# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Scallon, Robert

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​SCALLON. (Commander, 1823. f-p., 26; h-p., 31.)
Robert Scallon was born 13 Nov. 1771, and died 26 March, 1848, at Prittlewell, co. Essex.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1790, as Lieutenant’s Servant, on board the Cambridge 74, Capt. Locker, with whom he served at Plymouth in the same ship and in the Alfred 74, until some time in the following year. From 9 July, 1793, until 13 Dec. 1797, we find him employed in the North Sea and Channel, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, with Capt. Peter Halkett, in the Echo 16 and Circe 28. In the Echo he witnessed the capture, 12 Jan. 1794, of La Trompeuse French brig of 18 guns; and in the Circe he was present in 1797 at the mutiny at the Nore and in the action off Camperdown. After he had been for six months attached to the Venerable and Kent 74’s, Capts. Wm. Geo. Fairfax and Wm. Johnstone Hope, he was promoted, 23 June, 1798, to the rank of Lieutenant. He served next, from the ensuing July until July, 1800, in the Bulldog bomb, Capt. Adam Drummond, and Leander 50, Capt. Michael Halliday, both in the Mediterranean – from Aug. 1800 until June, 1803, in the Windsor Castle 98, flag-ship of Sir Andrew Mitchell, and Trent 36, Capts. Sir Edw. Hamilton, Chas. Brisbane, and Jas. Katon, in the Channel and West Indies – and between July, 1803, and Oct. 1815, chiefly on the Home station, in the Roebuck 44, Capt. Geo. M‘Kinley, Hermes 16, Capt. Hon. John Astley Bennot, Penelope 36, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton, Ganges 74, Capt. Peter Halkett, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Wm. Albany Otway, Commodore Rich. Goodwin Keats, and Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley, Hannibal, 74, Royal George 100, and Namur 74, bearing each the flag of Sir Thos. Williams (under whom, in the two former, he officiated as Signal-Lieutenant from 7 Sept. 1810 until 25 Oct. 1811), Devonshire 74, Capt. Ross Donnelly (which ship he fitted out as First-Lieutenant), Quebec receiving-ship (at the Nore), commanded for 12 months by himself, and Gladiator 44, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral P. Halkett. In the Bulldog he assisted at the bombardment of Alexandria and the capture of several ships on their way to Gibraltar; and while belonging to the Trent he took part in several boat affairs. On one occasion in particular, 3 April, 1801, he aided in regaining possession of an English merchant-ship, although under the protection of five batteries at Bréhat, and in tow of a lugger and several boats, all of which, after a severe conflict, were driven on shore, with a loss to the British of 2 men killed and a Lieutenant of Marines, Walter Tait, severely wounded. The Penelope was engaged in frequent skirmishes with the French gun-vessels off Brest; and the Ganges formed one of the squadron under Sir Thos. Louis at the capture of Le Président French frigate of 44 guns, 27 Sept. 1806. She also accompanied the expeditions of 1807 and 1809 against Copenhagen and the Walcheren, besides being for nine months employed, prior to the Convention of Cintra, in blockading the Russian fleet in the Tagus. On the surrender of the Danish capital and fleet, Mr. Scallon was placed in charge of the Princess Sophia Frederica 74, and sent in her with naval stores to Portsmouth. When midway across the North Sea the ship encountered a severe gale, and had at one time 7 feet water in the well. The four pumps were kept constantly at work, and had the weather not moderated she must inevitably have foundered. On reaching the Downs she was again very nearly lost. During the period of his servitude in the Hannibal, Mr. Scallon, in the early part of 1811, co-operated with the British army up the Tagus. So excellent were his discipline and arrangement while in discharge of the difficult and responsible duties attached to the command of the receiving-ship, alluded to above, that not a single man was enabled to effect his escape. We may add that in the Roebuck, Hermes, Penelope, Ganges, Devonshire, and Gladiator, he filled the post of First-Lieutenant – embracing, altogether, a period of seven years. From 12 April, 1822, until promoted to the rank of Commander 15 May, 1823, he served at Plymouth as Senior of the Bulwark 76, Capt. Thos. Dundas; and from 11 March, 1834, until April, 1837, he was employed in the Ordinary at Chatham – the last eight months as Commander of the Brune 22.
Commander Scallon married, 13 June, 1813, Rebecca, second daughter of Mr. M. Saward, of Thorpe Hall, Prittlewell, Essex, by whom he had issue three sons and three daughters.