John Bastard (Royal Navy officer)

John Bastard was born c. 1787, the second son of Edmund Bastard, and his wife Jane Pownall.[1] His father's side of the family included a large number of politicians, and a number of Tory Bastards sat in Parliament during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among them was his father, who represented Dartmouth, his uncle John Pollexfen Bastard, who represented Devonshire, and his brother Edmund Pollexfen Bastard, who represented Dartmouth and Devon.[1] John would follow his family into politics, sitting for Dartmouth after his brother vacated his seat to sit for Devon.[1][2] Through his mother John was the grandson of the distinguished naval officer Philemon Pownoll, whose estates at Sharpham, near at Ashprington, in Devon he eventually inherited.[1]

Bastard entered the navy and after a number of years of service, was promoted to lieutenant on 6 April 1804.[1] His promotion came from the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord St Vincent, in honour of his grandfather's contribution.[3] He was advanced to master and commander on 22 May 1806, and was given command of the 16-gun sloop HMS Rattlesnake in the East Indies.[1][4] Shortly after Bastard took command Rattlesnake came across the French privateer-frigate Bellone under Captain Jacques François Perroud off Ceylon, and despite the Frenchman's heavier armament, chased her north-west.[5] By 3.15pm on 9 July they came in sight of the 74-gun HMS Powerful, under Captain Robert Plampin, some seven miles off the coast. Bellone had the advantage of the wind, whereas Plampin struggled to bring his ship close enough to intercept.[5] Perroud attempted to bring his ship between Powerful and the shore before Plampin could cut her off, but Plampin was able to manoeuvre within range by 5pm and a running battle broke out, until the French finally struck at 6.45pm.[5] Bastard's next command was the brig-sloop HMS Albatross in January 1807, though she was sold in Bombay in April that year.[6]

Bastard was promoted to post-captain on 12 October 1807 and was given command of the ship he had helped to capture.[1] The Bellone had been brought into the Navy as the sixth rate HMS Bellona, with Bastard becoming her first British commander.[7]^[a] He was later given command of HMS St Fiorenzo, after her captain, George Nicholas Hardinge, had been killed during the chase and capture of the 40-gun French frigate Piémontaise.[8] He remained with St Fiorenzo until she was paid off in 1808.[8]

The British squadron, including Africa, pursue USS Constitution in July 1812

Bastard then served in North America, where he was temporarily in command of the 74-gun HMS Bellona on the Halifax station.[9] He took command of the 64-gun HMS Africa in November 1811, the flagship of Vice-Admiral Herbert Sawyer.[10] With the outbreak of the War of 1812 Africa was sent to join Captain Philip Broke's squadron in July 1812, and was present at the capture of the 14-gun USS Nautilus on 15 July. The British squadron, consisting of Africa, Broke's 38-gun HMS Shannon, the 38-gun HMS Guerriere under Captain James Richard Dacres, the 36-gun HMS Belvidera under Captain Richard Byron and the 32-gun HMS Aeolus under Captain Lord James Townshend, had arrived off New York City in search of USS President, then under Commodore John Rodgers, but she had already sailed.[11] Instead they found the USS Nautilus, under William M. Crane, which failed to outrun the British squadron and surrendered, becoming the first warship either side lost during the war.[11] Shortly afterwards the squadron fell in with USS Constitution and chased her for three days, with the American ship resorting to throwing her water and stores overboard, and having the ship towed and kedged, before she finally managed to escape.[12]

Bastard remained in command of Africa until she was sent back to Britain and broken up in May 1814.[10] He was given command of the 38-gun HMS Meander as a replacement ship and commanded her in British waters, fitting out at several dockyards.[13]

Bastard entered politics in 1816. His family had considerable influence in a number of Cornish constituencies, and when his uncle, John Pollexfen Bastard, died, Edmund Pollexfen Bastard, John's brother, took his place as representative for Devon.[2] This created a vacancy in Edmund's constituency of Dartmouth, and John was elected to fill it on 16 May 1816.[2] He held the seat until its partial disenfranchisement in the 1832 Reform Act.[1][2] He was also an alderman for Dartmouth.[1] He married Frances Wade on 7 October 1817.[1] John Bastard died at Upper Grosvenor Street, London on 11 January 1835, at the age of 48.[1]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by John Bastard