A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Webb, Joseph Richard Raggett
WEBB. (Commander, 1828.)
Joseph Richard Raggett Webb, born 14 Sept. 1788, at Penzance, co. Cornwall, is son of Mr. Webb, Purser R.N., who died in the Alfred 74, in the West Indies; and nephew of the late Rear-Admiral Rich. Raggett.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Galykheid, in which vessel, and in the Bristol and Snipe, commanded by Lieuts. Marsden, Joseph Withers, and Chas. Champion, he continued employed in the river Medway and in the Downs and North Sea, the greater part of the time as Midshipman, until transferred, in Aug. 1803, to the Romney 50, Capts. Wm. Brown and Hon. John Colville. In that ship, after visiting the coast of Africa and the West Indies, he was wrecked in the Texel 19 Nov. 1804. He next, in the early part of’the following year, joined the Namur 74 and Leopard 50, flag-ships (the latter commanded by his uncle) of Admirals Rowley and Billy Douglas at the Nore and in the Downs; and on 17 March, 1806 he was made Lieutenant into the Anson 40, Capt. Chas. Lydiard, fitting for a voyage to Bermuda. His succeeding appointments, we believe, were – 13 July, 1806, to the command of the Laura, in which vessel he returned to England – 14 Feb. 1807, for three months, to the Pandora sloop, Capt. Henry Hume Spence, lying at Sheerness – 13 June, 1808, to the Cherokee of 10 guns and 70 men, Capt. Rich. Arthur – early in 1810, to the Franchise 36, Capts. John Allen and Rich. Buck, with whom he served on the Newfoundland and Mediterranean stations until Sept. 1814 – 19 June, 1815, to the Royal Sovereign 100, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton, lying at Plymouth, where he remained until 28 Aug. ensuing – 21 March, 1816, to the Prince 98, from which ship, commanded at Portsmouth by Capt. Robt. Hall, he was superseded in March, 1819 – and, in 1820-1-6, to the command, on the Home station, of the Hind and Dove Revenue-cruizers, and Swan cutter. In the Cherokee, besides sharing in the operations connected with the expedition to the Walcheren, he assisted, we believe, at the capture (detailed in our memoir of Rear-Admiral Arthur) of L’Aimable Nelly privateer of 16 guns and 60 men. He attained his present rank 1 May, 1828; and was lastly, from 28 Feb. 1839 until March, 1842, employed in the Ocean 80, guard-ship at Sheerness, Capts. Sir John Hill and Peter Fisher.
Commander Webb married, first, 12 June, 1814, Charlotte Sophia Emily Ulrich, daughter of the Danish Consul at Algiers; and, secondly, 21 Jan. 1841, Elizabeth, widow of the late Thos. Edis, Esq., of Broad-street Buildings, London. He has had issue seven children. His eldest son died while serving with the Niger expedition, aged 24. Agents – Holmes and Folkard.