Sir John Sutton

Notes on Officer

This officer obtained the rank of Post-Captain, Nov. 28, 1782; and at the commencement of the French revolutionary war, was appointed to the Romulus, of 36 guns, in which ship he proceeded to the Mediterranean, where he removed into the Egmont, 74.

In the action between the British and French fleets, off Gourjon Bay, March 14, 1795, an account of which will be found under the head of Vice-Admiral Sir Davidge Gould, the Egmont sustained a loss of 7 men killed and 21 wounded, occasioned principally by the bursting of a gun on her main-deck. She was also present in the skirmish off the Hieres islands, July 13th, in the same year.

In the spring of 1796, the Egmont formed part of a squadron sent to Tunis, under Vice-Admiral Waldegrave, on a particular mission; and on the night previous to their quitting that place, Captain Sutton headed the boats of the different ships in an attack made upon several French vessels lying in the bay, the result of which was the capture of the Nemesis, a 28-gun ship; the Sardine, a corvette of 22 guns; and two other armed vessels. One of the latter was destroyed, the rest brought off in triumph.

Towards the close of the same year, we find Captain Sutton serving with Commodore Nelson at the evacuation of Corsica, a measure rendered necessary by the recent alliance formed between France and Spain. By the exertions of those officers, public stores to the amount of 200,000l. sterling was embarked, and transported to Porto Ferrajo, the whole of which must have been lost but for their admirable firmness and address.

On the 14th Feb. 1797, when Sir John Jervis, with fifteen sail of the line, defeated a Spanish fleet of nearly double that number, the Egmont was one of the ships composing the British squadron; and Captain Sutton, in common with the other commanders, received a gold medal for his conduct on that occasion. In the month of October following he returned to England, and after serving some time with the Channel fleet, removed into the Superb, of 74 guns, the command of which ship he retained until Feb. 1801, when he was appointed to be Captain of the Channel fleet, under the Hon. William Cornwallis, in which station he continued to serve" during the remainder of the war.

On the renewal of hostilities, in 1803, our officer obtained the command of the Mars, of 74 guns; and at the general promotion that took place April 23, 1804, he was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, and appointed to superintend the harbour duty at Plymouth, where he remained until Oct. 1809; on the 25th of which month he was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral, and some time after nominated Commander-in-Chief on the Halifax station. He was created a K.C.B. Jan. 2, 1815; and became a full Admiral Aug. 12, 1819.