A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Crabb, Joseph William
CRABB. (Lieut., 1809. f-p., 14; h-p., 32.)
Joseph William Crabb entered the Navy, 4 Sept. 1801, as Midshipman, on board the Royal Sovereign 100, Capt. Rich. Raggett, flag-ship in the Channel of Sir Henry Harvey. He afterwards, until May, 1806, served, in the Mediterranean, and again on the Home station, on board the Acasta 38, Capt. Jas. Athol Wood, Doris 36, Capts. Rich. Harrison Pearson and Patrick Campbell, Diamond 38, Capt. Thos. Elphinstone, and Chiffonne 36, Capt. P. Campbell. We then find him accompanying the latter officer into the Unité 36, in which frigate, under Capt. Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, he continued until Oct. 1815. On 16 June, 1809, Mr. Crabb – who had assisted, in May, 1808, at the taking of Il Ronco of 16 guns, and in June following at the simultaneous capture of the Nettuno and Toulie brigs, of similar force – was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He subsequently, in Jan. 1810, received, while commanding the Unité’s boats in close but unsuccessful pursuit of an enemy’s vessel, a very severe wound near the left groin, by a langridge shot, which has never yet been extracted; and on 31 March, 1811, he was present at the capture of the 20-gun store-ship Dromadaire. On 4 July in the same year we again discover Mr. Crabb commanding the boats, and cutting out from under a 2-gun battery, near Port Hercule, on the Roman coast, the St. François de Paule, a vigorously-defended brig, mounting 8 six and three-pounders; and, in the evening of the same day, acting in concert with Capt. Aug. Wm. Jas. Clifford of the Cephalus at the hazardous capture of three merchantmen near Civita Vecchia.[1] At the capture, 29 Nov. ensuing, after a severe running-fight of four hours, of the 26-gun store-ship Persanne, which until the moment of her surrender had been taken for a frigate, Mr. Crabb officiated as Senior Lieutenant of the Unité, and again distinguished himself.[2] He appears to have eventually served, in the Channel, as First, also, of the Orontes 36, Capt. Nathaniel Day Cochrane, from June to Oct. 1816; since which latter date he has been on half-pay. Agent – J. Hinxman.