A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Fitzgerald, John
FITZGERALD. (Retired Commander, 1842. f-p., 16; h-p., 44.)
John Fitzgerald entered the Navy (into which he was impressed), 15 Oct. 1787, as A.B., on board the Shark sloop, Capt. Valentine Edwards, but was soon afterwards discharged. In 1790 he re-embarked on board the Deptford, Lieut.-Commander Russell, lying in the river Thames; and, while afterwards serving under Capt. Edw. Thornbrough, he was present, in the Latona 38, in the action of 1 June, 1794, and, in the Robust 74, whose loss, it was subsequently found, amounted to 10 killed and 40 wounded, at the capture, 12 Oct. 1798, off the coast of Ireland, of the French 74-gun ship Le Hoche, one of a squadron commanded by Commodore Bompart. He obtained a Lieutenancy in the Gaieté sloop, Capts. Edw. Durnford King and Rich. Peacocke, on the West India station, 2 Nov. 1798; was there invested with the command, 16 June, 1802, of a small vessel called the Jump; and, from March, 1803, until 1806, was employed in the Impress and Sea Fencible services at Waterford and Dungarvon. Mr. Fitzgerald, who had not since been employed, became a Retired Commander on the Senior List 1 June, 1842.