A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Loney, John Jenkins
LONEY. (Lieut., 1807. f-p., 25; h-p., 31.)
John Jenkins Loney, born 8 Dec. 1783, is son of the late Mr. J. Loney, a warrant-officer in the Royal Navy, who served his country with credit for nearly 50 years.
This officer entered the Navy, early in 1791, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Thorn sloop, Capt. Taylor, on the Leith station. In the course of the same year he became attached to the Prosperine frigate, commanded in the West Indies by Capt. Jas. Alms; and enjoining, for a short time in 1794, the Latona 38, Capt. Edw. Thornbrough, he fought and was severely wounded in Lord Howe’s famous action. With the exception of a few months in 1796-7, during which we find him serving at Home on board the Carnatic, Colossus, and Russell 74’s, all commanded by Capt. Rich. Grindall, he did not again go afloat until May 1803, on 5 of which month he was received into the Windsor Castle 98, Capts. Philip Chas. Durham, Albemarle Bertie, and Davidge Gould. With those officers Mr. Loney was for two years employed in the Channel, principally in the capacity of Midshipman. He then in succession joined the Thunderer 74, Capt. Wm. Lechmere, and Dart sloop, Capt. Brownrigg; and on 6 Feb. 1806, having returned to the West Indies, it was his fortune to be present in the action off St. Domingo on board the Northumberland 74, flag-ship of the late Sir Alex. Cochrane; by whom he was nominated, 5 May, 1807, Acting-Lieutenant of the Chichester store-ship, Capt. Tait. On leaving that vessel, to which he had been confirmed 11 Aug. in the same year, Mr. Loney was appointed, 26 April, 1808, to the Thisbe 28, bearing the flag in the Thames of Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope. Removing, a month afterwards, to the Thrush 18, Capt. Chas. Webb, he was again ordered to the West Indies, where, in July, 1809, he witnessed the surrender of St. Domingo. About the early part of 1810, being at the time engaged in the defence of Cadiz, he was placed by Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats in acting-command of the Thunder bomb, in which vessel he remained until superseded on the arrival from England of a Captain appointed by the Admiralty. While next in command (from Nov. 1810 until compelled by illness to resign in March, 1811) of the Dart cutter, Mr. Loney was employed in the conveyance of despatches between Cadiz and Lord Wellington’s army in Portugal. His subsequent appointments were – 12 Dec. 1811, to the Spider 16, Capt. Frank Gore Willock, on the West India station, whence he invalided 6 Feb. 1813 – 4 Sept. 1826, to be Agent for Transports afloat, which service a severe injury received in the head during a heavy gale obliged him to quit in the ensuing March – and 2 April, 1827, and 6 Feb. 1837, to the command, for a period each time of five years, of the Semaphores at Beacon Hill and Portsmouth. He has been on half-pay since 1 April, 1842.
Lieut. Loney married, 20 April, 1808, the daughter of a respectable Government Contractor, by whom he has issue ten children. One of his sons, John Felix, a Master in the R.N. (1845), is now serving in that capacity on board the Poictiers 72, guardship at Chatham.