Peter John Douglas

Who was Peter John Douglas?

Peter John Douglas was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

He born at Portsmouth on 30 June 1787, the son of Admiral William Douglas. He entered the Navy on 17 January 1797 and during the next six years served on a variety of ships, including the 90-gun HMS Sandwich, commanded by his father.

In March 1804, he was appointed Acting-Lieutenant of the sloop HMS Beaver for his conduct in proceeding up the river Elbe with the boats of that sloop, and capturing five vessels which had forced the blockade. On 25 October 1805 Douglas, whilst serving on the frigate HMS Franchise, commanded one of the ship's boats at the capture, on the north side of Jamaica, of the privateer General Ferrand, and, on the night of 6 January 1806, he had charge of the barge, and elicited the highest approbation for his promptitude and gallantry at the taking, in the Bay of Campeche, of the Spanish corvette Raposa, at which he was wounded. Douglas was subsequently presented by the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund with a sword.