231
CORYTON—COSNAHAN—COSTERTON—COTESWORTH.
CORYTON. (Commander, 1841.)
Henry Coryton, born 28 March, 1810, is second surviving son of John Tillie Coryton, Esq., of Pentillie Castle, co. Cornwall, hy Elizabeth, second daughter of the late Admiral Hon. John Leveson Gower.
This officer entered the Navy 7 Nov. 1822; passed his examination in 1829; and obtained his first commission 22 Sept. 1835. He was afterwards appointed, on the African, American, and East India stations – 27 Nov. 1835, to the Thalia 46, Capt. Robt. Wauchope – 17 Maj’, 1836, to the Melville 74, flag-ship of Sir Peter Halkett – 20 Aug. 1836, to the Racehorse 18, Capt. Sir James Everard Home – 13 Jan. 1837, to the Gannet 16, Capt. Wm. Geo. Hyndham Whish – 14 July, 1838, as First Lieutenant, to the Herald 28, Capt. Joseph Nias – and, 23 July, 1839, to the Conway 28, Capt. Chas. Ramsay Drinkwater Bethune. In March, 1841, we find him commanding the Conway’s boats in conjunction with Lieut. Geo. Beadon at the capture of some forts and rafts at the Canton entrance of the Macao Passage; and, on 26 May following, similarly participating in the capture of the whole line of defences extending about two miles from the British factory at Canton.[1] He shared, also, in the other hostilities carried on against that city. He was promoted to his present rank, as a reward for his services, 8 Oct. 1841;[2] and since 14 Dec. 1844 has been in command of the Persian 16, on the North America and West India station. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
COSNAHAN. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 32)
Michael Finch Cosnahan entered the Navy, 13 Oct. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Pompée 74, Capt. Rich. Dacres, flag-ship, successively, of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith and Hon. Henry Edwin Stanhope; in which he appears to have been for some time very actively engaged on the coast of Calabria, and to have been present, in 1807, at the passage of the Dardanells, the destruction of a Turkish squadron ofif Point Pesquies, and the bombardment of Copenhagen. In Feb. 1808 he joined, as Midshipman, the Victory 100, bearing the flag in the Baltic of Sir Jas. Saumarez. He cruized next, from Feb. 1809 until June, 1810, in the Eclipse, Capts. Creyke and Sullivan, on the West India and Home stations; and while afterwards serving with Sir Home Popham, Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, and Capt. Joseph Needham Tayler, in the Venerable 74, and, as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Surveillante 38, and Sparrow 16, took part in a variety of stirring operations on the north coast of Spain, where he witnessed the reduction of Lequeytio and Castro in June and July, 1812. Mr. Cosnahan – who subsequently accompanied Sir H. Popham to the East Indies in the Stirling Castle 74, and in the same ship, under Capt. Wm. Butterfield, brought the Guards from Bordeaux to England at the termination of hostilities – was promoted, from the Impregnable 104, Capt. Robt. Hall, 21 Feb. 1815. He has not since been afloat. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
COSTERTON. (Lieut., 1814. f-p., 10; h-p., 34.)
Samuel Costerton is fourth son of the late Benj. Costerton, Esq., of Yarmouth, co. Norfolk; and a near relative of Capt. Wm. Fisher, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 Oct. 1803, as L.M., on board the Unicorn 32, Capt. Lucius Hardyman, on the Home station; where he ultimately became Midshipman of the Monmouth 64, Capt. Geo. Hart, and continued to serve, in the Stately 64, Capt. Geo. Parker, and Merlin 16, Capt. Wm. Fisher, until June, 1807. He then sailed with the latter officer for the Cape of Good Hope as Master’s Mate of the Racehorse 18, and, after officiating as Master of several prizes, and assisting in the exploration of the Mozambique Channel, joined, in Jan. 1810, the Nereide 36, Capt. Nesbit Josiah Willoughby. Under that gallant commander, Mr. Costerton had charge of a boat and was wounded in a dashing attack made on the enemy’s batteries and troops at Jacotel, in the Isle of France, 1 May following. He also disembarked the soldiery through a heavy surf at different points of attack on Isle Bourbon, during its ensuing reduction by the British; was on board the Nereide when she compelled the enemy’s sloop Victor to surrender, and exchanged broadsides with the 40-gun frigate Minerve; and was again wounded during a series of unfortunate though heroic operations which, by 28 Aug., terminated in the self-destruction, in Port Sud-Est, of the British frigates Magicienne and Sirius, and the capture, by a French squadron, of the Nereide and Iphigenia – the former after having been reduced to a mere wreck, and been occasioned a loss in killed and wounded of nearly her whole crew. Regaining his liberty on the capitulation of the Isle of France in the following Dec, Mr. Costerton returned to England as Acting-Master of the Ceylon 32, Capt. D. Paterson; and after an intermediate servitude, latterly as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Barfleur 98, Capt. Sir Edw. Berry, Warrior 74, Capt. John Gore, and Herald 20, Capt. Clement Milward, was confirmed, 4 Nov. 1814, to a Lieutenancy in the Arachne 18, Capt. Wm. M‘Kenzie Godfrey, of which vessel he appears to have been for some time Acting-Commander. He was superseded at his own request in Feb. 1815; and has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Costerton married, in Aug. 1815, Mary Anne Elizabeth, only daughter of the late Thos. Underwood, Esq., of Bergtrott, co. Suffolk, and has issue nine children. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
COTESWORTH. (Lieutenant, 1814. f-p., 11; h-p., 31.)
Charles Cotesworth, born 11 Aug. 1792, is brother of Commander Wm. Cotesworth, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 12 July, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Acasta 40, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, in which frigate we find him taking part in the action off St. Domingo 6 Feb. 1806, and attaining the rating of Midshipman 22 July following. On accompanying Capt. Dunn into the Royal George 100, flag-ship of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, he attended the expedition to Constantinople in Feb. 1807; served with the boats in an attack on the Turks at Prota; and was wounded at the repassage of the Dardanells.[3] In May, 1809, Mr. Cotesworth removed with the same officers, as Master’s Mate, to the San Josef 110, but was shortly afterwards attached to the armament sent against Walcheren, where he appears, in command of a gun-boat, to have been accidentally run down by one of H.M. brigs. Having accomplished his time with Capt. Dunn in the Hibernia 110, and Armide 38, he passed his examination towards the close of 1811; and then, sailing for Jamaica in the Polyphemus 64, Capt. Peter John Douglas, was promoted, by Vice-Admiral Stirling, from the Brazen 18, Capt. Jas. Stirling, to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Circe 32, Capt. Edw. Woolcombe, in March, 1813, and, on 10 May following, to a death vacancy in the Argo 44, Capt. Cornelius Quinton. Being, however, superseded in the ensuing Nov. by Sir John Borlase Warren, the new Commander-in-Chief, who claimed a prior right to the bestowal of the appointment, Mr. Cotesworth continued to serve as Midshipman in the Barrosa 36, Capt. Wm. Henry Shirreff, Akbar 50, Capt. Archibald Dickson, and Tonnant 80, Vice-Admiral Sir Alex. Cochrane, until Dec. 1814. At the close of the hostilities against New Orleans, where, as Acting-Lieutenant, he had commanded a gun-vessel, and also one of the boats that crossed the Mississippi, Mr. Cotesworth found that he had been at length officially promoted by commission dated 10 Oct. 1814. He afterwards served, latterly as First-Lieutenant, in the Asia 74 Capt. Alex. Skene, with whom he visited Trieste, and, a second time, Jamaica. He paid the Asia off in Feb. 1816; and has not since been employed. Lieut. Cotesworth is married.
