A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Steddy, John
STEDDY. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 19; h-p., 20.)
John Steddy is a native of Ashford, co. Kent. This officer entered the Navy, 11 Jan. 1808, as Sec.-cl. Vol., on board the Leonidas 38, Capt. Jas. Donbar, stationed in the Mediterranean; where, in the following Dec, he became Midshipman of the Tuscan 16, Capts. John Wilson, Chas. Phillips, and Geo. Matthew Jones. On the night of 31 Oct. 1809 he served with the boats of a squadron under the orders of Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction, after a fearful struggle, and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 wounded, of the French store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grondeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries in the Bay of Rosas.[1] In the autumn of 1811 he was again employed in one of the Tuscan’s boats at the destruction, under circumstances of the greatest danger, of two vessels laden with coffee and sugar, which had been run on shore near the river Guadalquivir; in the winter of 1811 he was for six days and nights engaged in an open boat in landing troops at Algeciras and Tarifa; and in July, 1812, he was wounded in an attack made by the boats of the Tuscan, in company with the Encounter gun-brig, upon three privateers, lying under the protection of a battery and of troops posted in the houses at St. Lucar. On the latter occasion, although one of the vessels was brought out, the Encounter, having grounded, fell into the hands of the enemy, and the boats, one of which was destroyed, sustained a loss of 28, out of 43, killed and wounded. In all the above affairs Mr. Steddy was under the immediate orders of Lieut. Pascoe Dunn. He continued to serve in the Tuscan, as Master’s Mate, until Oct. 1813; and between that period and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 25 Oct. 1815, was employed on the West India, Cork, and North Sea stations, part of the time as Master’s Mate, in the Barham 74, Capt. John Wm. Spranger, Tanais 38, Capt. Joseph James, Buffalo store-ship, Master-Commander Rich. Anderson, and Snake sloop, Capt. Joseph Gape. He has had charge, since 18 Nov. 1835, of a station in the Coast Guard.
Lieut. Steddy has on all occasions had the good fortune to obtain the approval of his superiors. He is married and has one son, Mr. E. Steddy, now in practice as a surgeon at Chatham.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1908.