A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Harrison, Joseph
HARRISON. (Captain, 1832. f-p., 24; h-p., 24.)
Joseph Harrison is son of the late Lieut. Harrison, R.N., who died Agent for Transports at Plymouth in 1808.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 July, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Spider, Lieut.-Commander Rich. Harrison, of which vessel, successively stationed in the Channel and Mediterranean, he became Midshipman 1 Jan. 1800. During several months of the short-lived peace we find him again employed in the Channel on board the Oiseau, Capt. John Philips. He afterwards, in March, 1803, joined the Aurora frigate, Capts. Micajah Malbon and John Wentworth Loring, with whom he served on the Newfoundland station until transferred, in Jan. 1805, to the Pallas 42, Capt. Lord Cochrane. Proceeding subsequently to the West Indies in the Merlin sloop, Capt. John Parkinson, he was there, after a short attachment to the Northumberland 74, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, appointed Sub-Lieutenant, 11 Sept. 1806, of the Grouper gun-brig. Attaining the full rank of Lieutenant 10 May, 1807, he afterwards joined, in that capacity – 11 May, 1808, the Epervier brig, Capts. Hon. Michael De Courcy, John Bowker, Thos. Tudor Tucker, Alex. Nesbitt, Thos. Barclay, and Jas. Pattison Stewart, also in the West Indies – 16 Nov. 1809, the Achille 74, Capts. Sir Rich. King, Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, and Aiskew Paffard Hollis, during an attachment of nearly six years to which ship, besides commanding a Spanish gun-vessel at the defence of Cadiz, he served off Toulon, on the coast of Sicily, in the Adriatic, off Cherbourg, and on the South American station – and, 22 Sept. 1815, and 23 Oct. 1817, to the Inconstant and Semiramis frigates, respectively employed off the coast of Africa and at Portsmouth, and both commanded by Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo. On the occasion of his promotion to the rank of Commander 14 Sept. 1818, Capt. Harrison was invested, pro tem., with the charge of the Challenger 28. He was appointed to the Challenger 6 Sept. 1827 [errata 1] He afterwards obtained command, 6 May, 1829, of the Favorite sloop, fitting for the coast of Africa, whence he returned home and was paid off in Aug. 1833 – having been elevated to Post-rank on 9 of the previous Oct. He has not been since afloat.
Capt. Harrison married, 15 ApriJ, 1820, Catherine, daughter of Mr. Mottley, of Portsmouth.