A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Warton, Joseph
WARTON. (Retired Commander, 1836. f-p., 14; h-p., 37.)
Joseph Warton, born 6 Aug. 1780, is eldest son of the late Rev. Joseph Warton; grandson of the Rev. Joseph Warton, D.D., who was Head Master of Winchester College; grand-nephew of Thos. Warton, the Poet Laureate; and a descendant of the Rev. Anthony Warton, LL.B., Rector in 1673 of Bremier, in the New Forest, who, for the protection he afforded in his own house to King Charles, was presented by that monarch with his portrait. One of his brothers, Thomas, was a Midshipman of the Belleisle 74, Capt. Wm. Hargood, at the battle of Trafalgar, and was afterwards, when a Lieutenant of the Childers sloop, drowned in a boat off Portland; another, Benjamin, was a Captain and Paymaster in the Army.
This officer entered the Navy, 13 May, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Magicienne 36, Capts. Wm. Henry Ricketts and Wm. Ogilvy. In that ship, of which he was rated Midshipman in the ensuing Aug., he sailed with intelligence of the war with Spain for the West Indies; where he removed, in Dec. 1798, to the Thunderer 74, Capts. John Cochet, John Crawley, Temple Hardy, Robt. Mends, Wm. Henry Bayntun, and Henry Vansittart, and continued until his return to England in June, 1801. In the Magicienne he assisted at the capture of several privateers and merchant-vessels. For two of the latter alone he received, as his own share, the sum of 450l. During his sojourn in the West Indies Mr. Warton saw a great deal of boat-service. Between June, 1801, and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 3 March, 1804, he was employed on the Home station and again in the West Indies, in the Robust 74, Capt. Wm. Henry Jervis, Caroline 36, Capt. Benj. Wm. Page, Utrecht 64 and Diomede 60, flag-ships of Admirals Edw. Thornbrough and Sir Jas. Saumarez, Decade 36, Capt. Wm. Geo. Rutherford, Courageux 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres, and Uranie frigate, Capt. Hon. Chas. Herbert. He served afterwards in the Leeward Islands, Channel, East Indies, Downs, on the coast of Spain, and again in the East Indies, in the Centaur 74, Commodore Sir Sam. Hood, Bellerophon 74, Capt. John Loring, Powerful 74, Capt. Robt. Plampin, Bustard sloop, Capt. John Duff Markland, Ville de Paris 110 and Ocean 98, both commanded by Capt. John Surman Carden, and Illustrious 74, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton. He was employed in the boats of the Powerful at Batavia; in the Bustard he was engaged in landing secret papers on the coast of France; he assisted in the Ville de Paris in embarking the troops after the battle of Corunna; and in the Illustrious he co-operated in the reduction of the Isle of France. He was placed on half-pay in Jan. 1811; and invested with his present rank 18 July, 1836.
Commander Warton is Collector of the Assessed, Land, and Property Tax, and Registrar of Births and Deaths, at Sandhurst, in Berkshire. He has been three times married, and has issue four children. Agents – Messrs. Chard.