A Naval Biographical Dictionary/O'Reilly, John (a)
O'REILLY. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 18; h-p., 21.)
John O'Reilly(a), born 9 April, 1794, is third son of the late Thos. O’Reilly, Esq., of Beltrasna, co. Heath, by Margaret, daughter of Hon. Justice Robt. Sibthorpe, of Duncanny, co. Louth, and grand-niece of the Earl of Dundonald. His brother, Anthony Alexander, is a Major in the Army.
This officer entered the Navy, 2 Oct. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Warspite 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Blackwood, successively employed in the North Sea, at the blockade of Cherbourg, and in the Mediterranean. Removing as Midshipman, in Sept, 1810, to the Colossus 74, Capt, Thos, Alexander, he was for some time engaged in that ship at the defence of Cadiz, where he constantly volunteered his services, and was on several occasions in action with the enemy’s gun-boats, under a heavy fire from the batteries on shore. In April, 1811, he joined the Saldana 36, Capt. Hon. Wm. Pakenham, from which ship he was fortunately detached in charge of a captured privateer, the Amiral Martin a few days only before she was entirely lost, with all her crew, off Lough Swilly. In March, 1812, Mr. O’Reilly was received on board the Hazard sloop, Capt. John Cookesley, off Newfoundland; and in Jan. 1814, after having acted for upwards of 12 months as Master of that vessel, he was transferred to the Asia 74, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane; whom, in the following July, after a servitude of two months with Capt. Rich. Byron as Acting-Lieutenant in the Belvidera 36, he rejoined on board the Tonnant 80. In the course of the same summer he was present in the boats at the destruction of Commodore Barney’s flotilla up the Patuxent, and on shore at the battle of Bladensburg, the taking of Washington, and the attack upon Baltimore; and on 14 of the following Dec. we find him commanding one of the boats of a squadron at the capture, on Lake Borgne, of five American gunboats under Commodore Jones, whose desperate resistance occasioned the British a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded. Among the latter was Mr. O’Reilly,[1] who had the misfortune to sustain the loss of his right eye, for which he now receives a pension of 91l. 5s. His promotion to the rank of Lieutenant took place 2 Nov. 1815. His appointments have since been – 26 Aug. 1834, to the Coast Guard – 4 Nov. 1835, to the command, which he retained for six years, of the Spider brigantine of 6 guns, on the South American station – and, 29 Aug. 1843, again to the Coast Guard, in which service he continues. It has been Mr. O’Reilly’s good fortune to rescue many persons from shipwreck.
The Lieutenant is the inventor of an illuminated shell, which supplies the desideratum required in Capt. Manby’s apparatus. He married, 22 Oct, 1821, Anna, third daughter of Geo. Snart, Esq,, of Sutton House, co, Middlesex, by whom he has issue an only daughter, married to Commander Albert Heseltine, R.N. Agents – Messrs, Stilwell.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1815, p, 448.