A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Norcock, John Henry
NORCOCK. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 23; h-p., 3.)
John Henry Norcock was born 1 Feb. 1809. This officer entered the Navy, 30 Dec. 1821, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Liffey 50, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Chas. Grant in the East Indies; where, in May, 1824, while engaged in the expedition to Ava, he was discharged as Midshipman into the Larne 20, Capts. Fred. Marryat and John Kingcome. On 8 Aug. in the same year we find him assisting, with a detachment of 400 men under Lieut.-Col. Kelly, at the capture of two strong stockades in the Dallah creek, an enterprise of great gallantry, in which the British sustained a loss of 4 men killed, and 15, including himself slightly, wounded.[1] He also, 6 Feb. 1825, united with a force under Lieut.-Col. Godwin and Capt. Henry Ducie Chads, R.N., in effecting the reduction of a 36-gun stockade at Than-ta-bain, on the Lyne river, garrisoned by 2000 fighting men, together with the destruction of an immense number of fire-rafts and canoes filled with combustibles; and, in the course of the following month, having accompanied, in the Satellite transport, an armament under the orders of Capt. Marryat and Major Sale up the Bassein river, he contributed, in a manner that obtained him high commendation, to the capture of the town of Thingang and the village of Pumkayi.[2] Removing in Aug. 1826 to the Warspite 76, he served in that ship, at first under the broad pendant of Sir Jas. Brisbane, and next under Capts. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas and Wm. Parker, on the East India, South American, Lisbon, Mediterranean, and Home stations, until Jan. 1829. Having passed his examination 21 April, 1828, he was then appointed Mate of the Kent 78, Capt. John Ferris Devonshire, lying at Plymouth. He was subsequently, from Nov. in the latter year until paid off in Nov. 1833, employed in North America and the West Indies on board the Winchester 50, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys, Columbine 18, Capt. Thos. Metcalfe Currie, Winchester again. Racehorse 18, Capt. Fras. Vere Cotton, and Blanche 46, Commodore Sir Arthur Farquhar; and in the early part of 1835, after a servitude of 14 months at Portsmouth in the Excellent gunnery-ship, Capt. Thos. Hastings, he returned to the East Indies in the Rattlesnake 28, Capt.Wm. Hobson. Attaining the rank of Lieutenant 10 Jan. 1837, he was next appointed – 28 Nov. following to the Vestal 26, Capts. Thos. Wren Carter and John Parker, with whom he was for four years and a half employed on the North America and West India station – 15 Nov. 1843 to the Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Sir David Milne at Plymouth – 17 March, 1845, for a few weeks, to the Melampus 42, Capt. John Norman Campbell, fitting at that port – and, 2 Jan. 1846, as Senior, to the Canopus 80, Capt. Fairfax Moresby, attached to the Channel squadron. He was advanced to his present rank 9 Nov. 1846, and is now on half-pay.
Commander Norcock married, 5 Oct. 1837, Jane Money, eldest daughter of Lieut. Robt. Lowcay, R.N., by whom he has issue. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.