A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Coffin, John Townsend
COFFIN. (Captain, 1822. f-p., 18; h-p., 30.)
John Townsend Coffin is third son of the late Major-General John Coffin, an officer distinguished in the first American war, by Anne, daughter of Wm. Matthews, Esq., of St. John’s Island, South Carolina; and nephew of Sir Isaac Coffin, Bart., G.C.H., Admiral of the Red, who died 23 July, 1839.
This officer entered the Navy, 7 Nov. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Boston 32, Capt. John Erskine Douglas, on the Halifax station; served next, from 21 Aug. 1802, until Feb. 1805, as Midshipman, in the Narcissus 32, Capt. Ross Donnelly, under whom he assisted, off Sardinia, at the capture, 8 July, 1803, of the French corvette L’Alcion, of 16 guns and 96 men; joined, in Feb. 1805, the Blenheim 74, bearing the flag in the East Indies of Sir Thos. Troubridge; and for his conduct as Master’s Mate of the Harrier 18, Capt. Edw. Thos. Troubridge, at the capture, after a stiff action of an hour, of the Dutch 36-gun frigate Pallas, and armed ships Vittoria and Batavia, near Java, 26 July, 1806, was, on 13 Oct. following, appointed Acting-Lieutenant of the Macassar, Capt. Wm. Wilbraham.[1] In Oct. 1807 he was transferred, in a similar capacity, to the Duncan 38, Capt. Wm. Wells, but he does not appear to have been confirmed by the Admiralty until 11 April, 1808, when we find him appointed to the Samarang 18, Capt. Rich. Buck. Returning to England towards the close of the same year, in the St. Fiorenzo 36, Capt. John Bastard, Mr. Coffin, in Aug. 1809, was sent to join the Shark sloop, Capt. Grove, on the Jamaica station, whence, unable to withstand the effects of the climate, he speedily came home, and obtained an appointment, 16 Dec. 1809, to the Victorious 74, Capt. John Talbot. On 21 Feb. 1812, while cruizing in the Gulf of Venice, in company with the Weasel 18, the latter ship fell in with, and, at the close of a most gallant conflict of four hours and a half, in which she lost 27 men killed and 99 wounded, and the enemy 400 killed and wounded, took the French 74-gun ship Rivoli, whose consorts, three brigs and two gun-boats, were also defeated. Lieut. Coffin – who, with Lieut. Edw. Whyte, was intrusted with the charge of the prize, and by his exertions succeeded in getting her into port[2] – continued to serve on the Mediterranean station, in the Ocean 98, Capt. Robt. Plampin, and Rainbow 26,[3] Capts. Gawen Wm. Hamilton and John Cornish, until promoted, 1 July, 1814, to the command of the Shearwater sloop, at Sheerness, which he, however, only retained until the following Oct. His last appointment was, 12 Aug. 1819, to the Fly 18, employed successively, in the Leeward Islands, and, for the suppression of smuggling, off the coast of Ireland. Capt. Coffin, who had been on half-pay since his attainment of Post-rank, 26 Dec. 1822, accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
He married, 16 June, 1834, Sophy Wallace, daughter of Lochlan Donaldson, Esq.