# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Harper, John

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​HARPER, C.B., K.L.A. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 35; h-p., 31.)
John Harper, born 18 Sept. 1772, at Chatham, co. Kent, is son of an officer in the Navy, who was mortally wounded on board the Britannia, in Lord Howe’s partial action with the combined forces of France and Spain, off Cape Spartel, 20 Oct. 1782. His younger brother attained the rank of Lieutenant at an early age, and was drowned in La Lutine frigate 9 Oct. 1799.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1781, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Bellona 74, Capt. Rich. Onslow, and, on removing in the following year to the Britannia 100, bearing the flag of Hon. Sam. Barrington, fought in that ship in the action in which his father received his death-wound. During the six first years of the ensuing peace he appears to have been successively employed on the Portsmouth station, chiefly as Midshipman, in the Edgar 74, Capt. Chas. Thompson, and Triumph 74, and Barfleur 98, flag-ships of Sir Sam. Hood. He then proceeded to the coast of Africa in the Pomona 28, Capt. Henry Savage; and in Nov. 1793, after a further servitude in the Channel on board the Duke 98, bearing the flag of Admiral Robt. Roddam, Sprightly cutter, and Edgar 74, Capt. Albemarle Bertie, he was ordered to the West Indies in the Boyne 98, flag-ship of Sir John Jervis. For his conduct at the proximate reduction of Martinique, where he had command of a flat-bottomed boat, Mr. Harper was promoted, 21 Feb. 1794, to a Lieutenancy in the Avenger 20, Capts. R. Griffiths and Chas. Ogle. Soon after that event, while rowing guard one night in a six-oared boat off the Carenage, during the siege of Ste. Lucie, he entered the harbour and, under the veil of a shower of rain, boarded, carried, and brought out a French schooner privateer, mounting 10 guns, fully manned, and perfectly ready for sea. He subsequently, on the surrender of Ste. Lucie, landed and co-operated with the army in the reduction of Guadeloupe. Removing, in Oct. of the same year, to the Defence 74, Capts. Thos. Wells, John Peyton, and Lord Henry Paulet, Mr. Harper, during a continuance of five years under those officers, was present in Hotham’s partial action 13 July, 1795, and, as Second Lieutenant, in the battle of the Nile, 1 Aug. 1798, besides participating in much boat-service off Cadiz in the summer of 1797. He once, from having volunteered, while watering at Syracuse, to superintend the performance of that fatiguing duty, contracted, in consequence of alternate exposure to the sun and dews, a fever so severe that his life was for a long time despaired of. On leaving the Defence in Dec. 1799, he joined the Glory 98, Capt. Thos. Wells, with whom he served in the Channel until April, 1802. In the summer of 1803 he was placed by Rear-Admiral Bartholomew Sam. Rowley, Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, to whom he had been recently appointed Flag-Lieutenant, in charge of the Admiral Mitchell hired cutter, and sent on a secret service of importance to the coast of France, where his gallant conduct, in an almost immediate action with the Boulogne flotilla, procured him the thanks of Rear-Admiral Robt. Montagu. After commanding for many months the Duke of Clarence, another hired cutter, on the Jersey and Guernsey station, Mr. Harper was further appointed – 27 Oct ​1804, to the Wasp 18, Capts. Hon. Fred. Wm. Aylmer and John Simpson, which vessel, in Aug. 1805, effected a very wonderful escape from a pursuing squadron of French ships – 4 Oct. in the latter year, to the Star 18, commanded by Capt. Simpson, on the coast of Portugal, where, with two boats containing about 20 men, he boarded and captured, in Jan. 1806, a Spanish lugger privateer, of 1 long 6-pounder, 6 swivels, and 45 men – and, 28 Jan. 1807, to the Excellent 74, Capts. Thos. West and K. Griffiths, under the former of whom he assisted at the defence of the citadel of Rosas, when besieged by the French in Nov. 1808. During the period of his attachment to the Excellent, Mr. Harper saw a great deal of detached service, and on every occasion he displayed the character of a. most experienced and enterprising officer. He particularly, however, on 29 July, 1809, excited the admiration of his beholders by the prompt, gallant, and determined manner in which, under a covering fire from the Acorn and Bustard sloops, he boarded and carried, with the Excellent’s boats, six Italian gun-vessels, armed with long 18 and 24-pounders, and each manned with 20 men; the whole of them, together with a convoy of 10 laden trabacolos, being brought out, with but trifling loss to the British, from the harbour of Duino, near Trieste. In the following Sept. he again presents himself to our notice as destroying, with only two boats under his orders, a large armed schooner lying aground under some heavy batteries in the neighbourhood of Brindisi. He soon after this received the thanks of the Admiralty for his valorous conduct in the affair at Duino -, but it was not until 17 April, 1810, that he had the satisfaction of being promoted by their lordships to the rank of Commander. On 19 Aug. 1812, Capt. Harper obtained command of the Saracen 18, in which sloop he remained for a period of two years, and performed a train of brilliant services. In the first place, he contrived, on 23 of the month following his appointment, having at the time but his marines and a few harbour-duty men on board, to capture, near Beachy Head, one of two fugitive privateers, Le Coureur, mounting 14 guns, with a crew of 50 men, commanded by an able and experienced Captain. He next, in the early part of 1813, proceeded to the Adriatic, where, on the night of 17 June following, he landed with his boats, containing 40 men, in a storm on the island of Zupano, of which, after a difficult march of three miles, he succeeded in obtaining possession, although the whole of his ammunition had been rendered unserviceable, and he had to contend with a garrison of about 60 men. Encouraged by this good fortune, Capt. Harper, in the course of the next month, determined, in unison with Capt. Jas. Black of the Weasel sloop, to make a similar attempt on the adjoining island of Mezzo; and in this instance also the same happy issue crowned his endeavours; the castle, after an investment of several days, being compelled to surrender, and the troops taken prisoners of war. As a reward for these achievements he was intrusted by the Commander-in-Chief with the entire direction of the blockade of Ragusa and Boco di Cattaro, where his activity and vigilance kept the whole coast in a constant state of alarm. On one occasion, in Sept. 1813, he landed near the former place with his Master, Boatswain, and 20 men (all he had on board, the rest of the crew being employed on detached service), and intercepted a convoy of 50 oxen, the whole of which were embarked in fishing-boats, and brought safe alongside the Saracen. In Oct. 1813, the Bacchante frigate, Capt. Wm. Hoste, having arrived off Ragusa, Capt. Harper handsomely volunteered the command of her launch and barge, together with two Sicilian gun-vessels and the boats of his own sloop; with which force he not only took four heavy gun-boats lying between the island of St. Giorgio and the town of Cattaro, but also gallantly made himself master of the former place, the Commandant and garrison (139 in number) surrendering at discretion. The capture of St. Giorgio was an event of the utmost importance, and was so highly esteemed by Capt. Hoste, that he declared himself unable in too warm terms to characterize the conduct which had led to it. Its subjugation was followed by that of Castelnuovo and Fort Espagnol, mounting 6 brass guns, 19 iron ditto, and 7 swivels, and garrisoned by 299 officers and men. Capt. Harper afterwards, by his indefatigable zeal, contributed in a very signal manner to the arduous reduction of the towns of Cattaro and Ragusa, both which places fell in Jan. 1814. His successful career in the Adriatic closed with the blockade and surrender of Venice. He attained Post-rank 7 June, 1814, and was subsequently appointed, in the course of that year and of 1815-16, to the command, on the East India and North American stations, of the Tyne 24, Wellesley 74, Doris 36, and Wye 28. He went on half-pay in Dec. 1818; and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Harper was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1815. He had been previously presented by the Emperor of Austria with the Order of Leopold, as a reward for his distinguished conduct at Cattaro and Ragusa. He has been twice married – the second time, 30 Oct. 1834, to Susannah Maria, widow of the late H. Young, Esq., of Soldens, co. Surrey. His eldest son, John Horatio Harper, was educated at the Royal Naval College, and perished on board the Arab.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1931.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1812, p. 1937.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 2010.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 2340.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 83.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 700.