JOHNSON W.W. Percival, Midshipman later Admiral

Author	Comment
alexlitandem	JOHNSON W.W. Percival, Midshipman later Admiral	Lead	[-]
Posts: 1104 (02/05/08 08:33:08) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None All, (I'm posting this particular request for `help' here, on the British Medal Forum and on the AgeofNelson forum; so, my apologies if you read it more than once). I'd be most grateful if anyone can offer me `details' about this gentleman - not just his naval career, but any details of his lineage, as well, if at all possible. I currently understand - but would welcome supportive evidence - that he entered the navy in June 1803? In August 1803, (August 22, Victory off Toulon ) Nelson wrote to Lady Percival that "Your Godson Mr. Percival Johnson delivered to me yesterday evening Your Ladyship's letter of June 23rd, together with one from my dearest friend Lady Hamilton..." (Etc.,) ( See page 85 of Colin White's The New Letters for the full text.) Only earlier today, for the first time, I noted in John D.Clarke's `The Men of HMS Victory at Trafalgar' (see page 86) a reference to a `Johnson WW Percival, Midshipman later Admiral' and to a claim `published in "The Graphic" of 1st March 1879, pages 216-217' that he was actually on board Victory at Trafalgar [1st Class Volunteer HMS Childers, Guest on Board The Victory]. Clarke notes that `his memory must have failed him', in that (Clarke asserts) Johnson had transferred from Victory to Eurydice on the 12th October 1805. a) I'm simply trying to confirm the connection - or logically support the connection - between the Mr. Percival Johnson of Nelson's 1803 letter, and the Admiral. b) Any immediate genealogical input connecting WWPJ to Lady Percival would be most appreciated. c) Any observations about the Victory / Trafalgar claim, similarly. d) I declare an interest, in that I happen to have HN's letter in my own collection. tia for any inputs / observations on any front. Alexli
chegworth	Adm Johnson	#1	[-]
Posts: 703 (02/05/08 13:33:40) Registered User Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	From The Times of October 21 1880 'THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR Three quarters of a century ago today was fought the Battle of Trafalgar. Six officers who took part in it are still alive: Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rose Sartorius GCB, who was born in 1790, entered the navy in June 1801 and was a midshipman on the 'Tonnant', 80; Admiral Robert Patton, who was born in April 1791, entered the navy in February 1804 and was a midshipman in 'Bellerophon, 74; and Admiral William Ward Percival Johnson, who was born in March 1790, entered the navy in July 1803 and was a midshipman in 'Victory'........etc. Lady Percival is mentioned in the 'Dearest Bess: the Life and Times of Lady Elizabeth Foster' p. 124, ed. Dorothy Margaret Stuart, (Methuen 1955.) She is recorded as having met Nelson in the company of Lady Hamilton on September 7, 1805. No biographical details are given, but the anecdote quoted is to be found in papers in the possession of Lord Dormer.
alexlitandem		#2	[-]
Posts: 1105 (02/05/08 13:47:23) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Cheg, Thanks so much for that. Invaluable to me. Of course, on the day Percival Johnson was `delivered' with his various Patrons' letters to HN, on Victory, he was met by... your Captain ... Sam Sutton. PM has posted his Birth Certificate, and his Lt. certificate for me, and Peter Lockyer has already provided his DNB and Marshall entry. Lady Percival spent the night with Emma after `the news' arrived. ( I understand the Egmont connection is what I need to follow up on.) So... there is a story in this young chap's life... this `middie' come Admiral... and, just maybe, my letter here has even more `resonance' than I had dared hope for. Thanks so much for all your references there, Anna ; anything else you may discover would be wonderful to hear. Thank you. alexli.
chegworth	Egmont/Perceval	#3	[-]
Posts: 704 (02/05/08 15:54:57) Registered User Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	The family name of the Lords Egmont is Perceval, one of whom, Spencer Perceval, was the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated, as I'm sure you know. The name of the admiral's godmother is Percival - different spelling. Different family? Last Edited By: chegworth 02/05/08 15:57:00. Edited 1 times.
chegworth	Admiral Johnson - Obituary	#4	[-]
Posts: 705 (02/06/08 00:31:01) Registered User Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	From the Times, 28 December 1880 'We have to record the death on Sunday night [26 December] of Admiral William Ward Percival Johnson at his residence in Little Baddow, Chelmsford, at the age of 90. William Ward Percival Johnson entered the navy in July 1803 and fought on board 'Victory' at Trafalgar. He came ashore 37 years ago and at a banquet in 1874 he stated that he had never seen salt water since and that he knew nothing of ironclads except what he had seen on paper. Admiral Johnson's commissions were dated as Lieutenant, January 22 1814, Commander, January 10 1837, Captain, December 5 1842 and Rear Admiral, July 30 1875. When a Lieutenant he was awarded the gold medal of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution on 11 November 1829 'for very gallantly putting off, with 12 men, in a lifeboat from Kingstown, Ireland, and saving 11 persons from the brig 'Duke', wrecked at Dalkey.' Last Edited By: chegworth 02/06/08 00:37:45. Edited 1 times.
alexlitandem	Egmont / Perceval / Percival	#5	[-]
Posts: 1106 (02/06/08 01:28:06) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Cheg, Thanks again for both your last above. The Egmont / Percival / Perceval issue has for some time seemed to me to perhaps depend on whether one is reading from Irish or from English sources. I may well be wrong - I haven't yet tried to fully explore the family connections or otherwise implied by Egmont / Percival / Perceval, but here is one source which offers a, to me, fascinating insight into the illustrious history of the PercIval family, summarising how it becomes Egmont... and, further, suggesting PercIval rather than PercEval as the name of the assassinated Prime Minister. http://www.churchtown.net/webpages/history/H-egmont.htm I would ideally like to `get to the bottom' of the spelling issue one way or another; and would like to `pin down' which branch of the family `my' Lady PercIval actually belongs to. The references you've supplied are a great help already in the jigsaw of things. Thank you. ( p.s. For the life of me, I can't seem to get my posts to appear in the forum as they do on my Mac when compiling them. Nor can I seem to find any formatting bar any more ( e.g. bold, italic etc.,) Any Clues anyone? What simple trick am I missing? Further, inserting the URL / web address above doesn't seem to automatically activate anymore... what am I doing wrong?) Last Edited By: alexlitandem 02/06/08 03:48:44. Edited 3 times.
alexlitandem		#6	[-]
Posts: 1107 (02/06/08 01:43:59) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266(192107)36%3A143%3C456%3AMOTEOE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z (Just another, Oxford University Press, example of the i usage, in contrast to the e.)
david h	Johnson W W P	#7	[-]
Posts: 94 (02/06/08 09:48:09) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	The following is his entry in O'Byrne (1849): "William Ward Percival JOHNSON entered the Navy 2 July 1803 as a supernumary on board the PREVOYANT store ship, Master & Commander Brown, in which he took passage to the Mediterranean for the purpose of joining the VICTORY, Capt. Sam. Sutton, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson, with whom he served until transferred as a Midshipman in August 1804 to the CHILDERS sloop, Capt. Sir William Bolton. With the latter officer he continued employed off Gibraltar, and on the Channel and Cork stations, in the GUERRIERE, EURYDICE and DRUID frigates until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 18 October 1809. Joining soon afterwards the CURACOA, Capt John Tower, he proceeded in that frigate to the Cape of Good Hope and then again to the Mediterranean where he co-operated with the patriots on the coast of Catalonia and assisted at the capture of the Marsouin and Venus privateers, each mounting 14 guns, and carrying the whole 127 men. In August 1812 being at the time in charge of a prize, he had the misfortune to be made prisoner by the French who detained him in captivity until the peace. His succeeding appointments were - 16 August 1814 to the POMPEE, 74, Capt James A Wood, fitting for the Mediterranean, whence he returned in November 1815 - 25 June 1828 to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumary Lieutenant of the RAMILLIES, 74, Capt Hugh Pigot - 28 July 1830 as First to the TALAVERA, 74, Capts David Colby and Tho. Brown, employed on particular service - and on 26 Dec. 1831 in a similar capacity to the MELVILLE, 74, bearing the flag in the East Indies of Sir John Gore. On 19 Sept 1835, about three months after the latter ship had been paid off Lieut. Johnson was advanced to the rank of Commander. He afterwards obtained appointments 20 Feb 1836 in the Coast Guard from which service on 18 March 1839 he was removed to the Second-Captaincy of the WINCHESTER,50, flag ship of Sir Thomas Harvey on the North America & West Indies statiion. He was superseded on this occasion of his elevation to the rank he now holds, (Captain) 14 Dec. 1841, and has since been on half pay. Capt. Johnson married in 1830 to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late rear Admiral Thomas Harvey. Agents - Messrs Halford & Co. "
chegworth	Lady Perceval/Percival	#8	[-]
Posts: 706 (02/06/08 13:22:55) Registered User Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	There are two references to Lady Percival/Percival in the Times for the relevant period; neither of them relates to WWPJ, but they might provide a little background: Lady Percival is listed as being in attendance at Court on March 27 1801, and more interestingly, in the edition of 29 June 1813, there is a long account of the beginning of a libel action that Lady Perceval, wife of Lord Perceval, brought against one Phipps who had caused to be published letters relating to the Princess of Wales and signed by Lords Eldon, Castlereagh and Liverpool, and which he said he had received from Lady Perceval. The substance of the letters is not made clear. However, I happen to have just acquired a copy, published in 1813, of the 'Inquiry or Delicate Investigation into the Conduct of HRH The Princess of Wales appointed by his Majesty in the year 1806 and reprinted from an authentic copy, superintended through the press by The Rt. Hon. Spencer Perceval'. That might, or might not, give some hint as to the nature of the correspondence.
alexlitandem		#9	[-]
Posts: 1108 (02/07/08 00:56:34) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	David, Anna, Thank you both so much for posts above - all very helpful to me. I'm now in contact with Mr. Gerry Murphy, in County Cork, who is an authority on the Percival / Egmont / Perceval genealogy ( but, until yesterday, otherwise unfamiliar with this particular `investigation' ) and actually owns one of the last pieces of `Percival / Egmont' property in Ireland. I'll share any new thoughts on Lady Percival's `precise' identity that Gerry may be able to add. Again, thanks to all for all the references and help above. Very much appreciated.

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JOHNSON W.W. Percival, Midshipman later Admiral

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