A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Loring, John Wentworth
LORING, K.C.B., K.C.H. (Vice-Admiral of the White, 1846. f-p., 46; h-p., 12.)
Sir John Wentworth Loring, born 13 Oct. 1775, in America, is son of the late Joshua Loring, Esq., permanent High Sheriff of the province of Massachusetts previously to the Transatlantic War of Independence; grandson of Commodore Loring, who commanded on the Lakes of Canada, also prior to the struggle with America; and first-cousin of the present Commander Hector Loring, R.N. One of his brothers, Henry Lloyd, died Archdeacon of Calcutta in 1822; another, William, a Captain in the Horse Artillery, served under Sir John Moore during his celebrated retreat, from the fatigues of which he never recovered, dying at Madeira in 1809; and a third, a Major in the Army, was Military Secretary to Lieut.-General Sir Gordon Drummond, G.C.B., Governor of the Canadas during the late war with America.
This officer, whose name had been borne from 24 April, 1783, until 13 Dec. 1785, on the books of the Salisbury 50, embarked, in June, 1789, on board that ship, then bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Milbanke at Newfoundland, whence he returned in Dec. 1791. He then in succession became Midshipman, on the Home and Mediterranean stations, of the Alcide 74, Capt. Sir Andrew Snape Douglas, Romney 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Sam. Cranston Goodall, Orestes 18, Capt. Lord Augustus FitzRoy, Conflagration fire-vessel, Capts. Thos. Freeman, Edw. Brown, and John Loring, and Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Hood. While with the latter nobleman at the occupation of Toulon, Mr. Loring served as a volunteer at Fort Mulgrave, where, on the night of its assault and capture by the republican troops, 17 Dec. 1793, he received a severe wound by a musket-ball just below the knee, which obliged him to proceed in the Dolphin hospital-ship to Gibraltar for recovery.[1] Rejoining the Victory while yet lame, he again acted as a volunteer at the reduction of Bastia, and was intrusted during the operations with the command of a gun-boat, in which he was every night employed, from dark till dawn, in watching the Mole-head. On the surrender of that place, Mr. Loring was promoted, 24 May, 1794, to a Lieutenancy in La Fléche 16, Capt. John Gore. Being soon afterwards transferred, at the request of Sir Hyde Parker, to his flag-ship, the St. George 98, he had an opportunity of sharing in Hotham’s actions of 14 March and 13 July, 1795. In the early part of 1796 we flnd him accompanying the same Admiral into the Britannia 100; and towards the close of that year taking a passage to the West Indies in the Comet fire-ship, Capt. Edw. Hamilton, for the purpose of there rejoining him in the Queen 98. In June, 1798, Lieut. Loring was advanced to the acting-command of the Rattler of 16 guns; in which sloop he so ably co-operated with Brigadier Sir Brett Spencer in superintending the evacuation of the Cayemites Islands, near St. Domingo, that he had the gratification of finding himself removed, in the ensuing Sept., to the Lark 18, a vessel superior to any other of her class on the station. The appointment being confirmed, 3 Jan. 1799, Capt. Loring succeeded, during the period of his command, in taking as many as 8 privateers and 27 merchant-vessels; and on one occasion, the Lark having been totally dismasted in a hurricane, he re-equipped her with such remarkable expedition, and in face of so many difficulties, that Lord Hugh Seymour, the new Commander-in-Chief, not only returned him his public thanks, but successively appointed him, in April and Oct. 1801, to the Abergavenny of 54, and the Syren of 32 guns. In March, 1802, while cruizing alone off Cape François, Capt. Loring, with a degree of coolness that called forth the highest admiration and applause of Sir John Thos. Duckworth (who had succeeded Lord Hugh Seymour), contrived to quell a most dangerous mutiny that had broken out on board the Syren, the crew having combined to seize their Captain and take possession of the ship. The strong manner in which he was in consequence recommended to the Admiralty caused their Lordships, on receipt of the intelligence, to confirm him in Post-rank by a commission ante-dated to 28 April, 1802, the day prior to the general promotion which had taken place in honour of the peace. The Syren being paid off in the following Oct., Capt. Loring’s after-appointments afloat, it appears, were – 14 Sept. 1803, to the Utrecht 64, flag-ship in the Downs of Rear-Admirals Robt. Montagu, Philip Patton, and John Holloway – 5 Jan. 1805, to the Aurora 28, in which frigate he made a voyage to Bermuda and back – 13 Nov. 1805, to the Niobe 40, an active cruizer – and, 19 July, 1813, to the Impregnable 98, flag-ship of Admiral Wm. Young, employed in blockading the Scheldt. On 28 March, 1806, being in the Niobe off L’Orient, Capt. Loring observed three large French frigates and a corvette standing out to sea. Notwithstanding the great superiority of the enemy, he immediately made sail in pursuit, and in the course of the night, which fortunately proved dark and rainy, contrived to come up with the sternmost of their vessels, Le Néarque, of 16 guns and 97 men; of which, by running close alongside and dropping two boats’ full of men from her quarters, the Niobe took silent possession. This neat action, as termed by Earl St. Vincent,[2] will be further alluded to in our memoir of Capt. Barrington Reynolds, the boarding officer. On 20 Oct. 1810 Capt. Loring captured L’Hirondelle privateer of 4 guns and 30 men; and in the course of the following month he received the approbation of the Admiralty for his zeal and gallantry in an attack made in company with the Diana 38, Capt. Chas. Grant, upon the two French 40-gun frigates Amazone and Eliza, who were driven under the batteries of La Hogue, where the latter was ultimately burnt,[3] While employed in alone watching the port of Havre, whither the Amazone had effected her escape, the Niobe made prize, 4 March, 1811, of Le Loup Marin privateer of 16 guns and 64 men. Towards the close of the same month the Amazone, having slipped in the night, was forced on shore near Cape Barfleur by a squadron under the orders of Capt. Jas. Macnamara of the Berwick 74, whom the Niobe, with much judgment, there led in an attack which ended with the self-destruction of the French ship. From 21 March, 1816, until he resigned, 14 Oct. following, Capt. Loring was Superintendent of the Ordinary at Sheerness. He became Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Naval College 4 Nov. 1819, and continued in discharge of the duties of that post until his attainment of Flag-rank 10 Jan. 1837. He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral 9 Nov. 1846.
Sir John Wentworth Loring, who had been nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815, and a K.C.H. 30 April, 1837, was created a K.C.B. 4 July, 1840. He married, 18 July, 1804, Anna, second daughter of Vice-Admiral Patton, who then held a seat at the Board of Admiralty; and by that lady has issue three sons (the second, William, a Commander in the R.N.) and three daughters.