A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Spread, John Matthias
SPREAD. (Commander, 1798)
John Matthias Spread was born 22 March, 1765, and died in 1847.
This officer entered the Navy, in April, 1777, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Carysfort 28, Capt. Robt. Fanshawe, under whom he served for upwards of two years in North America and the West Indies in the same vessel and in the Monmouth 64. In the latter ship he fought as Midshipman, in July, 1779, in Byron’s action with the Comte d’Estaing. After cruizing for some months on the coast of Ireland in the Nemesis 28, Capt. Rich. Rodney Bligh, he returned, in 1782, to the West Indies in the Success 32, Capt. Chas. Morice Pole, and continued to serve on that station as Acting-Lieutenant, from 1783 until 1785, in the Preston 50, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Rowley, Jamaica and Ariel sloops, Capts. Manley Dixon and Jas. Norman, and Ulysses 44, Capt. Edw. O’Brien. He was next, in 1790, received as Midshipman on board the Queen Charlotte 100, flagship of Lord Howe at Spithead; and on 3 Nov. in the same year he was officially promoted. His succeeding appointments were – 3 Dec. 1792, to the Hermione 32, Capt. John Hills, part of the force employed at the reduction of St. Domingo – 1 Sept. 1794, to the Europa 50, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John Ford, in which ship he returned to England – 4 Sept. and 22 Nov. 1795, and 24 Feb. 1796, to the Prince George and Glory 98’s, and Thunderer 74, flag-ships of Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian, with whom, after having encountered two terrific gales, which each time compelled the Admiral to return to port, he again sailed for the West Indies – and, 15 Nov. 1796, to the Queen 98, bearing the flag there of Sir Hyde Parker. While serving in the ship last mentioned Mr. Spread took command of her boats and of those of a squadron. and succeeded in destroying a privateer schooner and in retaking an American brig, her prize.[1] On 21 June, 1798, he was ordered to act as Captain of La Prompte 20, on the Bahama station, where he remained until he joined, in March, 1799, the Rattler sloop, to the command of which vessel he had been promoted by a commission bearing the same date as his Acting Post order, 21 June, 1798. In her he made prize of a French privateer of 10 guns and 42 men and of a Spanish gun-vessel, and was for some time previously to his return to England, in July, 1802, employed off Honduras, the resident settlers at which place presented him on his departure with an address expressive of their acknowledgments for “the most honourable, disinterested, and praiseworthy manner in which he had discharged the duties of his station,” and for the “humanity to which they were chiefly indebted for subsistence at a time of the most alarming scarcity.” While employed, in 1804, in the Sea Fencibles on the coast of Ireland, Commander Spread was appointed to the Elk sloop, but the effects of long service in the West Indies (13 or 14 years) had so impaired his health that he was not only unable to join, but was ultimately deprived of the sight of both eyes. He was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 6 Dec. 1833.
He was married, and has left issue.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1757, p. 377.