# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pearse, Joseph

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​PEARSE. (Captain, 1846. f-p., 33; h-p., 8.)
Joseph Pearse was born 17 June, 1794. He is first-cousin of Capt. John Banks, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 17 April, 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Defiance 74, Capt. Hon. Henry Hotham, with whom he continued to serve as Midshipman and Master’s Mate in the same ship and in the Northumberland 74, on the Channel station, until Jan. 1813. In the Defiance he was present, 24 Feb. 1809, at the destruction of three French frigates under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne, where that ship, besides being much cut up in her masts and rigging, sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 25 wounded; and in the Northumberland he contributed, in company with the Growler gun-brig, to the gallant destruction, near L’Orient, of the French 40-gun frigates L’Arienne and L’Andromaque, and 16-gun brig Mamelouck; whose united fire, conjointly with that of a heavy battery, killed 6 and wounded 28 of the Northumberland’s people. On 3 April, 1813, having ​removed to the San Domingo 74, flag-ship of Sir John Borlase Warren on the coast of North America, we find Mr. Pearse serving with the boats of a squadron containing 105 men, under the orders of Lieut. Jas. Polkinghorne, at the capture, 15 miles up the Rappahannock river, of four schooners, carrying in the whole 31 guns and 219 men – an exploit whose achievement inflicted on the British a loss of 2 killed and 11 wounded, and on the enemy of 6 killed and 10 wounded. He was made Lieutenant 22 July, 1813, into the Barrosa 36, Capts. Wm. Henry Shirreff, Wm. M‘Culloch, and John Maxwell, with the latter of whom he returned home from the West Indies in Oct. 1815; and was subsequently appointed – in the course of 1818, to the Cyrus 20, Capt. Wm. Fairbrother Carroll, Spencer 74, Capt. Sam. Campbell Rowley, and Tonnant 80 and Windsor Castle 74, both commanded by Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, with whom he served at Plymouth until May, 1821 – on 18 of the latter month, as Senior, to the Gannet 18, Capt. Wm. Simpson, stationed on the coast of Ireland, where he remained until Sept. 1824, and made prize, in the boats, of a large smuggling lugger, carrying 10 guns – 15 March, 1825, 21 Oct. 1828, and 25 Feb. 1831, in a similar capacity, to the Ranger 28, Capt. Lord Henry Fred. Thynne, Melville 74, Capts. Alex. Wilmot Schomberg, Henry Hill, and Christopher John Williams Nesham, and St. Vincent 120, Capt. Humphrey Fleming Senhouse, in which ships, the latter bearing the flag of Hon. Sir H. Hotham, he was continuously employed, with the exception of a few months in 1828, on the South American and Mediterranean stations, until May, 1834 – 17 Nov. following, and, after eight months of half-pay, 14 June, 1836, to the command of the Blazer and Firefly steamers, both also in the Mediterranean, whence he returned in June. 1839 – and, 6 Jan. 1840, as First, to the Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir H. F. Senhouse. For his services in the latter ship during the campaign in China, where he had charge of the rocket-boats at the capture of the Bogue forts, and was mentioned for his conduct at the head of a division of seamen at the capture of the forts above Canton, he was advanced to the rank of Commander 8 June, 1841, and appointed to the Nimrod 20; from which vessel, after having effected the destruction of four batteries and a war-junk in the harbour of Kelon, in the island of Formosa, he was transferred, 16 Oct. in the same year, to the Cruizer 16. Since his arrival home from the East Indies in March, 1843, he has been on half-pay. His elevation to Post-rank took place 8 Jan. 1846. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
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* ↑ Which were admirably placed and served. – Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1498; where, it will be perceived, he was strongly recommended for promotion.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 2510.
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