# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Tracy, John

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​TRACY. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 19; h-p., 34.)
John Tracy was born 23 Nov. 1774. He is a descendant of the ancient Barons of Devon.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1794, on board the Incendiary fire-ship; in which vessel and the Porcupine 24 (the former attached to the force sent in 1795 to co-operate with the French Royalists in Quiberon Bay) he was for about two years creditably employed on the Channel station, under Capts. Rich. Bagot and John Draper, as A.B., Coxswain, Quartermaster, and Midshipman. Being then nominated Master’s Mate of the Ardent 64, Capts. Rich. Rundle Burgess and Thos. Bertie, he fought in that ship and was wounded in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797, and was present in her in 1799 in the expedition to Holland, where he assisted in landing the troops and witnessed the surrender of the Dutch squadron under Rear-Admiral Storey. During the winter of the latter year a six-oared cutter, with 8 men, belonging to the Arrow sloop, Capt. Wm. Bolton, in attempting to land in a heavy gale at North Yarmouth, was swamped at some distance from the shore. Two of the crew were drowned, a fate which, as it was found impossible to get a boat out to their assistance, must inevitably have attended the remainder, had not Mr. Tracy, who happened to be on shore, seized the beachmen’s line, fastened it round his body, and, regardless of danger, dashed in among the breakers, through which he succeeded in reaching the unfortunate men, who, having the rope then secured to them, were hauled on shore amidst the acclamations of the beholders! On 6 Oct. 1800 Mr. Tracy was made Lieutenant into the Explosion bomb, Capt. John Sykes; and on 13 of the same month he was removed to the Heldin 28, Capt. John Phillips, under whom we find him, in Aug. 1801, present in Lord Nelson’s attack upon the Boulogne flotilla. In the following Jan, he was paid off. Assuming command, 28 Sept. 1803, of the Princess Augusta,, a small hired cutter, of 8 guns (4-pounders) and 25 men, he was occasionally employed in that vessel in the conveyance of despatches and other communications to Russia. He was strongly recommended also by his senior officer, Capt. Robt. Dudley Oliver, for valuable service he performed off Havre-de-Grace. On 13 June, 1804, he had 3 or 4 men, including himself slightly, wounded, in an action of two hours and three quarters, fought near the mouth of the river Tees, with a French privateer of 14 guns, full of men, which in the end sheered off, on observing the approach of two small vessels, manned with sea-fencibles, from Redcar. The Princess Augusta, in this very gallant affair, received several shot near the water’s edge, and was much shattered in her rigging. The conduct of her brave commander was highly approved by the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Keith, and the Board of Admiralty. He afterwards (besides making prize, 28 Jan. 1807, of the Jena privateer, of 8 guns and 46 men) took within 12 months as many as 19 of the enemy’s vessels, and drove on shore on the coast of Holland and ​destroyed a captured brig, under a battery of 6 guns and a fire of musketry. In the affair with the Jena he was again slightly wounded; and for this and his other proceedings he had the gratification of receiving letters of a flattering nature from his Commanders-in-Chief, Lord Keith and Vice-Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell, as well as the renewed approbation of the Admiralty. On 4 Feb. 1807 Mr. Tracy was removed to the command of the Linnet brig, of 12 18-pounder carronades, 2 long sixes, and 60 men. In her he was chiefly employed in blockading Havre-de-Grace, in cruizing in the Channel, North Sea, &c. in escorting convoy to Newfoundland, and on service on the coast of Ireland. On 16 Jan. 1808 he enforced the surrender, off Cape Barfleur, after a running action of an hour and 40 minutes, of Le Courrier lugger of 18 guns and 60 men; on 30 Aug. following he captured, near Cherbourg, the Foudroyant of 10 guns and 25 men; his vessel, during the latter part of the operations connected with the expedition of 1809 to the Walcheren, occupied the advanced position in the river Scheldt, in order that she might be on the look-out for fire-vessels; and on 29 May, 1812, he took, off the Start, Le Petit Charles, carrying 26 armed men. On other occasions he recaptured two brigs, made prize of a privateer and two small French sloops, and detained three Danish vessels. His performances indeed in the Linnet twice obtained for him the commendation of their Lordships; and he was continued in her until Feb. 1813; on 25 of which month he fell in with, and was forced to strike his colours to, the French 40-gun La Gloire, This latter step, however, was deferred until he had done all that intrepidity could do, and had exhausted every resource that consummate seamanship could suggest. In pronouncing its sentence, the court-martial, which, on 31 May, 1814, assembled on board the Gladiator at Portsmouth to try the late officers and crew of the Linnet, expressed its opinion “that the capture of H.M. late gun-brig Linnet was caused by her falling in with a French frigate of very superior force, and that the conduct of the said Lieut. John Tracy, his officers, and company was most able, judicious, and seamanlike, although they were not so fortunate as to effect their escape from so superior a force. Yet,” it went on to say, “their manoeuvres in having three times crossed the frigate’s bows, and at one time so near as to carry away her flying-jib-boom, evinced so much courage and judgment, that the court doth adjudge the said Lieut. John Tracy, his officers, and company to be fully and most honourably acquitted.” As a reward for his skill and valour Mr. Tracy was promoted, 11 June following, to the rank of Commander. He afterwards, until 1836, sought, but in vain, for employment; nor has he been since more successful in his efforts to obtain, that which he covets, the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital.
Commander Tracy married, 3 May, 1825, Mrs. Knight, of Gosport, only sister of the Rev. J. B. Cooper, of Emsworth, co. Hants. A son, by a former marriage, J. J. C. H. Tracy, is a Lieutenant R.N.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1707, p. 986. – In consideration of the injuries he sustained on this occasion he was allotted a pension which ceased on his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1807, p. 142.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1808, p 107.