A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bate, John Mort
BATE. (Commander, 1836. f-p., 26; h-p., 15.)
John Mort Bate died .in 1845.
This officer entered the Navy, 19 April, 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Foudroyant 80, Capt. Peter Puget, successive flag-ship of Sir Thos. Graves and Sir John Borlase Warren; under the latter of whom, after participating as Midshipman in various skirmishes with the Brest fleet, he witnessed the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the Marengo, of 80 guns, bearing the flag of Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. While subsequently on the books of the Goliath 74, commanded also by Capt. Puget, he temporarily served with that officer on board the Hebe armed ship, during the operas tions of 1807 against Copenhagen, where, in conjunction with the inshore squadron, he appears to have been in almost daily collision with the enemy’s batteries, block-ships, praams, and gun-boats. He afterwards, on the landing of the army at Wibeck, had the honour of conveying the Duke of Wellington, then Sir Arthur Wellesley, on shore; and on rejoining the Goliath, served with the fleet under Sir Jas. Saumarez in the Baltic, where he was frequently employed with the Russians, and often employed in the boats. Between Dec. 1808, and Aug. 1814, Mr. Bate further served on board the Blake, Courageux, Gibraltar, and Stirling Castle 74’s, Capts. Edw. Codrington, Robt. Plampin, Sir Jahleel Brenton, and Sir Home Popham; and during that period was present in the Courageux at the bombardment of Flushing, and made a voyage in the Stirling Castle to India. Obtaining his first commission 1 March, 1815, he subsequently joined – 30 Jan. 1826, the Coast Blockade, in which service he officiated, until its abolition, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies and Talavera 74’s, Capts. Hugh Pigot and David Colby – and, 15 April, 1831, took the command of a station in the Coast Guard. In 1834, for his “cool and intrepid conduct” in a desperate conflict of two hours with a party of armed smugglers, at Beer, in Devonshire, where he was severely wounded in the head, and had three fingers broken, he received the well-earned approbation of the Comptroller-General, and, on 15 Jan. 1836, was further rewarded with the rank of Commander. From 29 March, 1837, until 1840, and from 18 Jan. 1842, until the period of his death, he again served in the Coast Guard, in the capacity of Inspecting-Commander.
He has left a family of six children. Agents – Messrs. Chard.