A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Corbett, Nathaniel Gordon

1664305A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Corbett, Nathaniel GordonWilliam Richard O'Byrne

CORBETT. (Lieut., 1813. f-p., 13; h-p., 29.)

Nathaniel Gordon Corbett, born 16 Nov. 1790, is second son of the late Jas. Corbett Porterfield, Esq., of Porterfield.

This officer entered the Navy, in Nov. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Fame 74, Capts. Graham Moore and Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett; under the latter of whom, after serving on the Home and West India stations, he assisted at the defence of Rosas, a citadel at the north-eastern extremity of Spain, in Nov. 1808. From Aug. 1809, until March, 1810, he next served in the Mediterranean on board the Alceste 38, Capt. Murray Maxwell, Bulwark 74, Capt. Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming, and Excellent 74, Capt. Edw. Griffith; and then joined, as Midshipman, the Nymphen 36, Capts. Keith Maxwell and John Hancock, in command of a prize belonging to which frigate he was taken prisoner by the Russians in Sept. 1810, and handed over to the Danes, by whom he was subjected, for eight months, to a very trying captivity in Lapland. Having been confirmed, 12 July, 1813, to a Lieutenancy in the Atalante 18, Capt. Fred. Hickey, the subject of this sketch next accompanied an expedition to the Chesapeake under Sir John Borlase Warren, was at the attack on Craney Island, and suffered a perilous shipwreck on the Sisters Rocks, off Halifax lighthouse, 10 Nov. in the same year. His subsequent appointments appear to have been – 15 Aug. 1814, and 1 Oct. 1818, as First-Lieutenant, to the Prospero 10, and Raleigh 18, Capts. Geo. Greensill and Wm. Aug. Baumgardt, on the Newfoundland and West India stations – and, 12 Nov. 1819, to the Dover 28, Capt. Arthur Batt Bingham, guard-ship at Leith. Lieut. Corbett has not been employed since 1821.

He married, 28 Sept. 1832, Margaret, daughter of Patrick Borthwick, Esq.