Royal Naval Biography/Weeks, John
JOHN WEEKS, Esq.
[Commander.]
Was born at Worcester, in 1774; and served as midshipman on board the Robust, third rate. Captain Rowland Cotton, during the Spanish and Russian armaments in 1790 and 1791. He next joined the Hon.E.I. Company’s service; but left it and re-entered the royal navy, in the Bellona 74, Captain George Wilson, soon after the declaration of war between Great Britain and the French republic, in 1793. His first commission bears date Dec. 14th, 1798. We subsequently find him in the Neréide frigate and Theseus 74. Towards the close of 1809, Lieutenant Weeks was appointed to the Growler gun-brig, in which vessel he assisted at the destruction of two French frigates and a brig of 18 guns, near l’Orient, May 22d, 1812[1]. For his good conduct on that occasion he was promoted to the rank of commander, May 29th, 1812. His subsequent appointments were, in Mar. 1816, to the Ordinary at Sheerness, where he continued for a period of three years; and, June 20th, 1822, to the Harlequin sloop, on the Cork station, which vessel he commanded until Nov. 1824. Whilst thus employed, he presented to the Admiralty a substitute for a lower-deck port: it consists of three pieces of plank cut to the breadth of the ports, fitting one above the other, with a deep rabbet; it has small rings in it with laniards, and is fitted in the worst weather with ease and expedition. He also presented to the Society of Arts a new night telegraph; but, although it met with a favorable reception, the Admiralty declined using it in time of peace, as being unnecessary. Commander Weeks died in the year 1824.