Christopher Nesham Christopher ( John Williams ) Nesham ( 1771 – 4 November 1853 ) , admiral , born in 1771 , was son of Christopher Nesham , a captain in the 63rd regiment , by his wife Mary Williams , sister of William Peere Williams - Freeman , admiral of the fleet . Nesham entered the navy in January 1782 on board HMS " Juno " , with Captain James Montagu , and in her was present at the action off Cuddalore on 20 June 1783 . On his return to England in 1785 , he was for some time aboard HMS " Edgar " , guardship at Portsmouth , commanded by Captain Adam Duncan , afterwards Lord Duncan , and aboard the frigate HMS " Druid " until March 1788 . He was then sent to a college in France , and was still there at the outbreak of the revolution . He was at Vernon , in Normandy , in October 1789 , when a furious mob fell upon a corn merchant , Planter by name , who had been charitable to the poor , but who , having sent flour to Paris , was accused of wishing to starve the town . The town - hall , where he had taken refuge , was stormed , and Planter was dragged down the stairs towards the lamp - post at the corner of the building . Attempts were made to fasten a rope round his neck . Nesham , however , with two others , remained by Planter and warded off the blows aimed at him as well as themselves . Knocked down , Nesham sprang up again and vigorously resisted the mob . Planter was at length got away from the lamp - post into an adjoining street , and , a door being thrown open , was finally pushed in and saved . One of the first acts of the municipality on the restoration of order was to confer citizenship on Nesham ( 17 November ) . He was shortly afterwards summoned to Paris , January 1790 , when he was presented by the assembly with a uniform sword of the national guard , and a civic crown was placed on his head . In June 1790 he was appointed to HMS " Salisbury " , bearing the flag of Vice - admiral Milbanke , who had , as his flag - captain , Edward Pellew , afterwards Viscount Exmouth . On 17 November 1790 he was promoted to be lieutenant , and during the next two years served in the Channel Fleet under the immediate command of Keats and Robert Moorsom . In 1793 he was appointed to the 50 - gun HMS " Adamant " , in which he served on the West Indian , Newfoundland , and home stations . In 1797 he was her first lieutenant in the North Sea , when , during the mutiny and through the summer , she carried the flag of Vice - admiral Richard Onslow . She afterwards took part in the battle of Camperdown , and on 2 January 1798 Nesham was promoted to be commander of the sloop HMS " Suffisante " . On 29 April 1802 he was advanced to post rank , and from October 1804 to February 1805 was captain of HMS " Foudroyant " , in the Bay of Biscay , with the flag of his kinsman and connection , Rear - admiral Sir Thomas Graves . In March 1807 he was appointed to HMS " Ulysses " of 44 guns , which he took out to the West Indies , and commanded at the reduction of " Marie Galante " , in March 1808 . In July 1808 he was moved into HMS " Intrepid " of 64 guns , and in her , in the following February , took part in the capture of Martinique , where he served on shore under the immediate command of Commodore Sir George Cockburn , and superintended the transport of the heavy guns and mortars . On 15 April 1809 the " Intrepid " suffered severely in an unsuccessful attack on two French frigates under the guns of Fort Mathilde of Guadeloupe ; and in December she returned to England and was paid off . In 1830 – 1 Nesham commanded HMS " Melville " of 74 guns , in the Mediterranean . He retired as a rear - admiral on 10 January 1837 , but was replaced on the active list on 17 August 1840 . He became vice - admiral on 9 November 1846 , and admiral on 30 July 1852 . He died at Exmouth on 4 November 1853 , aged 82 . Nesham was twice married : first , in 1802 , to his cousin , Margaret Anne , youngest daughter of Thomas , first lord Graves ; she died in 1808 ; secondly , in 1833 , to Elizabeth , youngest daughter of Colonel Nicholas Bayly , brother of the first Earl of Uxbridge , of the present creation . He left issue by both marriages .