Royal Naval Biography/Jervois, Sampson
SAMPSON JERVOIS, Esq.
[Commander.]
Entered the royal navy in Nov. 1801; and served until June 1804, under Captain (afterwards Rear-Admiral) the Hon. Francis F. Gardner, in the Princess Charlotte 38, Kiiby 64, and Gelykhied 68, on the Irish and North Sea stations. The former ship bore the flag of the first Lord Gardner, at Cork, during the peace of Amiens, and was subsequently recommissioned by his son, with whom Mr. Jervois sailed for Jamaica in Sept. 1804. Whilst on that station, he assisted at the capture of numerous valuable Spanish merchant vessels and a French privateer brig, le Regulus, of fourteen guns and eighty four men.
The Princess Charlotte was next ordered to the Leeward Islands, where, Captain Gardner having invalided, Mr. Jervois joined the Ramillies 74, Captain (afterwards Vice-Admiral) Francis Pickmore, in which ship he returned home towards the end of 1805.
The Ramillies formed part of the squadron under Sir John B. Warren, at the capture of the French 80-gun ship Marengo and frigate Belle Poule, the former bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Linois, Mar. 13th, 1806[1]. She afterwards escorted a large fleet of merchantmen to the West Indies, and, in Dec. 1807, was present at the surrender of the Danish islands of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix[2].
In April, 1808, Mr. Jervois was received on board the Belleisle 74, flag-ship of the Hon. Sir Alexander I. Cochrane; in June following, we find him appointed acting lieutenant of the Demerara sloop. Captain Henry Bourchier; and shortly afterwards removed to the Asp 18, Captain Robert F. Preston. He witnessed the capture of la Junon French frigate, after a severe action with the Horatio 38, Feb. 10th, 1809[3]; and commanded the boats of the Asp during the successful operations against Guadaloupe in Jan. and Feb. 1810[4]. His appointment to that vessel was not confirmed by the Admiralty until Dec. 24th, 1809.
Lieutenant Jervois returned home in June, 1810; and served under Captains Spelman Swaine, in the Talbot 20, principally employed on the Irish station, from the beginning of 1812 until Nov. 1813. His subsequent appointments were, – Nov. 15th, 1813, to the Martial sloop, Captain George Elliot; – in June, 1816, to be first of the Perseus 22, Captain Thomas Richard Toker, fitting out for the Newfoundland station; – in Feb 1817, to be senior lieutenant of the Sir Francis Drake 38, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Pickmore, governor and commander-in-chief of that colony; – in Nov. 1818, to the Dauntless 26, Captain the Hon. Valentine Gardner, fitting out for the East India station – in Dec. 1823,