interval of half-pay he was nominated, 13 Sept. 1817, Flag-Lieutenant to his Lordship in the Impregnable 104, at Plymouth, where he remained until promoted to the rank of Commander 6 Feb. 1821. His subsequent appointments were – 22 Sept. 1835, to the Coast Guard, in which he continued for a period of nearly three years – and 16 Dec. 1841, to the command of the Wolverene 16, fitting for China, where he arrived in time to witness some of the closing operations of the war. Capt. Johnson, who was superseded in the latter vessel in Aug. 1842, and has not been since employed, acquired his present rank 9 Nov. 1846.
In 1827 the Captain published ‘A Journal of a Tour through parts of France, Italy, and Switzerland, in the years 1823-4.’ He married, 14 May, 1821, Eliza, only daughter of John De Windt, Esq., of the Island of Ste. Croix, and of Gloucester Place, London, by whom he has issue. Agent – J. Hinxman.
JOHNSON. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 11; h-p., 35.)
William Johnson entered the Navy, in Jan. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Achille 74, Capts. Geo. Murray and Edw. Buller, stationed in the Channel, where he served as Midshipman until April, 1802. Re-embarking, in July, 1803, on board the Cerebus 32, Capt. Wm. Selby, he served in that frigate at the ensuing bombardment of Granville, and was present in her as Master’s Mate at the reduction of the islands of Marie-galante and Désirade, in March, 1808. In the course of the latter year he successively joined the Cherokee 10, Capt. Rich. Arthur, and Venerable 74, flagship of Sir Rich. John Strachan, both on the Home station; and on 10 May, 1809, he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Blake 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington. While in that ship, to which he was confirmed by commission dated 4 May, 1810, he accompanied the expedition to Flushing, assisted at the defence of Cadiz, and was much employed in co-operation with the patriots on the coast of Spain, particularly at Tarragona. He has been on half-pay since April, 1813.
JOHNSON. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
William Ponsonby Johnson passed his examination 22 Aug. 1837; served during the operations on the coast of China in the Blenheim 72, Capts. Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse and Sir Thos. Herbert, and Cornwallis 72, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker; was in consequence promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 23 Dec. 1842;[1] and officiated in that capacity, from 11 Dec. 1844 until the early part of 1847, in the Eagle 50, Capt. Geo. Bohun Martin, on the American station.
JOHNSON. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 25; h-p., 19.)
William Ward Percival Johnson entered the Navy, 2 July, 1803, as a Supernumerary, on board the Prévoyant store-ship, Master-Commander Brown, in which he took a passage to the Mediterranean, for the purpose of joining the Victory 100, Capt. Sam. Sutton, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson, with whom he served until transferred as Midshipman, in Aug. 1804, to the Childers sloop, Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton. With the latter officer he continued employed off Gibraltar, and on the Channel and Cork stations, in the Guerrier, Eurydice, and Druid frigates, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 18 Oct. 1809. Joining, soon afterwards, the Curaçoa 36, Capt. John Tower, he proceeded in that frigate to the Cape of Good Hope, and then again to the Mediterranean, where he co-operated with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia, and assisted at the capture of the Marsouin and Venus Privateers, each mounting 14 guns, and carrying in the whole 127 men. In Aug. 1812, being at the time in charge of a prize, he had the misfortune to be made prisoner by the French, who detained him in captivity until the peace. His succeeding appointments were – 16 Aug. 1814, to the Pompée 74, Capt. Sir Jas. Athol Wood, fitting for the Mediterranean, whence he returned in Nov. 1815 – 25 June, 1828, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot – 28 July, 1830, as First, to the Talavera 74, Capts. David Colby and Thos. Brown, employed on particular service – and 26 Dec. 1831, in a similar capacity, to the Melville 74, bearing the flag in the East Indies of Sir John Gore. On 19 Sept. 18315, about three months after the latter ship had been paid off, Lieut. Johnson was advanced to the rank of Commander. He obtained an appointment, 20 Feb. 1836, in the Coast Guard, from which service, on 18 March, 1839, he was removed to the Second-Captaincy of the Winchester 50, flag ship of Sir Thos. Harvey, on the North America and West India station. He was superseded on the occasion of his elevation to the rank he now holds, 14 Dec. 1841, and has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Johnson married, in 18.30, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Thos. Harvey, C.B. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
JOHNSTON. (Commander, 1844. f-p., 31; h-p., 13.)
Charles Alexander Johnston is son of Lieut. Chas. Johnston, R.N., who died in 1804.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Aug. 1803, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Tribune 36, Capts. Geo. Henry Towry and Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, in which ship he assisted at the capture and destruction of several of the enemy’s vessels, came frequently into contact with the Cherbourg batteries while employed in blockading the Minerve frigate in that port, and contributed at the commencement of the war with Spain to the capture of four ships laden with specie and colonial produce. Becoming Midshipman, in Sept. 1805, of the Agamemnon 64, Capts. Sir Edw. Berry and Jonas Rose, he had an opportunity of sharing in the battles fought off Cape Trafalgar and St. Domingo, of witnessing the capture of a national corvette (La Lutine) and two schooners, and (independently of a participation in various particular services) of attending the expedition to Copenhagen. On arriving with the Danish prizes at Spithead, Mr. Johnston was under the necessity of entering Haslar Hospital, in consequence of a severe injury he had received in the foot. On 20 June, 1809, having rejoined the Agamemnon, he had the misfortune to be wrecked in the Rio de la Plata; whereupon he was received on board the Foudroyant 80, flag-ship of Hon. Michael De Courcy, who retained him under his orders on the South American station until Nov. 1812. The next three years were passed by Mr. Johnston in the Baltic, West Indies, Channel, and Mediterranean, on board the Vigo 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Jas. Nicoll Morris, Benbow 74, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson, Snap 12, Capt Geo. King, and Pompée 74, Capt. Sir Jas. Athol Wood. On his passage to the West Indies in the Benbow he was placed in charge of an American prize, and sent with her to Barbadoes. In Sept. 1815 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission ante-dated to 8 Feb. in the same year; but he did not again procure employment until 8 Feb. 1825, when he joined the Coast Blockade, a service to which he continued attached, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies and Talavera 74’s, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch, Hugh Pigot, and David Colby, until transferred to the Coast Guard, 18 April, 1831. He twice during that period elicited the special approbation of the Lords of the Admiralty and of H.R.H. the Lord High Admiral – the first time, for the singularly gallant manner in which, with only 3 seamen, he compelled a gang of 150 armed smugglers to retreat, leaving behind them 1 of their number a prisoner, whose apprehension led to the complete suppression of the rest; and the second, for his successful intrepidity in capturing, in a small galley, with not more than 4 hands,in spite of a desperate resistance, the French lugger La Jeune Rosalie of 13 men, and two tub-
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1843, p. 2950.
