A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Nason, Richard
NASON. (Lieutenant, 1812. f-p., 15; h-p., 31.)
Richard Nason entered the Navy, 3 May, 1801, as a Supernumerary, on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. John Sutton, bearing the flag in the Channel of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis; and, after his name had been borne in a similar capacity on the books of the De Ruyter and Texel 64’s, Capts. Rich. Dacres and Rich. Incledon, Ajax 74, Capt. Hon. Alex. Inglis Cochrane, and Cambrian and Nemesis frigates, Capts. Bradley and Owen, all flag-ships at Spithead, became in succession Midshipman, in the course of 1802, of the Childers sloop, Capt. Jas. Coutts Crawford, of a vessel commanded by Capt. John G. Saville, and of the Calcutta 54, Capt. Dan. Woodriff. In that ship he was at first employed in the transport of convicts to Van Diemen’s Land, on his return whence he proceeded for convoy to St. Helena. During her passage home the Calcutta, after having beaten the French 40-gun frigate Armide, was attacked, 26 Sept. 1805, and, at the end of a gallant action of three-quarters of an hour, productive to her of a loss, out of 343 men, of 6 killed and 6 wounded, unavoidably captured by the 74-gun ship Majestueux, part of a squadron under the orders of Rear-Admiral Allemand. On effecting his escape from confinement Mr. Nason was received on board the Briseis 10, Capt. Chas. Thurlow Smith. He attained the rank of Lieutenant 21 March, 1812, and was subsequently appointed – 1 Oct. and 22 Dec. following, to the Alfred and Mars 74’s, Capts. Joshua Sydney Horton and Henry Raper, employed off the coast of Spain and at Portsmouth – 2 Feb. 1813, to the Venerable 74, Capt. David Milne, cruizing in the Channel and among the Western Islands – and, 24 Jan. and 4 June, 1814, to the Cretan 16, Capt. Chas. Fred. Payne, and Chanticleer 10, Capts. Stewart Blacker, John Thompson, Geo. Tupman, and Wm. Henry Dickson. The Cretan led a squadron of frigates and brigs through the Wielinge Passage into the West Scheldt for the purpose of co-operating with the British and Russian troops before Antwerp and Bergen-op-Zoom; and was afterwards employed in blockading Fort Bathz, in the island of South Beveland, where the enemy’s deserted batteries were all dismantled. The Chanticleer formed part of the force employed in the reduction of Guadeloupe in 1815. Since Aug. 1816, at which period that sloop was put out of commission, Lieut. Nason has been on half-pay.