Joseph Ellison

Captain Joseph Ellison (1753 – 1 October 1816) was a Royal Navy officer. Having joined the service at the age of nine, he served during the Falklands Crisis in 1770 and went on to participate in the Battle of Bunker Hill and Siege of Pondicherry during the American Revolutionary War, during which he was promoted to lieutenant. On 4 July 1780 Ellison was serving on board HMS Prudente when they engaged, with another British frigate, two French frigates off Cape Ortegal. Ellison was badly wounded in the back during the battle and had an arm destroyed by a cannon ball that was amputated after the British had attained their victory. Having recuperated from his injuries Ellison was appointed to the impress service where he performed so well that he was promoted to commander in 1782 and post-captain in 1783. He took command of HMS Ariadne in April of that year and served in her off Ireland investigating fisheries, but in September he temporarily retired from the navy when his wounds began to become more problematic.

By 1785 Ellison's condition had improved once again and he was given command of HMS Druid, which he would command almost unbrokenly into the French Revolutionary Wars. In June 1794 he played a prominent part in an action against a much superior French squadron while under the command of Sir James Saumarez in the Channel Islands, where the smaller British force successfully escaped the French attack. In June 1795 he was given command of HMS Standard in which he participated in the Quiberon Bay Expedition where he unsuccessfully attempted to force the island of Belle Île to surrender. After this Ellison left Standard to again rest and recover his health, and was given HMS Marlborough in August 1797.

Marlborough had removed her previous captain during the Spithead mutiny and Ellison was brought in as a captain more favourable to seamen. Despite this, while sailing to join the Mediterranean Fleet on 7 May 1798 the crew attempted to mutiny, but Ellison was warned and was able to get on deck before the attack unfolded. He left Marlborough in November because of another deterioration in his health, and re-joined the impress service until 1801. In 1803 he was appointed a captain of Greenwich Naval Hospital, where he served until his death in 1816.