A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Percy, Josceline
PERCY, C.B. (Rear-Admiral of the Red, 1841. f-p., 26; h-p., 24.)
The Honourable Josceline Percy, born 29 Jan. 1784, is fourth son of Algernon, first Earl of Beverley, by Isabella Susannah, second daughter of Peter Burrell, Esq., of Beckenham, in Kent, and sister of Peter, first Lord Gwydyr. One of his brothers, Algernon, Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Cantons, died 10 Aug. 1833; another, Hugh, present Bishop of Carlisle, is married to a daughter of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Wm. Johnstone Hope, G.C.B.; a third, Henry, having served as Aide-de-camp to Sir John Moore at Corunna and to the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo, became a Lieutenant-Colonel and died a C.B. in 1825; a fourth, William Henry, is now a Rear-Admiral; and a fifth, Francis John, died a Captain in the 23rd regt. in 1812. The Rear-Admiral (whose eldest brother, the Earl of Beverley, holds the appointment of Captain of the Queen’s Yeomen of the Guard) is grandson of the first Duke of Northumberland.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 Feb. 1797, as a Volunteer, on board the Sans Pareil 80, Capts. Wm. Browell and Chas. Vinicombe Penrose, in which ship, bearing for some time the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour, he witnessed an attack made in July, 1799, on a Spanish squadron in Aix Roads In 1801, being then in the West Indies, he removed as Midshipman to the Amphion 32, Capts. Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, Alex. Fraser, and Thos. Masterman Hardy. He next, on his arrival in 1803 off Toulon, joined the Victory 100, flag-ship of Lord Nelson. On 1 Aug. in the same year he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Medusa 32, Capt. John Gore; and on leaving that ship [1] to which he had been confirmed 30 April, 1804, he was appointed, 31 Dec. following, to the Diadem 64, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Home Popham. Subsequently to the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope, at which he was present, Mr. Percy was ordered, 11 Jan. 1806, to assume command of the Espoir brig. Before he had time, however, to join her he was sent to Simon’s Bay for the purpose of taking possession of the Bato, a Dutch 68; but the latter, as he found on his arrival, had been unfortunately reduced by the enemy to a complete wreck; in consequence whereof, and of the Espoir having during his absence sailed with despatches for England, he was under the necessity of rejoining the Diadem in the capacity of a Volunteer. An opportunity, notwithstanding, was soon afforded him of obtaining another command. In ignorance of the colony having changed masters, the French frigate Volontaire, of 46 guns, on 4 of the ensuing March, entered Table Bay; she was compelled forthwith to strike her colours, and Capt. Percy, who was sent on board to take possession of her, placed in charge of her.[2] Shortly after this he was sent to St. Helena to afford protection to the homeward-bound Indiamen. His promotion to the ranks of Commander and Post-Captain being confirmed at the Admiralty by commissions dated 22 Jan. and 25 Sept. 1806, he was subsequently appointed – 7 Sept. 1807, to the Comus 22 – 24 April, 1808, to La Nymphe 36 – 5 Nov. 1810, to the Hotspur 36, in which frigate he continued five years – 27 Jan. 1829, for two years, to the Royal Charlotte yacht, stationed at Dublin, in attendance upon the Duke of Northumberland, then Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland – and, 16 Oct. 1832 and 25 Nov. 1833, to the Malabar 74 and Canopus 84, both in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in the early part of 1837. In Dec. 1807 Capt. Percy, at that time in the Comus, was present with Sir Sam. Hood at the occupation of Madeira; and in 1808 we find him, in La Nymphe, conveying General Junot from the coast of Portugal to Rochelle, in compliance with the stipulations of the convention of Cintra. On 1 Sept. 1811, with the Hotspur under his orders, he contrived, with much zeal and ability, to decoy the French squadron at Cherbourg nearly into mid-Channel, in the hope of keeping it in play until the arrival of the blockading force under Capt. Pulteney Malcolm. On the occasion he allowed himself to be so closely approached that the first shot from the bow-chaser of the Hotspur, fired when the pursuit was surrendered, passed through the mainsail of the enemy’s centre ship, whom he continued to harass until they had regained their anchorage, a quarter of an hour only before the British squadron came up with him. On 8 of the same month Capt. Percy, in company with the Barbadoes 28 and Goshawk brig, made an attack upon seven French brigs, each mounting 3 long 24-pounders and 1 mortar, with a complement of 75 men, near the Calvados rocks, on the coast of Normandy. In endeavouring to near them the Hotspur unfortunately took the ground, and lay for four hours exposed to a heavy fire from the vessels, a battery, and some field-pieces, which infiicted on her a loss, besides considerable damage in her hull, sails, and rigging, of 2 Midshipmen and 3 seamen killed, and 22 seamen and marines wounded. One of the brigs, however, was sunk, and two driven on shore,[3] While on the Channel station the Hotspur made prize, 13 May and 26 Oct. 1813, of the French ship letter-of-marque Impératrice Reine of 1 2 guns, pierced for 20, and 50 men, and the American schooner Chesapeake of 5 guns and 29 men. She was afterwards employed for two years on the coast of South America. On 23 Nov. 1841 (he had been nominated a C.B. 26 Sept. 1831) Capt. Percy attained Flag-rank. His last appointment was to the chief command at the Cape of Good Hope, which he held, with his flag in the Winchester 50, from 17 Dec. 1841 until the spring of 1846.
The Rear-Admiral, a Deputy-Lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire, retained a seat in Parliament, in 1806, 1807, 1812, and 1818, for Beeralston, in Devonshire. He married, in Dec. 1820, Sophia Elizabeth, third daughter of Morton Walhouse, Esq., of Hatherton, co. Stafford, by whom he has issue a son and three daughters. His eldest daughter, Sophy Elizabeth, was married, in July, 1846, to Lieut.-Colonel Chas. Bagot, eldest son of the late Right Hon. Sir Chas. Bagot, G.C.B. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.