Sir John West

Notes on Officer

Sir John West, born 28 July, 1774, is eldest son of the late Temple West, Esq., Lieutenant-Colonel in the Grenadier Guards, by Jane, daughter of Pitt Drake, Esq.; and cousin of the late Commander Balchen Folkes West, R.N. He is nephew of the late Admiral Temple West; and grandson of Temple West, Esq., Vice-Admiral of the White (second in command in Admiral Byng’s memorable action, and afterwards a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Representative in Parliament for co. Buckingham), who married Frances, daughter of Sir John Balchen, Kt. The latter officer (to whom a tablet, as well as to his son-in-law, was erected in Westminster Abbey) was Governor of Greenwich Hospital, and was lost on board the Victory in the Channel 5 Oct. 1744. Sir John West’s great-grandfather, the Venerable Rich. West, Archdeacon of Berks and Prebendary of Durham, married the eldest sister of Lord Cobham and of the Countess Temple, grandmother of William Pitt. His grand-aunt was the wife of Admiral the first Viscount Bridport.

This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1788, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Pomona, Capt. Wm. Domett, with whom he continued employed on the coast of Guinea, in the West Indies, at Newfoundland, and in the Channel, in the same ship, in the Salisbury 50, and, as Midshipman, in the London 98 – the two last bearing the flags of Admirals Milbank and Alex. Hood – until July, 1790. He then served for one year and seven months with Capt. Alex. Hood in the Hebe frigate, in the Channel; and after he had been again employed with Capt. Domett and with Admirals Goodall and Hood in the Mediterranean, and afresh in the Channel in the Romney 50 and Royal George 100, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 27 July, 1793. In the following Nov. be was appointed to the Saturn 74, Capt. Newnham, lying at Portsmouth; and in Feb. 1794 he was again placed under the command of Capt. Domett on board the Royal George; in which ship we find him present under the flag of the above-named Admiral Hood, then Lord Bridport, in the action off Ile de Groix 23 June, 1795. Attaining the rank of Commander 7 Sept. in the same year, he was appointed in that capacity, 11 Dec. ensuing, to the Diligence sloop, in the West Indies; on which station he was made Post, 15 Nov. 1796, into La Tourterelle of 30 guns. In March, 1798, he returned to England; and with the exception of a few months in 1801-2, during which he served at Chatham in the Utrecht 68, he did not again go afloat until Jan. 1807; on 21 of which month he obtained command of the Excellent 74. In her, while co-operating in 1808 with the Spaniards on the coast of Catalonia, he rendered important service to the patriot cause; and in particular by the manner in which, with the Meteor bomb under his orders, he contributed to the defence of the citadel of Rosas when besieged by about 5000 French troops. On 8 Nov., having landed at the latter place, Capt. West, observing that the enemy were hard pressing a body of Miguelets, made a sortie from the citadel at the head of 250 of the Excellent’s seamen and marines, for the purpose of rescuing them. This he succeeded in accomplishing; but not until several of his men had been wounded and his own horse shot under him.^[1] On being relieved, 21 Nov., by the Fame 74, Capt. Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, the Excellent proceeded off Toulon, and was next ordered to the Adriatic.^[2] In Dec. 1809 Capt. West removed to the Sultan 74; which ship he continued to command on the Mediterranean, Home, and West India stations, until March, 1814. He became a Rear-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819, a Vice-Admiral 22 July, 1830, and a full Admiral 23 Nov. 1841. He was nominated a K.C.B. 4 July, 1840; and from 15 April, 1845, until April, 1848, he commanded in chief at Devonport, with his flag in the Queen 110.

Sir John West married, in May, 1817, Harriett, daughter of John Adams, Esq., of co. Northampton, by whom he has issue three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, John Temple, is a Captain in the Grenadier Guards; his second, Alexander George, a Commander R.N.; and his youngest, Frederick, an officer in the Army.