1850966A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Nepean, JohnWilliam Richard O'Byrne

NEPEAN. (Lieut., 1806. f-p., 19;[1] h-p., 30.)

John Nepean was born 6 Jan. 1785. He is brother of Capt. Evan Nepean, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 3 March, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Caton, Lieut.-Commander Robt. Browne, lying in Hamoaze; and between 1799 and Aug. 1803 was employed on various parts of the Home station in the Saturn 74, Capt. Thos. Foley, Néréide frigate, Capt. Fred. Watkins, Victorieuse, Capt. Richards, Ambuscade 36, Capt. Hon. John Colville, Galgo sloop, Capt. Rich. Hawkins, and Galatea and Aigle frigates, both commanded by Capt. Geo. Wolfe. After a further servitude in the Foudroyant 80, bearing the flag in the Channel of Rear-Admiral Dacres, also in the Quebec and Euryalus frigates, each under the orders of Capt. Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas (with whom he visited Cadiz and Teneriffe), and in the Acasta 40, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, he was promoted, on his return home from Gibraltar, to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 25 Sept. 1806; and next in succession appointed – 29 of the same month, to the Raven sloop, Capt. Jas. Grant, stationed off Lisbon and Oporto – 21 Dec. 1807, to the Bellerophon 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Albemarle Bertie in the Channel – 8 April, 1808, to the Humber, Capts. John Hill and Robt. England, employed between Falmouth and the Downs – about July, 1809, to the Impérieuse 38, Capts. Lord Cochrane, Thos. Gould, and Hon. Henry Duncan, attached to the force in the North Sea and Mediterranean – and, in 1811, to the Regulating service, which he left in 1814. While belonging to the Raven he was wounded in her boats in an attack upon a privateer; and when in the Impérieuse, in 1809, he assisted at the destruction of a fort in the river Scheldt, took part in the operations connected with the siege of Flushing, and was a second time wounded in an affair with five Dutch schuyts near South Beveland. His last appointments were – 26 April, 1823, to the Water Guard, in which service he continued, we believe, but a short period – 28 Oct. 1841, to the post (which he retained until the close of 1843) of Admiralty Agent on board a contract mail steam-vessel – and, 4 Jan. and 22 May, 1845, to the San Josef 110, and Caledonia 120, both commanded by Capt. Manley Hall Dixon, at Devonport, where he is now employed.


  1. Independently of time passed in the Water Guard.