A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Cririe, John
CRIRIE. (Commander, 1825. f-p., 11; h-p., 33.)
John Cririe was born about 1783.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 Sept. 1803, as Midshipman, on board the Ulysses 44, Capt. Edw. Henry Columbine; and on proceeding to the West Indies, was very actively employed in the Pandour, Capt. John Nash, and Drake 14, Capt. Wm. King, until wrecked, off Nevis, in Sept. 1804. After a further servitude of two years on the same station, as Master’s Mate, in the Carysfort 28, Capt. Kenneth Mackenzie, he returned home, and until promoted, 7 Nov. 1809, successively joined, off the coast of France, the Ardent 64, Capt. Geo. Eyre, Prospero, Capt. Wm. King, Pomone 38, Capt. Robt. Barrie, by whom he appears to have been often employed on cutting-out expeditions, and Ville de Paris 110, and Caledonia 120, flag-ships of Lords Gardner and Gambler. For his conduct as Second in command of a fire-vessel at the destruction of the French shipping in Basque Roads, 11 April, 1809, Mr. Cririe, as above, was awarded a commission immediately on passing his examination. He had previously, however, been in charge also of a gun-boat during the expedition to the Scheldt. Being next appointed, 25 Nov. 1809, to the Crocodile 22, Capts. E. H. Columbine and John Rich. Lumley, he served for a considerable time on the coast of Africa; and while there commanded the boats for the suppression of the slave traffic up the different rivers until disabled by the yellow fever in 1811. Removing with Capt. Lumley to the Narcissus 32, as his First-Lieutenant, 29 June, 1812, we subsequently find him commanding the boats on numerous occasions against the American enemy; from whom, on 24 Nov. 1812, he captured, in face of a heavy discharge of grape and langridge, and with a loss to the British of one man killed and another wounded, the Joseph and Mary, a dangerous privateer, of 4 guns and 73 men, between Cuba and St. Domingo[1] – and, on 12 June, 1813, the Surveyor Revenue-cruizer, of 6 guns, pierced for 12, and 25 men, which he brought out from York River, in the Chesapeake. The latter vessel, whose loss amounted to 5 men wounded, was fully prepared for resistance, and was protected from the shore by 4 field-pieces and a body of militia. Before her surrender she occasioned her assailants a loss of 3 men killed and 6 wounded, including Mr. Cririe himself, to whose boat the slaughter was chiefly confined.[2] This officer invalided home from chronic rheumatism in June, 1814; and has since been on half-pay. His commission as Commander bears date 27 May, 1825.