A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Costerton, Samuel
COSTERTON. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 10; h-p., 34.)
Samuel Costerton is fourth son of the late Benj. Costerton, Esq., of Yarmouth, co. Norfolk; and a near relative of Capt. Wm. Fisher, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Oct. 1803, as L.M., on board the Unicorn 32, Capt. Lucius Hardyman, on the Home station; where he ultimately became Midshipman of the Monmouth 64, Capt. Geo. Hart, and continued to serve, in the Stately 64, Capt. Geo. Parker, and Merlin 16, Capt. Wm. Fisher, until June, 1807. He then sailed with the latter officer for the Cape of Good Hope as Master’s Mate of the Racehorse 18, and, after officiating as Master of several prizes, and assisting in the exploration of the Mozambique Channel, joined, in Jan. 1810, the Nereide 36, Capt. Nesbit Josiah Willoughby. Under that gallant commander, Mr. Costerton had charge of a boat and was wounded in a dashing attack made on the enemy’s batteries and troops at Jacotel, in the Isle of France, 1 May following. He also disembarked the soldiery through a heavy surf at different points of attack on Isle Bourbon, during its ensuing reduction by the British; was on board the Nereide when she compelled the enemy’s sloop Victor to surrender, and exchanged broadsides with the 40-gun frigate Minerve; and was again wounded during a series of unfortunate though heroic operations which, by 28 Aug., terminated in the self-destruction, in Port Sud-Est, of the British frigates Magicienne and Sirius, and the capture, by a French squadron, of the Nereide and Iphigenia – the former after having been reduced to a mere wreck, and been occasioned a loss in killed and wounded of nearly her whole crew. Regaining his liberty on the capitulation of the Isle of France in the following Dec, Mr. Costerton returned to England as Acting-Master of the Ceylon 32, Capt. D. Paterson; and after an intermediate servitude, latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Barfleur 98, Capt. Sir Edw. Berry, Warrior 74, Capt. John Gore, and Herald 20, Capt. Clement Milward, was confirmed, 4 Nov. 1814, to a Lieutenancy in the Arachne 18, Capt. Wm. M‘Kenzie Godfrey, of which vessel he appears to have been for some time Acting-Commander. He was superseded at his own request in Feb. 1815; and has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Costerton married, in Aug. 1815, Mary Anne Elizabeth, only daughter of the late Thos. Underwood, Esq., of Bergtrott, co. Suffolk, and has issue nine children. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.