Joseph Needham Tayler
| Joseph Needham Tayler | |
|---|---|
| Born |
15 August 1783 Devizes, Wiltshire |
| Died | 19 March 1864 (aged 80) Brixton, London |
| Allegiance |
Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1796–1846 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held |
HMS Sparrow HMS San Josef |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Order of the Bath (1815) |
Vice-Admiral Joseph Needham Tayler CB (15 August 1783 – 19 March 1864) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, mainly as a junior officer, before finally achieving command of his own ship in 1810, serving off the coast of northern Spain. His active career was cut short by serious injury in 1813, and he then concentrated on his inventions and innovations in naval technology. He commanded a naval gunnery school in the late 1830s, before being retired in 1846.
Tayler was born in Devizes, Wiltshire, the youngest son of Samuel Tayler and Sally Needham. His father was a senior member of the Corporation of Devizes, served six times as Mayor, and also formed and commanded the Devizes Loyal Volunteers. His mother was the daughter of Joseph Needham, surgeon and man-midwife, and the niece of Henry Needham, a co-partner with his uncle, Robert Rogers, in the bank of Child & Co. His eldest brother, also Samuel, was a lieutenant in the 13th Light Dragoons, and was killed in Portugal; another brother, Thomas, was a major in the Bengal 9th Native Infantry, and died in India.
Tayler entered the navy in July 1796 as a first-class volunteer on board the 100-gun ship Royal George, flagship of Lord Bridport in the Channel Fleet, under the command of Captain William Domett. In April–May 1797 he was present in her at the Spithead mutiny. In 1799 he moved to the razee frigate Anson, Captain Philip Charles Durham, which was occasionally employed attending the Royal Family off Weymouth, and was in waiting upon the King in a boat whenever he went afloat. On 27 April 1800 he assisted in the capture of the letter of marque Vainqueur from Bordeaux bound for St. Domingo, and two days afterwards, in the capture of the 18-gun privateer Hardi, which was in company with the 18-gun Guepe, and the 36-gun Braave and Druide. Tayler was also employed in landing arms at Quimper, and in otherwise aiding the French royalists. On 27 June 1800, while escorting a fleet of transport ships from Gibraltar and Minorca, Anson captured seven merchant vessels on the Spanish coast between Tarifa and Algeciras, even though they were protected by shore batteries and covered by the fire of 25 heavy gunboats. She also drove two gunboats, each mounting two long 18-pounders and eight smaller guns, onto the coast, where Tayler, in a boat, assisted in taking possession of one of them – the crew having abandoned ship. He then followed Captain Durham into the 40-gun frigate Endymion, visited Saint Helena and Lisbon, and took part in the capture of the 14-gun French cutter-privateer Furie on 13 April 1801.
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