Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/838

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824
NOTT—NOURSE—NOWELL.

Helena, Sarah Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Thos. Reid, Esq. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.



NOTT. (Captain, 1842.)

John Neale Nott, born in 1800, at Reading, co. Berks, is eldest son of the Rev. Edw. Nott, more than a quarter of a century Rector of Weeke, co. Hants; and grandson of Capt. John Neale Pleydell Nott, who fell in command of the Centaur 74 in an action between Sir Sam. Hood’s squadron and the French fleet in the West Indies, 29 April, 1781.

This officer entered the Navy, in Oct. 1812, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the San Josef 110, Capt. Robt. Jackson, in which ship and the Queen Charlotte 100, each bearing the flag of Lord Keith in the Channel, he served until Aug. 1814. Between that period and 1820, in Aug. of which year he passed his examination, we find him employed on the Brazilian, East India, Home, and Mediterranean stations, in the Duncan and Cornwallis 74’s, flagships of Sir John Poo Beresford and Sir Geo. Burlton, Tyne 24, Capt. John Allen, Theban 36, Capt. Sam. Leslie, Rivoli 74, Capt. Chas. Ogle, and Racehorse 18, Capt. Hon. Geo. Pryse Campbell. After a further attachment, latterly in the West Indies, to the Active 46, Capts. Sir Jas. Alex. Gordon and Andrew King, and Valorous 28, Capt. the Earl of Huntingdon, he was promoted, 25 Aug. 1826, to the rank of Lieutenant, and next, 16 April, 18.32, and 18 Dec. 1833, appointed to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Thos. Hastings, and Edinburgh 74, Capt. Jas. Rich. Dacres. On the paying off of the last-mentioned ship Mr. Nott, having been three years her Gunnery-Lieutenant in the Mediterranean, was presented with a second promotal commission bearing date 10 Jan. 18.37. He subsequently obtained command – 14 Feb. 1838, of the Medea steamer, in which vessel he served in the river St. Lawrence and on other parts of the North American station until paid off in Nov. 1839 – 7 Aug. 1840, as Second Captain, of the Excellent, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings, employed as before at Portsmouth – and, 1 Jan. 1842 (with his name on the books of the William and Mary yacht), of the Firebrand (now the Black Eagle) steam-yacht. In the latter vessel, which he left in the following month, he conveyed the King of Prussia from Ostend to England, and again from England to Ostend. He was advanced in consequence to Post rank by commission dated 28 Jan. 1842. From 18 Aug. 1845 until Nov. 1847 he was variously employed in the Trafalgar 120, part of the lime as Flag-Captain to Sir Edw. Durnford King at Sheerness. He is now on half-pay.

Capt. Nott married, first, in May, 1827, Elizabeth Anne Bennet, eldest daughter of the late Thos. Calley, Esq., M.P., of Burderop Park and Overton House, Wilts, a Magistrate and Deputy-Lieutenant for that county; and, that lady dying three months afterwards, secondly, 18 Feb. 1840, Mary, eldest daughter of Sir Wm. Burnett, Kt., M.D., K.C.H., F.R.S., Director-General of the Medical Department of the Navy. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.



NOTT. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 29.)

John Thomas Nott entered the Navy, 23 Jan. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Clyde 38, Capt. Chas. Cunningham, attached to the force in the Channel. In the of 1802 (he had previously attained the rating of Midshipman) he successively joined the Achille 74, Capts. Edw. Buller and John Okes Hardy, and Rosario sloop, Capt. Wm. Mounsey; and he was next, between April, 1803, and June, 1807, employed in the Channel and off Cadiz and Ferrol in the Malta 84, Capt. Edw. Buller, under whom he bore a warm part in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, 22 July, 1805. After a servitude of 15 months in the Mediterranean on board the Queen 98, flag-ship of Real-Admiral Geo. Martin, he proceeded, towards the close of 1808, to the West Indies in the Subtle, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Brown, and on his arrival on that Station was nominated, first in Jan. 1809, and then in the ensuing Dec, Acting-Lieutenant of the Port d’Espagne and Curieux sloops, Capts. Alex. Kennedy, Sam. Geo. Pechell, and Colin Campbell. In the Port d’Espagne he assisted, we believe, at the reduction of Martinique. Being confirmed, 18 Oct. 1810, into the Perlen 38, Capts. Norbome Thompson, Joseph Swabey Tetley, and John Allen, he was in that vessel, off Toulon, when she effected, 22 Nov. 1811, a gallant escape from a French line-of-battle ship and frigate with whom she had for several hours endured a close running fight. In 1812-1314 we find him employed on the Mediterranean and North American stations in the Thames 32, Capt. Chas. Napier, Pilot 18, Capt. John Toup Nicholas, Ocean 98, Capt. Robt. Plampin, and Iphigenia 36, Capt. Andrew King. In the Pilot he was present, 14 May, 1812, in an attack made, in company with the Thames, on the port of Sapri, where a strong battery and tower, mounting two 32-pounders, were surrendered at discretion, after having been battered for two hours within pistol-shot. From 8 Dec. 1841 until the spring of 1843, and from 7 Sept. in the latter year until the close of 1845, Lieut. Nott commanded the Partridge 10, and Lynx brigantine – the former in South America, the latter on particular service. He was advanced to the rank he now holds 9 Nov. 1846.



NOURSE. (Lieutenant, 1841.)

Joseph Nourse entered the Navy 3 Jan. 1825; passed his examination 2 Jan. 1832; and, at the period of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 23 Nov. 1841, was serving at the Cape of Good Hope in the Southampton 50, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Durnford King. His succeeding appointments were – 3 Dec. following, again to the Southampton, in the capacity of Additional-Lieutenant – 8 Feb. 1842, to the command, which he retained for 12 months, of the Fawn brigantine, on the Cape station – 6 Feb. 1845, to the Rodney 92, Capt. Edw. Collier, fitting at Portsmouth – and, 6 May following, to the Rattler steam-sloop, Capts. Henry Smith (b) and Rich. Moorman, with whom he was for two years employed on Home service, the greater part of the time as First-Lieutenant. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.



NOWELL. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 14; h-p., 30.)

William Nowell was born 20 Sept. 1788. This officer entered the Navy, 25 March, 1803, as L.M., on board the Prince Frederick, Lieut.Commander Sam. Gordon, lying at Plymouth, where he attained the rating of Midshipman in Feb. 1804, and continued until transferred, in July, 1805, to the Captain 74, Capt. Geo. Hopewell Stephens. In that ship he witnessed, 22 Aug. following. Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis’ pursuit of the French fleet into Brest, and was on one occasion very nearly lost. After cruizing for 12 months with Capts. Wm. Lukin and Willoughby Thos. Lake in the Gibraltar 80, he joined, in Feb. 1807, the Sprightly cutter, in which vessel (part of the force engaged in the expedition of 1809 to the Walcheren) and in the Dwarf, of 10 guns, he was for four years employed in the Channel and Downs, again under the orders of Lieut. Gordon. In the summer of 1808, during a dead calm and thick hazy weather, he contrived, in the Sprightly’s small boats, with only four hands, to recapture the American brig Washington, laden with a valuable cargo, although in tow, at the moment he boarded her, of a French lugger privateer, rowing 13 sweeps on each side. The next day he carried his prize in safety into Dartmouth harbour. In 1811, after his name had been borne for a short period as a Supernumerary on the books of the Princess Caroline, Royal William, and Despatch, he joined the Milford 74, bearing the flag of Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats at the defence of Cadiz; where, in the Devastation and Thunder bombs, Capts. Taylor and Watkin Owen Pell, end in command of