A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Geddes, John
GEDDES. (Lieut., 1819. f-p., 9; h-p., 28.)
John Geddes entered the Navy, 10 Aug. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Astrea of 42 guns and 271 men, Capt. Chas. Marsh Schomberg; and, on 20 May, 1811, contributed (while cruizing off Madagascar, in company with the Phoebe and Galatea, frigates about equal in force to the Astrea, and 18-gun brig Racehorse) to the capture – after a long and trying action with the French 40-gun frigates Renommée, Clorinde, and Néréide, in which the Astrea had 2 men killed and 16 wounded – of the Renommée. On 25 of the same month he was further present at the surrender of the Néréide, and of the settlement of Tamatave. After a prolonged servitude with Capt. Schomberg, as Midshipman, in the Nisus 38, Mr. Geddes removed, in 1814, to the Liverpool 40, Capt. Arth. Farquhar, whom he accompanied home from the Cape in 1816. Until promoted to his present rank, 9 April, 1819, he appears to have been next employed in the Vengeur 74, Capt. Thos. Alexander, and, for two years, as Master’s Mate, in the Leander 50, flag-ship of Sir David Milne, on the Portsmouth and North America stations. He then joined the Grasshopper 18, Capts. Henry Forbes and David Buchan, and since his return to England, in the following June, has been on half-pay. Agent – Fred. Dufaur.