commander John Molesworth, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy in 1820; passed his examination 1 Nov. 1826; and obtained his commission 10 Jan. 1837. His appointments have since been – 8 Sept. 1837, to the Thunder surveying-vessel, Lieut.-Commanders Bird Allen and Edw. Barnett, on the North America and West India station – 27 Oct. 1838, to the Magnificent receiving-ship at Jamaica, Commodore Peter John Douglas – for a few months in 1840-1, to the Transport Servite – and 3 Jan. 1846, to the Coast Guard, in which service he is now employed.

Lieut. Jeffery, who had been left a widower with three children, married, secondly, 25 April, 1845, his cousin Mary Anne, youngest daughter of the late John and Hon. Jane Stephenson, and niece of the late General Sir Benj. C. Stephenson, K.C.G.



JEFFREYS. (Lieutenant, 1841.)

George Barbor Jeffreys entered the Navy 27 March, 1828; passed his examination in 1834; and was for some time Mate of the Pylades 18, Capt. Talavera Vernon Anson. While so attached, he shared in the principal operations in China, where (besides commanding a boat at the capture of one out of three piratical junks) he served with the flotilla at the taking of several rafts and of the last fort protecting the approaches to the city of Canton, 13 March, 1841 – was similarly employed at the capture of that city on 18 of the same month – and, during the second series of operations against it, was again employed in the boats at the destruction of the whole line of defences extending about two miles from the British factory.[2] Being rewarded for these services by commission dated 6 May, 1841, and successively appointed to the Wellesley 72, Commodore Sir J. J. Gordon Bremer, and Blonde 42, Capt. Thos. Bourchier, he further assisted at the capture of Amoy, Chusan, and Chinghae. He subsequently joined – 22 Jan. 1842, the Wellesley again, Capt. Thos. Maitland – 20 Sept. 1842, the Alfred 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore John Brett Purvis on the South American station – 11 May, 1844, after an interval of a few months, the same ship – 1 Aug. 1844, as First-Lieutenant, the Frolic 16, Capt. Cospatrick Baillie Hamilton, in the Pacific – and 13 June, 1846, the Talbot 26, Capt. Sir Thos. Raikes Trigge Thompson, with whom he returned to England in 1847.



JEFFREYS. (Lieutenant, 1827.)

Richard Gunning Jeffreys entered the Navy 28 Nov. 1812; passed his examination in 1819; obtained his commission 30 April, 1827; served from that period until Feb. 1830, in the Alligator 28, Capts. Wm. P. Canning and Chas. Philip Yorke, on, we believe, the East India and Mediterranean stations; obtained an appointment in the Coast Guard 6 Dec. 1836; removed, 7 May, 1840, to the Lucifer steam-vessel, Capt. Fred. Wm. Beechey, on the coast of Ireland; and went back to the Coast Guard 18 Sept. following. He has been on half-pay since the close of 1841. Agents – Messrs. Chard.



JENKIN. (Commander, 1846.)

Charles Jenkin entered the Navy 7 Feb. 1814; passed his examination in 1823; and was made Lieutenant, 24 Dec. 1829, into the Barham 50, Capt. Sir John Louis. His subsequent appointments were, to the command – 1 Nov. 1832, of a station in the Coast Guard – 13 May, 1837, of the Romney receiving-ship at the Havana – 9 Sept. 1841, of the Avon steamer, at Woolwich – 2 July, 1842, of the Griffon brigantine, on the North America and West India station – and 23 Dec. 1845, of the Myrmidon steamer, employed on particular service. He attained his present rank 9 Nov. 1846; and is at present on half-pay.

Commander Jenkin married, in 1832, Henrietta Camilla, daughter of the Hon. Robt. Jackson, of the island of Jamaica. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.



JENKINS. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 15; h-p., 28.)

Henry Jenkins entered the Navy, 10 May, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Windsor Castle 98, Capts. Davidge Gould and Chas. Boyles; under the latter of whom he participated in Sir Robt. Calder’s action 22 July, 1805, witnessed the surrender of four French frigates to a squadron under Sir Sam. Hood off Rochefort 25 Sept. 1806, and passed the Dardanells in Feb. 1807. Removing in Sept. 1808 to the Pallas 32, Capt. Geo. Fras. Seymour, he was present, in the course of the following year, at the destruction of the French shipping in Basque Roads, and also at the bombardment of Flushing; after which, it appears, he served for about 12 months with the same Captain in the Manilla frigate, on the Lisbon and African stations. Being made Lieutenant, 27 Sept. 1810, into the

  1. Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1006.
  2. Vide Gaz. 1811, pp. 1503, 1505, 2505.