A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Nott, John Thomas
NOTT. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 29.)
John Thomas Nott entered the Navy, 23 Jan. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Clyde 38, Capt. Chas. Cunningham, attached to the force in the Channel. In the of 1802 (he had previously attained the rating of Midshipman) he successively joined the Achille 74, Capts. Edw. Buller and John Okes Hardy, and Rosario sloop, Capt. Wm. Mounsey; and he was next, between April, 1803, and June, 1807, employed in the Channel and off Cadiz and Ferrol in the Malta 84, Capt. Edw. Buller, under whom he bore a warm part in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined fleets of France and Spain, 22 July, 1805. After a servitude of 15 months in the Mediterranean on board the Queen 98, flag-ship of Real-Admiral Geo. Martin, he proceeded, towards the close of 1808, to the West Indies in the Subtle, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Brown, and on his arrival on that Station was nominated, first in Jan. 1809, and then in the ensuing Dec, Acting-Lieutenant of the Port d’Espagne and Curieux sloops, Capts. Alex. Kennedy, Sam. Geo. Pechell, and Colin Campbell. In the Port d’Espagne he assisted, we believe, at the reduction of Martinique. Being confirmed, 18 Oct. 1810, into the Perlen 38, Capts. Norbome Thompson, Joseph Swabey Tetley, and John Allen, he was in that vessel, off Toulon, when she effected, 22 Nov. 1811, a gallant escape from a French line-of-battle ship and frigate with whom she had for several hours endured a close running fight. In 1812-1314 we find him employed on the Mediterranean and North American stations in the Thames 32, Capt. Chas. Napier, Pilot 18, Capt. John Toup Nicholas, Ocean 98, Capt. Robt. Plampin, and Iphigenia 36, Capt. Andrew King. In the Pilot he was present, 14 May, 1812, in an attack made, in company with the Thames, on the port of Sapri, where a strong battery and tower, mounting two 32-pounders, were surrendered at discretion, after having been battered for two hours within pistol-shot. From 8 Dec. 1841 until the spring of 1843, and from 7 Sept. in the latter year until the close of 1845, Lieut. Nott commanded the Partridge 10, and Lynx brigantine – the former in South America, the latter on particular service. He was advanced to the rank he now holds 9 Nov. 1846.