A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Howell, Joseph Benjamin
HOWELL. (Commander, 1816. f-p., 16; h-p., 32.)
Joseph Benjamin Howell, is brother-in-law of Capt. Wm. Blight, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in April, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Success 32, Capt. Shuldham Peard. Continuing in that frigate until captured, 13 Feb. 1801, by a French squadron under M. Ganteaume, he was for nearly the whole of the time employed at the blockade of Malta, and assisted at the taking, 18 Feb. and 24 Aug. 1800, of the French 74-gun ship Le Généreux, and 40-gun frigate La Diane. On his release from captivity in March, 1801, he was nominated Midshipman of the Hector 74, Capts. Thos. Elphinstone and Wm. Skipsey, and after participating in the operations connected with the Egyptian expedition, he successively joined the Woolwich 44, Capt. Rich. Bridges, Gladiator, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral John Holloway, Blenheim 74, Capt. Bouverie, and Prévoyante store-ship, Master-Commander Wm. Brown; and he was next, between May, 1803, and Sept. 1805, employed under Lords Northesk and Gardner, in the Britannia 100, Hibernia 110, and Trent frigate, on the Channel and Irish stations. On 21 Oct. 1805 Mr. Howell was confirmed to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant in the Turbulent gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Spearing Osmer, lying at Plymouth. The 22 of the following Jan. was marked by his promotion to a full Lieutenancy in the Gibraltar 80, Capts. Wm. Lukin, Willoughby Thos. Lake, John Halliday, Jas. Johnstone, and Henry Lidgbird Ball, with whom we find him continuously serving on the Channel station until appointed, 27 April, 1808, to the Dryad 36, Capts. Adam Drummond and Edw. Galwey. During the whole of the siege of Flushing in 1809, he officiated on shore in command of a party of seamen attached to General Houston’s brigade. On that occasion he superintended the erection of a battery of 6 24-pounders, and while in command of it had one Master’s Mate and more than half his men killed. The exertions of Mr. Howell on this service were so conspicuous as to obtain for him an earnest recommendation to notice.[1] When afterwards on the north coast of Spain, he was detached for a period of 21 days in an open Spanish boat with 25 men, for the purpose of stopping the enemy’s supplies. While on the same station he contrived, with the boats of a squadron under his orders, to effect the destruction of 20 large guns mounted on different batteries. On 26 Feb. 1814 he witnessed the capture of the French frigate La Clorinde, of 44 guns. The Dryad, of which he had been three years First-Lieutenant, being paid off in April, 1814, he was next, in Oct. 1815 and March, 1816, appointed in a similar capacity to the Eridanus 36, and Minden 74, both commanded by Capt. Wm. Paterson. The part taken by Mr. Howell in the latter ship at the bombardment of Algiers, was rewarded with a Commander’s commission dated 16 Sept. 1816. He has since been on half-pay.
Commander Howell married, 1 Oct. 1823, Patience Blackburrow, youngest daughter of the Rev. Wm. George, M. A., Vicar of North Petherton, co. Somerset, by whom he has issue two sons and three daughters. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1802, p. 1327.