A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Tancock, John
TANCOCK. (Rear-Admiral, 1846. f-p., 21; h-p., 33.)
John Tancock was born 14 Nov. 1769.
This officer entered the Navy, in Jan. 1793, as Midshipman, on board the Crescent of 42 guns and 257 men, Capt. Jas. Saumarez; and on 20 of the following Oct. assisted at the capture, after a close action of two hours, of La Réunion of 36 guns and 320 men, 120 of whom were either killed or wounded, without any casualty whatever to the British. He next accompanied an expedition sent under the orders of Earl Moira and Rear-Admiral M‘Bride to co-operate with the French royalists on the coasts of Normandy and Brittany; and on 8 June, 1794, he was present when the Crescent, by a bold and masterly manoeuvre, efFected her escape from a French squadron, consisting of two cut-down 74’s, each mounting 54 guns, two frigates, and a brig. Following Sir Jas. Saumarez (who had been knighted for the capture of La Réunion), as Master’s Mate, into the Orion 74, Mr. Tancock was afforded an opportunity of sharing in that ship in Lord Bridport’s action 23 June, 1795, in the battle fought off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797, and in the victory of the Nile 1 Aug. 1798. He also, in command of the Orion’s launch, afforded very gallant support to Sir Horatio Nelson in an attack made upon the Cadiz flotilla 3 July, 1797. Having, through the recommendation of Sir Jas. Saumarez, been ordered to act as Lieutenant of the Orion immediately subsequent to the St. Vincent action, he was confirmed in that rank 9 March, 1799. After serving at Sheerness and in the North Sea and Baltic in the Rosario fire-ship and Ibis frigate, in one of whose boats he assisted at the capture of a Danish privateer of 10 guns and 30 men, he was appointed, in Jan. 1801, to the Caesar 80, bearing the flag, off Cadiz, of his friend and patron Sir Jas. Saumarez, with whom he continued employed as Signal-Lieutenant, on the Home station, in the Zealand 64, Kite sloop, Grampus 50, Diomede 50, Cerberus 32, and Diomede again, from 1802 until made Commander, 15 Aug. 1806, into the St. Christopher sloop. In the Caesar he was present, 6 and 12 July, 1801, in the actions fought off Algeciras and in the Gut of Gibraltar; he co-operated, in the Cerberus, in the bombardment of Granville in Sept. 1803; and while attached to the other ships he commanded for a short period the Sylph brig, and effected one recapture. During his servitude in the St. Christopher Capt. Tancock made prize, on the West India station, of several small Spanish vessels, detained a Danish ship which was condemned as a droit of Admiralty, and re-took a British merchantman, laden with bale-goods, from Glasgow bound to St. Thomas’. He was also, 25 Dec. 1807, present at the surrender of the Danish island of Ste. Croix to the military and naval forces under General Bowyer and Sir Alex. Cochrane. An attack of yellow fever obliging him, in 1808, to invalid, he next, for a few months in 1809, obtained command of the Curlew 10; in which vessel he was very actively employed in the Sound in affording protection to the trade between Malmo and Gottenborg. In May, 1810, and Nov. 1811 he was appointed to the Mercury troop-ship and Griffon brig; he attained Post-rank 1 Feb. 1812; and he served afterwards – in Aug. and Sept. 1814, in the Bann 20, fitting at Chatham – from 1 Oct. 1814 until 22 Sept. 1816, in the Conway 24 – and from the latter date until Feb. 1818 in the Iphigenia 42. While commanding the Conway he escorted a large convoy to a certain latitude, was for some time senior officer at Madeira, and, after cruizing in the Channel for the interception of Napoleon Buonaparte, sailed for India; where, on his removal as above to the Iphigenia, he was for several months employed at Bombay in superintending the equipment of the Melville, a new 74. He brought the Iphigenia home in Dec. 1817, and left her, as stated, in Feb. 1818. He accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846.
The Rear-Admiral married, in Aug. 1805, Elizabeth Catharine, eldest daughter of Sam. Goodwin, Esq., Merchant, of the island of Guernsey, by whom he has issue.