# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sykes, John (b)

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​SYKES. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 23; h-p., 35.)
John Sykes is brother of Commander Thos. Sykes, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 29 Jan. 1789, as Master’s Servant, on board the Blonde 32, Capt. Affleck, in which frigate he served on the Jamaica station until July, 1792. He was next, from 19 Nov. 1793, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 15 July; 1796, employed with Capt. Geo. Countess in the Channel and North Sea, on the coast of Africa, and again in the West Indies, chiefly in the capacities of Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Charon 20, Pegasus 28, and Daedalus 32; he then removed for a few days to the Swiftsure 74, bearing the flag of Sir Hyde Parker at Jamaica; and he was subsequently appointed – 1 Aug. 1796, to the Dictator 64, Capts. Thos. Totty, Wm. Geo Rutherford, and Thos. Byam Martin – 18 July, 1799 (13 months after he had returned in the latter ship from the West Indies), to the Constance 24, Capts. John Baker Hay, Zachary Mudge, and Anselm John Griffiths, with whom he served off the coast of Portugal and in the Mediterranean and North Sea until Nov. 1802 – 1 July, 1803, to the Magicienne frigate, Capt. Adam Mackenzie, again in the North Sea, whence he invalided in the following Feb. – 7 Sept. 1804, to the Camel store-ship, Capt. Thos. Garth, in the Mediterranean – in 1805-6 to the Kent 74, Prince of Wales 98, Ville de Paris 110, and Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ships of Viee-Admiral Edw. Thornbrough on the Home and Mediterranean stations – 22 Aug. 1808, for upwards of three months, to the Malta 80, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway, also in the Mediterranean – and, in Feb. 1810, to the Belvidera 36, Capt. Rich Byron. In the Charon, which vessel had been converted into an hospital-ship, Mr. Sykes took part in Lord Howe’s action, 1 June, 1794, and in the Dictator he co-operated, in 1797, in the reduction of Trinidad. In the Constance he assisted at the capture of El Duides Spanish national cutter of 8 guns and 69 men; of the privateers Venture of 2 guns and 27 men and El Cantara of 22 guns and 110 men; and of a vessel mounting 10 guns. He was frequently also, among other services, engaged in command of her boats in affording protection to convoys in the Gut of Gibraltar. In the Belvidera, in which frigate he continued employed as First-Lieutenant until Oct. 1814, Mr. Sykes, after visiting the latitude of Greenland and cruizing on the coast of Africa, sailed for the North American station. On 23 June, 1812, he was present at the Belvidera’s celebrated retreat from a powerful squadron under Commodore Rodgers, with whom she endured a running action which killed 2 and wounded 22 of her crew, and lasted until the enemy at length surrendered the chase. Referring to Mr. Sykes’ conduct on this occasion, Capt. Byron, in his public letter, says, “The President (the Commodore’s ship) must have suffered considerably from the ​excellent direction of the quarter-deck guns by Lieut. John Sykes, First of this ship, an officer of 17 years’ standing.” Capt. Byron being wounded, Mr. Sykes was made the bearer of his despatches to the Commander-in-Chief, the late Admiral Sawyer. He contributed subsequently to the capture of a great variety of armed and other vessels; and on 7 March, 1814, with the boats of the Belvidera, Endymion, and Rattler under his orders, he destroyed, near Sandy Hook, the Mars privateer of 15 guns and 70 men On 2 Nov. in the latter year he was promoted to the rank of Commander, and appointed to the Variable sloop; and in her he served until paid off in Aug. 1816. During that period he captured a piratical vessel and cruized with activity on the coast of Guatemala and along the Mosquito shore, the most dangerous navigation in the West Indies. On one occasion, when the town of Port Royal, Jamaica, was nearly destroyed by fire, he distinguished himself by his exertions in subduing the flames; and succeeded in eliciting the thanks of the Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral John Erskine Douglas. While the conflagration was raging he was directed to effect the explosion of a storehouse outside the dockyard; and he accordingly made the necessary arrangements, but, before he could escape from the building, he was himself blown out of it, and was very nearly involved in the general ruin. Since the Variable was put out of commission he has not been employed. He had hoped, but in vain, that his services in that vessel would have led to his promotion to Post-rank.
In 1809 Commander Sykes received a silver medal from the Royal Humane Society for having jumped overboard in the Bay of Palermo and saved the life of a man. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.