A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sanderson, John (a)
SANDERSON. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 2.)
John Sanderson is second son of Capt. Edw. Sanderson, of Rose Place, co. Worcester; and grandson of the late Sir John Holes, Bart., of Holes Place.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 July, 1828, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Windsor Castle 76, Capt. Hon. Buncombe Pleydell Bouverie, in which ship he was for nearly three years employed, part of the time as Midshipman, on the Mediterranean, Lisbon, and Irish stations. Towards the close of 1831 he sailed for the East Indies in the Melville 74, flag-ship of Sir John Gore; and in Sept. 1835, ten months after he had passed his examination, and a few weeks after the Melville had been paid off, ho became Mate of the Cleopatra 26, Capt. Hon. Geo. Grey, under whom he escorted the Countess of Durham to St. Petersburg, then sailed for South America, and ultimately, in 1838, accompanied the Marquis of Clanricarde as Ambassador to the former court. He subsequently served In the Mediterranean in the Zebra 16, Capts. Robt. Fanshawe Stopford and Jas. John Stopford, and Phoenix steamer, Capt. R. F. Stopford; and for his conduct in the latter vessel during the operations on the coast of Syria and at the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 4 Nov. 1840. His succeeding appointments were – 23 Dec. 1840, to the Excellent gunnery-ship at Portsmouth, Capt. Sir Thos. Hastings – 30 Aug. 1841, to the Malabar 72, Capt. Sir Geo. Rose Sartorius, employed for nearly three years on the Mediterranean, South American, and Irish stations and, 3 Jan. 1845, as Senior, to the Fantome 16, Capt. Sir Fred. Wm. Erskine Nicolson. When at Gibraltar in the Malabar he materially assisted in saving the people and the property of an American steamer there burnt on 12 May, 1846. In the Fantome’s boats he was for many hours engaged in a desperate affray with a large force of Moorish pirates on the coast of Barbary in a successful attempt to recover the merchant-brig Ruth, of which they had taken possession. The British on the occasion sustained a loss of a Midshipman killed and 8, including himself severely (by a ball through the thigh), wounded. He was promoted in consequence to his present rank by a commission bearing date the day of the occurrence. He has since been on half-pay.