Royal Naval Biography/Percy, Josceline
HON. JOSCELINE PERCY.
[Post-Captain of 1806.]
The antiquity of the Percy family is too well-known to require any particular notice thereof in a work of this description; we shall therefore merely state, that the officer now before us is the fourth son of the present Earl of Beverley, and a first cousin to his Grace the Duke of Northumberland; he is consequently more or less connected with many of the most ancient and dignified families in the British peerage.
The Hon. Josceline Percy was born Jan. 29, 1784. He entered the royal navy in 1797, served his time as a Midshipman on board the Sans Pareil 80, bearing the flag of Lord Hugh Seymour; and Amphion frigate, commanded by Captain Richard Henry Alexander Bennett; passed his examination for a Lieutenancy in April 1803 ; and received his first commission from Lord Nelson, about Sept. in the same year.
On leaving Nelson’s flag-ship, Lieutenant Percy joined the Medusa frigate, commanded by Captain (now Sir John) Gore, with whom he continued until 1805; when he was removed into the Diadem 64, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Home Popham, in which ship he assisted at the capture of Cape Town and its dependencies, Jan. 1806[1].
Immediately after that conquest, Lieutenant Percy was appointed to the command of l’Espoir brig; and on the very same day, Jan. 13, Sir Home Popham wrote an official letter to the Admiralty, informing their Lordships that he had sent him to take possession of the Bato, a Dutch 68, in Simon’s bay; and, if possible, to move her into safety, as she was totally abandoned, and it was “strongly reported that the enemy had not completely succeeded in his attempt to destroy her.”
This “strong report,” we conclude, must have caused great disappointment to Captain Percy; for, on his arrival in Simon’s bay, he found nothing more than an absolute wreck on which to hoist his pendant; and as l’Espoir had sailed for England with the commodore’s despatches, he certainly would have had no other alternative than that of returning home as a passenger, or of serving as a volunteer during the subsequent expedition against Buenos Ayres, had not the very unexpected capture of a fine French frigate enabled Sir Home Popham to give him another command. The manner in which that opportunity was afforded will be seen by his commodore’s public letter, dated on board the Diadem, in Table bay, Mar. 4, 1806:–
“At 9 o’clock this morning, a ship was discovered coming from the southward, under a press of sail, and soon after two more, one of which the signal station on the Lion Rump reported to be of the line, and an enemy; upon which I directed the Diomede and Leda to slip, and keep on the edge of the south-easter which had partially set in on the east side of the bay.
“At 11, the headmost ship hoisted French colours, and stood towards the Diadem; and, by this time, I was satisfied, from the judicious manoeuvres of the ships in the offing, that they could be no other than the Raisonable and Narcissus[2].
“At noon, the French ship passed within hail of the Diadem, when we changed our colours from Dutch to English, and directed her to strike, which she did immediately, and I sent the Hon. Captain Percy, who was serving with me as a volunteer, to take possession of her. She proved to be la Volontaire frigate, of nearly 1100 tons, and mounting 46 guns, with a complement of 360 men on board.
“I congratulate their Lordships that, by this capture, detachments of the Queen’s and 54th regiments, consisting of 217 men, who were taken in two transports, in the bay of Biscay, are restored to his Majesty’s service.”
Previous to Sir Home Popham’s departure for South America, la Volontaire was manned with as many sailors as could be spared from the squadron, and sent to St. Helena for the purpose of affording protection to the homeward bound Indiamen, provided that she could be rendered sufficiently effective, by a small levy on each ship, and the additional aid of some troops, to take charge of such a fleet. The assistance which her commander received from the officer in charge of the late Dutch garrison, has been noticed at p. 618 of Vol. II. Part II.
Captain Percy’s post commission bears date Sept. 25, 1806; and in the following year we find him commanding the Comus 22, which ship formed part of the squadron under Sir Samuel Hood, at the occupation of Madeira, Dec. 26, 1807.
In 1808, Captain Percy was appointed to la Nymphe frigate, on the Lisbon station, from whence he conveyed General Junot to Rochelle, after the convention of Cintra[3]. In 1810, he commissioned the Hotspur of 42 guns; and on the 1st Sept. 1811, he appears to have displayed very great zeal and ability in the presence of the Cherburgh squadron, which he decoyed nearly into mid-channel, hoping to keep them in play until the arrival of the blockading force under Captain Pulteney Malcolm. On this occasion he allowed the enemy to approach so near to the Hotspur that the first shot from her bow-chaser, fired when they gave up the pursuit, went through the main-sail of their centre ship; and he continued to harass them until they regained their anchorage, which was only about a quarter of an hour before the British squadron came up with him. The following is a copy of his official letter to Captain Malcolm, reporting the result of an attack upon seven French brigs, each mounting 3 long and 1 mortar, with a complement of 75 men, near the Calvados rocks, on the coast of Normandy, seven days after the above rencontre:–
“Sir,– In obedience to your order of yesterday, I joined the Barbadoes and Goshawk, off Calvados; and deeming the destruction of the enemy’s force practicable, particularly as my pilot assured me that he could take the ship within pistol-shot without any risk, I immediately proceeded to attack them. At 6 P.M., when within gun-shot, the ship unfortunately grounded, which prevented their complete destruction. I however succeeded in sinking one, and driving two on shore. The Barbadoes had driven one on shore the day before; but having her broadside to us, she kept up as heavy a fire as the others.
“From the Hotspur being aground for four hours, and the whole of the enemy’s fire from the brigs, a battery, and some field-pieces being directed upon her, I am sorry to say, that we have lost, in the performance of this service, 2 midshipmen and 3 seamen killed, and 22 seamen and marines wounded; we have also received considerable damage in our hull, masts, and rigging.
“Captains Rushworth and Lilburn[4] rendered me every assistance in their power, with boats, hawsers, &c. but, from our situation, they could not succeed in drawing the enemy’s fire from the Hotspur.
“I cannot find words sufficiently strong to express my approbation of the conduct of every officer and man in H.M. ship under my command; their steady and active conduct, under a heavy raking fire for four hours, is deserving the highest praise. I have the honor to be, &c.
(Signed)“Josceline Percy.”
Whilst employed on the Channel station, Captain Percy captured l’Imperatrice Reiné, French ship letter of marque, pierced for 20 guns, with a complement of 50 men; and the Chesapeake, American schooner, of 5 guns and 29 men.
In 1813, the Hotspur was ordered to Rio Janeiro, and sent from thence to Buenos Ayres, on which station Captain Percy continued for a period of two years. He returned to England, and was put out of commission at the close of 1815. Captain Percy married, in Dec. 1820, Elizabeth, third daughter of Morton Walhouse, of Hetherton, co. Stafford, Esq. His brother, the Hon. William Henry Percy, was made a Post-Captain in 1812.
- ↑ See Vol. I. note at p. 623.
- ↑ A 64-gun ship and a frigate, commanded by Captains Josias Rowley and Ross Donnelly, who were then on their return from False bay to the commodore’s anchorage.
- ↑ See Vol. I. note at p. 432.
- ↑ Captains Edward Rushworth, of the Barbadoes 28, and James Lilburn, of the Goshawk brig, had been sent to intercept the above vessels on their way from Boulogne to Cherburgh.