A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Powney, John
POWNEY, K.H. (Commander, 1827. f-p., 25; h-p., 22.)
John Powney is youngest son of the late Pennyston Portlock Powney, Esq., of Ives Place, Maidenhead, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Berkshire Militia, Custos Rotulorura of that county. Ranger of the Little Park, Windsor, and many years M.P. for the borough of New Windsor, who died in 1794.
This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1800, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Cambrian 40, Capts. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge and Geo. Henry Towry, under whom, until paid off at the peace of Amiens, he was employed in attendance upon the Royal Family off Weymouth, and in escorting a large East India fleet to St. Helena. He then became Midshipman of the Immortalité 36, Capt. Edw. W. C. R. Owen, lying in the Downs; and he next, in the course of 1802-3, joined the Nemesis, Magicienne, and Fortunée frigates, all commanded by Capt. Henry Vansittart, and Phaeton 38, Capt. Geo. Cockburn. In the Magicienne he assisted in conveying a number of disbanded Dutch troops from Lymington and Jersey to the Texel and Helvoetsluys; in the Phaeton, after escorting Mr. Merry, the British Minister Plenipotentiary, to the United States, he sailed for India, and was subsequently engaged in the blockade of the Mauritius and the Ile de Bourbon. While so employed he frequently distinguished himself in boat expeditions, and on one occasion in particular, at the capture and destruction of a ship which had run on shore for protection under a fort situated on Pointe Cannoniere. On his return to England with Capt. Cockurn in the Howe 38, having on board the Marquis of Wellesley, late Governor-General of India, he removed in succession, in the early part of 1806, to the Clyde 38, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore E. W. C. R. Owen, and Niobe 40, Capt. John Wentworth Loring – the latter stationed off L’Orient. He was made Lieutenant, 13 Sept. 1806, into the Bergère sloop, Capts. Jas. Boxer, Hon. Granville Leveson Proby, and Thos. Whinyates, attached to the force in the Mediterranean; and was subsequently appointed – 17 Dec. 1807, to the Zenobia 18, Capt. Alex. Rich. Mackenzie, under whom he assisted at the capture of Flushing, and took part in all the operations of 1809 in the Scheldt – 19 May, 1813, after about three years of half-pay, to the Endymion 40, Capt. Henry Hope, stationed on the coast of North America, where, until obliged by ill-health to invalid in Sept. 1814, he was most actively employed, assisted in the boats at the capture of the Meteor schooner of 3 guns and 31 men, and contributed to the reduction of the islands in Passamaquoddy Bay – 16 June and 22 Sept. 1815, to the Caledonia 120, and Vengeur 74, Capts. Sir Arch. Collingwood Dickson and Thos. Alexander, lying at Portsmouth and Plymouth – 31 Jan. 1818, to the command, for three years, of the Camelion Revenue vessel, in which he cruized with much success, and was in occasional attendance on George III. during his aquatic excursions – 20 March, 1823, to the command (at the particular request of her constructor Capt. John Hayes) of the Arrow cutter, of about 160 tons, and 10 guns, employed in protecting the oyster fisheries near Jersey, and, with advantage, in the suppression of smuggling – and, 4 Oct. 1825, to the Royal George yacht, Capt. Sir Michael Seymour. While on the books of the latter vessel he was intrusted with the command of the Calliope tender, and ordered to coiivey the Mexican Charge d’Affaires, Senor Rocafuerte, with a treaty of commerce from England to New Spain, where he was presented by the Government of that republic with a table-service of plate. On his return home with a valuable freight in the spring of 1827, he was lent with the crew of the Royal George to the Royal Sovereign yacht, Capt. Sir Wm. Hoste; in which vessel we find him escorting the Queen of Würtemberg to England, and accompanying the Lord High Admiral and his consort on several marine trips; at the termination whereof he was presented with a Commander’s commission bearing date 26 June, 1827. From 6 April, 1831, until the commencement of 1834, he officiated as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard at Aldborough – his last appointment.
Commander Powney was nominated a K.H. 1 Jan. 1837. He married, first, Elizabeth, daughter of the late Capt, Carleton, of H.M. 16th Foot, and niece of the late Lord Carleton, Chief Justice of Ireland; and, secondly, in Sept. 1838, Isabella Carleton, eldest daughter of the late Wm. Willie, Esq., Purser and Paymaster R.N. (1798), by whom he has issue a son and two daughters. Agent – J. Hinxman.