A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Weller, John Hotham
WELLER. (Commander, 1843. f-p., 21; h-p., 16.)
John Hotham Weller entered the Navy, 27 Nov. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal William, Capt. Robt. Hall, bearing the flag of Sir Roger Curtis at Portsmouth. In Jan. 1811 he removed to the Formidable 98, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris, on the Lisbon station; and in Oct. 1814, after having served for three years and a half in the Mediterranean and North Sea, off the Western Islands, and in the Channel, part of the time as Midshipman, in the Centaur 74, Capt. John Chambers White (under whom he witnessed the fall of Tarragona in June, 1811, and the destruction, in April, 1814, of a 74-gun ship, three brigs-of-war, and several smaller vessels near Bordeaux), he joined the Queen 74, Capt. John Coode, again on the Mediterranean station, where he continued employed with the latter officer in the Albion 74, under the flag of Sir Chas. Vinicombe Penrose until May, 1819. He was present in the ship just mentioned at the bombardment of Algiers 27 Aug. 1816. In Sept. 1819 he was received on board the Owen Glendower 42, Capt. Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer, fitting for South America; on his return whence he was transferred, in Sept. 1822, to the Eden 26, Capt. John Lawrence, and sailed for the West Indies; on which station he was made Lieutenant, 16 July, 1823, into the Scout 18, Capt. Jas. Wigston. He left the Scout in Feb. 1824; and was subsequently appointed – 10 Feb. 1827, for upwards of 12 months, to the Gloucester 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton, lying at Sheerness – 19 Feb. 1830, to the Coast Blockade, in which he remained for a short period, as Supernumerary Lieutenant of the Talavera 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot – 11 July, 1832, to the Castor 36, Capts. Sir Rich. Grant and Lord John Hay, under whom he was for a few months employed on particular service – 18 July, 1835, to the Coast Guard – 5 April, 1836, as Senior, to the Pembroke 74, Capts. Sir Thos. Fellowes and Fairfax Moresby, on the Lisbon station, whence he returned in the summer of 1837 – 10 Dec. 1839 and 1 Oct. 1840, to the Howe 120, and, as First, to the Camperdown 104, flag-ships of Sir Henry Digby and Sir Edw. Brace at Sheerness – and 7 Jan. 1843, in the capacity last named (after about a year’s half-pay), to the Tartarus steam surveying-vessel, Capt. Fred. Bullock. Since his promotion to the rank of Commander, which took place 25 Sept. in the latter year, he has not been afloat. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.