A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Kains, John
KAINS. (Captain, 1846. f-p., 26; h-p., 23.)
John Kains was born 21 Jan. 1788.
This officer (whose name had been home, since 1798, on the books of the Northumberland, Fortitude, and St. Domingo 74’s) embarked, in 1800, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Theseus 74, Capts. John Bligh, Edw. Hawker, Fras. Temple, and Barrington Dacres. Proceeding in that ship to the West Indies, he there, in 1803-4, assisted, as Master’s Mate, at the blockade of St. François, St. Domingo – the reduction of Port Dauphin, where two forts and a 28-gun ship. La Sagesse, were taken from the enemy – the capture of the French squadron with the remains of General Rochambeau’s army from Cape François – and the unsuccessful attempt upon Curaçoa. He was also, while at St. Domingo, employed in cutting out merchant-vessels from most of the harbours in that island. Quitting the Theseus in Sept. 1805, he joined the Ruby 64, Capt. Chas. Rowley, stationed in the North Sea, where, with the exception of a few weeks passed as Acting-Lieutenant in the Amaranthe 18, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, he further served, from Dec. in the same year until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 1 July, 1807, on board the Majestic 74, flag-ship of Vice- Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell. Being then appointed to the Thais 18, Capt. Isaac Ferrieres, he was present in that sloop at the ensuing reduction of the Danish West India islands, and also, on his return from a visit to South America and the Cape of Good Hope, in the operations of 1809 against the island of Walcheren. After he had been attached for a short period, as First-Lieutenant, to the Vesuvius bomb, Capt. Wm. Saunders, Mr. Kains joined, in a similar capacity, 5 Feb. 1810, the Grampus 50, Capt. Wm. Hanwell, and sailed with a fleet of Indiaraen for China. During his absence from England, and when in the Java Sea, he took command of the boats and disarmed a Malay piratical proa. His last subordinate appointment was, 23 Oct. 1811, to the Senior Lieutenancy of the Warrior 74, Capt. Hon. Geo. Byng, afterwards Viscount Torrington, whose highest praise, as well as that of the Commander-in-Chief, we find him eliciting by his cool and gallant conduct, on 13 July, 1813, in boarding and capturing, with the boats of the latter ship and the Aetna bomb under his orders, the Danish national lugger Teigeren, mounting 3 6-pounders, and defended by a heavy fire of musketry from the shore, whither the crew, on the approach of the British, had effected their escape. To add to the excellence of the achievement, it was performed in the proximity of three of the enemy’s gun-boats, at a moment, too, when the vessel, having been fired by her crew, was in a perfect blaze, with the flames raging on her magazine-chest, and with every indication of an instant explosion. On 30 Nov. following Lieut. Kains had the honour of steering the boat which conveyed H.S.H. the Prince of Orange from the Warrior to the Dutch shore. He attained the rank of Commander 8 Jan. 1814, and was afterwards employed – from 6 June, 1833, until July, 1836, in the Coast Guard – from 18 April, 1837, until Feb. 1839, in the Ordinary at Chatham, as Commander of the Brune 22, and Poictiers 74 – and, from 5 Feb. 1839 until Oct. 1844, as Superintendent, with his name on the books of the Royal Sovereign yacht, of the Packet Service at Holyhead. He acquired his present rank 9 Nov. 1846, and is now on half-pay.
Capt. Kains married, 2 Feb. 1814, Miss Gold, of Gillingham, co. Kent.