A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Simpson, John (b)
SIMPSON. (Capt., 1846. f-p., 21; h-p., 23.)
John Simpson (b) entered the Navy, 8 Nov. 1803, as Midshipman, on board the Trial cutter, Lieut.-Commander Edw. Nugent, lying in the river Thames. Removing, in Feb. 1804, to the Acheron of 8 24-pounder carronades, 2 bombs, and 67 men, Capt. Arthur Farquhar, he sailed in that vessel for the Mediterranean, where he took part, 4 Feb. 1805, and was wounded, in a long and sanguinary action which terminated in the capture of that vessel and of her consort, the Arrow, of 28 32-pounder carronades and 132 men, by the French frigates Hortense of 48, and Incorruptible of 42 guns. The loss of the Acheron on this occasion amounted to 3 men killed and 8 wounded, and of the Arrow to 13 killed and 27 wounded. On being exchanged, Mr. Simpson, who had been detained a prisoner for about two months at Malaga, was received in succession, in the course of the same year, on board the Amazon 38, Capt. Wm. Parker, Royal Sovereign 100, and Victory 100, flag-ships of Sir Rich. Bickerton and Lord Nelson, Camel store-ship, Capt. Thos. Garth, Amphitrite frigate, Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle, and Bellona 74, Capts. Chas. Dudley Pater and John Erskine Douglas. Proceeding in the latter ship to North America he there, 14 Sept. 1806, assisted at the destruction, off Cape Henry, of the French 74 L’Impetueux. After having for some time blockaded an enemy’s squadron in the Chesapeake, he was transferred, in Nov. 1808, to the Cuttle schooner, Lieut.-Commander Thos. Bury; in which vessel we find him, in Feb. 1809, co-operating in the reduction of Martinique. He subsequently, in command of the Cuttle’s jolly-boat, with only 4 men, captured a notorious piratical schooner. On arriving with his prize at Halifax he joined, in Jan. 1810, in the capacity of Master’s Mate, the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Sir John Borlase Warren; by whom (having passed his examination in Nov. 1809) he was placed in command, 17 Aug. following, with the rank of Acting-Lieutenant, of the Bream schooner of 4 guns – an appointment which the Admiralty confirmed 14 Dec. 1811. While in the Bream, in which vessel he remained until Oct. 1812, Mr. Simpson carried specie to St. John’s, Newfoundland, was frozen up at Louisburg, Cape Breton, where his health suffered materially, and on 9 Aug. 1812, effected the capture, off Shelburne, despite an obstinate resistance of 20 minutes, of the U.S. schooner Pythagoras, of 3 guns and 35 men. After cruizing with activity on the coast of North America in the Statira 38, Capt. Hassard Stackpoole, into which frigate he had volunteered with the whole of the Bream’s crew, he invalided home in 1813 with a constitution much impaired. He had been previously ordered to join the Sylph sloop-of-war, but had not been able to do so. Until this period, deducting the short time he was a prisoner, Mr. Simpson does not appear to have been altogether one month on shore. His succeeding appointments were – in Jan. 1823 and May, 1824, to the command of the Sprightly and Dove cutters in the Channel – 26 Aug. 1825, to the Perseus receiving-ship off the Tower, Capt. Jas. Couch, with whom he continued until May, 1827 – 22 June, 1829, to the command, which he retained until Aug. 1832, of the Minx schooner of 3 guns – and 9 July, 1838, to that of the Weazle brig, of 10 guns, on the Mediterranean station. In the Minx he was employed in the West Indies and in South America in watching British interests. Being at Omoa when attacked and taken during the civil war in 1832, he landed and brought off at different times as many as 60 women and children whom he placed in safety on board British merchantmen lying off that place. His conduct on this occasion was much approved by the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys. Repeated attacks of fever obliged him, in Aug. 1832, as above stated, to invalid. For his valuable services in the Weazle on the coast of Spain, in hastening to the relief of Castellon de la Plana with 250 troops on board his own vessel and 550 others in Spanish launches, who were all landed in time to save the town from falling into the hands of Cabrera, as also for watching the garrison of Melila when in a state of mutiny, Lieut. Simpson received the thanks of the Queen Regent and the Cross of a Knight-Commander. He was superseded from the Weazle on the occasion of his promotion to the rank of Commander 3 July, 1840; and was lastly, from 21 Dec. 1844 until Posted 9 Nov. 1846, employed in the Rolla 10, on the coast of Africa.
Capt. Simpson is married and has issue six children. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.