A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Wharton, John Francis
WHARTON. (Retired Commander, 1838.)
John Francis Wharton died in Oct. 1848.
This officer entered the Navy, 6 July, 1792, as Captain’s Servant, on board the St. George 98, in which ship and the Windsor Castle 98, both commanded by Capt. Byard, he served for about 12 months at Plymouth. He was next, from July, 1793, until Aug. 1798, employed in the Channel and Mediterranean, and off Cadiz, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Gibraltar 80, Capts. Thos. Mackenzie and Hon. Thos. Pakenham, Majestic 74, Capt. Geo. Blagden Westcott, and Ville de Paris 110, flag-ship of Lord St. Vincent. In the Gibraltar he fought in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794. He was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of his former ship, the Majestic, 28 Oct. 1798 (she was then commanded by Capt. Robt. Cuthbert); he was confirmed 26 Dec. following; and he was appointed afterwards – 12 June, 1799, to the Pallas frigate, Capt. Edmonds, in the Mediterranean – 28 April, 1800, to the Resolution 74, Capt. Alan Gardner, on the Home station – 25 April, 1801, to the Good Design armed-ship, Capt. Robt. Elliot, under whom he obtained the Turkish gold medal for his services in Egypt – 7 Jan. and 19 Dec. 1803, to the Camilla 20, Capt. Henry Hill, and Falcon sloop, Capt. Henry Manaton Ommanney, at Newfoundland – 16 March, 1804, and 12 Aug. 1806, to the Goliath 74, Capts. Chas. Brisbane and Robt. Barton, and Achille 74, Capt. Sir Rich. King, employed off Brest, Rochefort, and Corunna – in 1809, to the command, for a short time, of the Harlequin armed-ship at Plymouth – and, in 1811-12-13, to the Vengeance, Firm, and Téméraire prison-ships at Portsmouth and Plymouth, the first and last commanded by himself, the Firm by Lieut. Duncan Menzies. In the Camilla, Falcon, and Achille he was First-Lieutenant, as he was also, for some time, in the Goliath, in which ship he assisted at the capture, 11 and 18 Aug. 1805, of Le Faune French brig, of 16, and La Torche corvette, of 18 guns. He left the Téméraire in June, 1814. He was admitted to the Out-Pension of Greenwich Hospital 18 July, 1837; and placed on the List of Retired Commanders 10 May, 1838.
Commander Wharton, whose first wife died at the commencement of 1837, married a second time, 19 Dec. in the same year, Eliza, eldest daughter of the late Timothy Lyon, Esq. He has left, with other issue, two sons, one of them, John A. L., a Commander, the other, R. H., a Lieutenant, R.N.