A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Gregory, John
GREGORY. (Retired Commander, 1845. f.p., 17; h-p., 35.)
John Gregory was born 28 Sept. 1774, at Bideford, co. Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 April, 1795, as A.B., on board the Defiance 74, Capts. Geo. Keppel. Sir Geo. Home, and Theophilus Jones, of which ship, employed in the North Sea and Channel, he became Midshipman 15 June following. On removing, in April 1797, to the Royal William, he had the honour of acting as Aide-de-camp to Admirals Earl Howe and Sir Peter Parker on the occasion of the meeting held on board that ship with the delegates from the mutinous fleet at Spithead. From the following July, until captured, 13 Feb. 1801, by a French squadron under M. Ganteaume, we find him serving, on the Channel, Irish, and Mediterranean stations, in the Success 32, Capts. Philip Wilkinson and Shuldham Peard; under the latter of whom he assisted at the blockade of Malta, and the capture, 18 Feb. and 24 Aug. 1800, of the French 74-gun ship Le Généreux, and 40-gun frigate La Diane, He also, during his continuance in the Success, commanded one of her boats at the cutting out, 9 June 1799, from under the fire of a battery and musketry in the port of Seva, of the Bella Aurora Spanish polacre, of 10 guns and 113 men, a vessel whose desperate resistance occasioned the British a loss of 3 men killed and 10 badly wounded. In June, 1801, on his release from captivity, Mr. Gregory joined the Mermaid 32, Capt. Robt. Dudley Oliver, and he afterwards, until paid off in July, 1802, served with Lord Keith on board the Foudroyant 80. Re-embarking, 7 May, 1805, as Master’s-Mate, in the Weasel 18, Capts. Peter Parker, John Clavell, and Henry Prescott, he again sailed for the Mediterranean, and thence proceeded to the Adriatic, where, among other operations, he contributed, in 1807, to the reduction of one of the enemy’s forts. On 16 April, 1808, Mr. Gregory, who appears for some months to have discharged the duties of Acting-Lieutenant in the last-named vessel, was officially promoted, from the Ocean 98, bearing the flag of Lord Collingwood, to a death-vacancy in the Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship off Toulon of Vice-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough. He invalided from the Mediterranean July 1811. He was subsequently, from 28 Oct. 1813 until June 1814, employed in a prison-ship at Portsmouth, and from 6 July, 1820, until 1823, In the Ordinary at Plymouth. He accepted his present rank 18 Jan. 1845. Agent – J. Chippendale.