A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Johnson, Edward
JOHNSON. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 19; h-p., 34.)
Edward Johnson was born, 12 Oct. 1777, at Lame, co. Antrim.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Jan. 1794, as A.B., on board the Boyne 98, Capt. Geo. Grey, bearing the flag of Sir John Jervis in the West Indies. During the operations connected with the ensuing reduction of Martinique he was successively employed in erecting batteries on shore previously to the bombardment of Fort Bourbon – in a gunboat under Lieut. T. Sparks at the bombardment of Fort Royal – and in personal command of a boat at the gallant cutting-out of the 28-gun frigate Bienvenue, the storming of Fort Royal, the debarkation of the troops at St. Pierre, and at the bringing out thence of the Avengeur sloop. On being transferred to the latter vessel, and placed under the command of Capt. Edw. Griffith, we find him affording assistance, as Midshipman, to the capture of Guadeloupe and Ste. Lucie. He came home with Capt. Griffith in the course of the same year in the Undaunted frigate, and was next, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 4 April, 1801, employed on the North Sea, Mediterranean, and Baltic stations, in the Asia 64, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Thos. Pringle, Edgar 74, Capts. John M‘Dougall and Edw. Buller, and San Josef 110, and St. George 98, flag-ships of Lord Nelson, under whom he served as a volunteer on board the Elephant 74, in the action off Copenhagen. He then joined the Dart 20, Capts. John Ferris Devonshire and Wm. Bolton, with whom, it appears, he further served on the Home station until Sept. 1802. In Aug. 1805, after he had been for two years attached to the Sea Fencible service in Ireland, Lieut. Johnson obtained an appointment to the London 98, Capts. Sir Robt. Barlow, Robt. Rolles, Sir Harry Burrard Neale, and Edw. Oliver Osborn, under the third-named of whom he assisted, in company with the Amazon 38, at the capture, 13 March, 1806, of the French 80-gun ship Marengo bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule, after a long running fight, in which the London sustained a loss of 10 men killed and 22 wounded. On 11 of the following June he assumed command of the Magpie 8, in which vessel he continued until driven on shore, 19 Feb. 1807, during a violent gale, on the coast of France, where himself and the whole of his crew were made prisoners-of-war. Being honourably acquitted on his return from captivity, in 1814, of all blame in the disaster, he was in consequence promoted to the rank of Commander by commission dated 27 Aug. in that year; but he has not been since able to procure employment.
He married, in Aug. 1803, Sarah, second daughter of Hugh Mountford, Esq., of Belfast, co. Antrim, by whom, who died in 1823, he had issue two sons and four daughters, now living. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.