A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Blow, John Aitkin
BLOW. (Captain, 1842. f-p., 29; h-p., 34.)
John Aitkin Blow is son of the late Lieut. Sam. Blow, B.N., who was present in Rodney’s actions in 1782; uncle of Lieut. Peter Stark, R.N.; and brother-in-law of Col. Alex. Munro, R.A.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 May, 1784, as Lieutenant’s Servant, on board the Sampson 64, guard-ship at Plymouth, Capt. Geo. Hope; and next joined the Powerful 74, similarly employed under the orders of Capt. Fitzherbert. On 24 Jan. 1791, after an interval of nearly five years, he re-embarked on board the Bombay Castle 74, Capt. John Thos. Duckworth, likewise stationed as a guard-ship at Plymouth; and he appears to have subsequently served in the Scorpion 18, Capt. John Holloway, Niger 32, and London 98, both commanded by Capt. Richard Goodwin Keats, Blonde 32, Capt. John Markham, in which frigate he co-operated in the reduction of the French West India Islands in 1794, and Hannibal 74, commanded by the same Captain, under whom he further witnessed the capture, 11 April, 1795, of La Gentille French frigate, of 42 guns. After an employment of two years as Midshipman, on the Home station, of the Pégase receiving-ship, Lieut. -Commander Sam. Blow, Orestes 18, Capt. Christopher Parker, and Sultan 74, Lieut.-Commander Woodger, he became Acting-Lieutenant, in July, 1797, of the Success 32, Capt. Philip Wilkinson, an appointment which, on 19 of the following Oct., received the sanction of the Admiralty. In July, 1798, Mr. Blow was appointed Senior of the Alliance 36, part of the squadron employed in 1799 at the memorable defence of St. Jean d’Acre, where (in consequence of the Captain, David Wilmot, being killed during an early part of the operations) he succeeded to the acting-command, and fought his ship with consummate gallantry until the close of the siege. He continued to command the Alliance for six months, but was then, in spite of the earnest recommendations of Sir Sidney Smith for his promotion, superseded by Earl St. Vincent, the Commander-in-Chief, and suffered to continue on the Lieutenants’ List for a period of 30 years! Indignant at the conduct so deserving an officer had experienced, Lord Nelson immediately appointed him to his flag-ship, the Foudroyant 80, Capt. Sir Edw. Berry, under whom, while at the blockade of Malta, we find him assisting at the capture, on 18 Feb. 1800, of Le Généreux 74, and Ville de Marseilles armed storeship, and on 31 March, after a desperate conflict in which the Foudroyant (then in company with the Lion 64, and Penelope 36) sustained a loss of 8 men killed and 64 wounded, of Le Guillaume Tell, of 84 guns and 1000 men, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Decrès. Among the wounded on the latter occasion was Mr. Blow himself, who, although his sight was severely injured, never obtained the least compensation.[1] He returned to England in the Guillaume Tell, and on that ship being added to the British Navy under the name of Malta, and commissioned by Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, continued to be employed in her for some months. His ensuing appointments afloat were – 20 Jan. 1801, to the Ambuscade 36, Capts. Lord John Colville and David Atkins, stationed in the West Indies and Channel – and, 10 May, 1803, and 24 April, 1810, to the command of the Charger, of 12, and Algerine, of 10 guns. During the nearly seven years of his continuance in the Charger, Mr. Blow, besides capturing various smuggling vessels, succeeded in making prize, 28 May, 1805, of the De Zenno, a Danish privateer carrying 13 men, participated also in the operations of 1807 against Copenhagen, and was then employed in surveying the Malmo Road, on the Swedish coast, for the purpose of enabling H.M. ships and convoys to pass, a service he very ably accomplished. On 9 June, 1808, the Charger formed part of a small convoying squadron, one of which, the Turbulent gun-brig, was captured by a Danish flotilla near the south end of Saltholm; and in the following December, while escorting the trade through Malmo Road, she was attacked by a detachment of gun-boats of very superior force – for his conduct in defeating which, and at the same time re-capturing two of his own convoy, her Commander was honoured vpith the thanks of the Admiralty. In Aug. 1809, Mr. Blow further accompanied the expedition to the Walcheren, and after the bombardment of Flushing he was deputed by Sir Home Popham to survey and place buoys along the Scheldt, from Bathz, on the island of South Beveland, to Fort Lillo. On assuming command, as above, of the Algerine, he took three privateers and several merchantmen; and while subsequently cruizing in company with the 12-gun brig Brevdrageren, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Barker Devon, he fell in with and was pursued, 31 July, 181 1, by a Danish force, consisting of three brigs, carrying in the whole 54 guns and 480 men, against whom the British could only oppose a force of 22 guns and 107 men. Although Mr. Blow does not appear to have been enabled directly to render much efifective aid to the Brevdrageren in her close action on 1 Aug. with the largest of the enemy’s vessels, the Langland, of 20 guns and 170 men (except at the commencement, when the Algerine had 1 man killed and 2 wounded), beyond sending her a boat and sweeps, yet, for his skilful manoeuvres in detaching the remainder of the enemy’s force, and his exertions in facilitating the subsequent escape of himself and consort, he received through Sir Jas. Saumarez, a second time, the acknowledgments of the Board of Admiralty. On 30 of the following Oct., in consequence of a dispute with a Capt. Campbell, R.M., to whom we believe he had sent a challenge, he was unfortunately dismissed from the command of the Algerine by sentence of court-martial; but not long afterwards, on 19 Feb. 1812, was appointed to the Impress service at Folkestone, where he remained until Aug. 1813. On 1 Jan. 1826, he obtained command of the Contest gun-brig, fitting at Portsmouth, but was superseded on being advanced to the rank of Commander, 27 March following. From 23 April, 1834, until May, 1837, we next find him attached, the last nine months as Second Captain of the Téméraire 104, to the Ordinary at Sheerness. He was afterwards, in the early part of 1842, selected by Her Majesty to command the Black Eagle, on the occasion of her visiting in that vessel the Queen 110, lying at Spithead, and about to proceed to the Mediterranean with the flag of Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen. He was promoted, in consequence of that service, to Post-rank, by commission dated 7 March in the same year; since which period he has been on half-pay.
Capt. Blow is married, and has issue. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 576.