A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Jackson, Robert
JACKSON. (Vice-Admiral of the Blue, 1847. f-p., 24; h-p., 42.)
Robert Jackson entered the Navy, 20 April, 1781, as Ordinary, on board the Santa Margarita 36, Capt. Elliot Salter, employed on the American station, where, in the following year, he assisted, as Midshipman, at the capture of the French frigate Amazone. Between March, 1784, and his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 22 Nov. 1790, he served at Newfoundland, in the Santa Leocadia, Capt. Alex. Edgar, Winchelsea, Capt. Edw. Pellew, and Salisbury flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Milhanke; and he was afterwards appointed in succession – 1 April, 1791, to the Savage sloop, Capt. Alex. Fraser, under whom he was at the capture of the town and garrison of Ostend in April, 1793 – 1 July, 1793, 25 March, 1794, and 25 June, 1795, to the Rose 18, and Beaulieu and Aimable frigates, Capts. Edw. Riou and Chas. Sidney Davers, all on the West India station, where he contributed, in the Rose, to the reduction of Martinique in 1794 – in Sept. 1795, to the Doris frigate, Capt. Lord Viscount Ranelagh, off the coast of Ireland – and in 1797-8-9, to the Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Lord Keith, Formidable 98, Capt. Jas. Hawkins Whitshed, and Foudroyant, Barfleur, and Queen Charlotte again, each bearing the flag of Lord Keith. On the destruction of the last-mentioned ship by fire in Leghorn Roads in March, 1800, Lieut. Jackson (who in the course of the same year beheld the fall of Savona[1] and the surrender of Malta) assumed the acting command of the Camelion sloop, as he did, in May following, of the Bonne Citoyenne corvette; in which vessel he captured, 31 Dec. 1800, the Spanish privateer Vives of 10 guns and 80 men, and gained, in 1801, the Turkish gold medal as a reward for his services during the campaign in Egypt. Two days after his official advancement to the rank of Commander, which did not take place until 6 Oct. 1801, Capt. Jackson was appointed by the Commander-in-Chief to the Tigre 74 – an act sanctioned by the Admiralty 29 April, 1802. He returned to England in the ensuing June, and was lastly employed as Flag-Captain to Lord Keith, on the North Sea and Channel stations, from Jan. 1806 to June, 1807, in the Edgar 74, and again (with the exception of a few months in 1814-15) from Feb. 1812, to Aug. 1815, in the San Josef, Queen Charlotte, and Ville de Paris. He became a Rear-Admiral 10 Jan. 1837; and a Vice- Admiral 8 March, 1847. Agent – John P. Muspratt.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 620, where it will be seen he distinguished himself by the extent of his perseverance.