A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Mein, John
MEIN. (Lieutenant, 1812. f-p., 14; h-p., 34.)
John Mein entered the Navy, 10 June, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board Le Caton, Lieut.-Commander R. Brown, lying at Plymouth; on the books of which vessel he continued until Oct. 1800. re-embarking, 28 Nov. 1804, on board the St. George 98, Capts. Hon. Michael de Courcy and Thos. Bertie, he served during the two following years in the Channel and West Indies; and on being then transferred, as Midshipman, to the Néréide 36, Capt. Robt. Corbet, he proceeded first to the Cape of Good Hope and next to the Rio de la Plata, where, in 1807, he took part in the unsuccessful attempt upon Buenos Ayres. After a further attachment, on the Cape, Home, and East India stations, to the Grampus 50, Capt. Jas. Haldane Tait, Raisonnable 64, Capt. Josias Rowley, St. Fiorenzo 36, Capt. John Bastard, Plover sloop, Capt. Philip Browne, Hesper, Blanche, Cornwallis, and Russell, all commanded by Capt. Edw. WaUis Hoare, and Africaine 38, Capt. Philip Beaver, he was nominated, 19 Nov. 1810, Acting-Lieutenant of the Ceylon 32, Capts. Jas. Tomkinson and Wm. Paterson, under the former of whom we find him employed on shore at the ensuing capture of the Isle of France. With the exception of a short servitude as Midshipman (from 3 Aug. to 30 Nov. 1811) in the Barfleur 98, off Lisbon, he continued to act as Lieutenant in the Ceylon, also in the Néréide under Capt. Geo. Henderson, and in the Myrtle sloop, Capt. Clement Sneyd, until Feb. 1812. He then again, in the same capacity as before, joined the Barfleur, commanded at the time by Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy. He was within a few weeks, however, ofl&cially promoted to his present rank, by a commission bearing date 21 March, 1812; and was subsequently appointed – 14 Aug. in the same year, to the Talbot 20, Capt. Spelman Swaine, on the Irish station – 30 April and 11 Nov. 1814, to the Warspite 74, and Orpheus 36, Capts. Lord Jas. O’Bryen and Chas. Montagu Fabian, with whom he served on the coasts of North and South America until June, 1816 – and, 24 May, 1821, to the Martin 20, Capt. Christopher Crackenthorp Askew, fitting for the Mediterranean, where he invalided. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Mein is married, and has issue.