John Leverick originally joined HMS Resolution on 13 February, 1772, at Deptford, as an able bodied seaman (AB).  He was listed in the musters as being born in London, about 1751.  He was discharged to a supernumerary list on 28 April, at Longreach in the River Thames.  He remained on board to Plymouth, where, on 1 July, he was re-entered as an AB. 

Leverick does not appear in Captain Cook’s journal for his Second Voyage, but he does in those of his lieutenants when they record him being punished on two occasions.  The first was of six lashes for “Drunkenness & neglect of Duty” on 21 February, 1774, when the ship was near Easter Island.  The second punishment was 12 lashes for “neglect of Duty on shore” at Tanna, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), on 10 August, 1774.

John Leverick was baptised on 2 June, 1749, at St. Botolph’s, Aldgate.  He was the son of John and Mary Leverick of Houndsditch.  He married Mary Dally at St. Margaret of Antioch, Rochester, Kent, on 4 April, 1783.  Mary had been baptised on 26 December, 1756, at St Anne and St Agnes, London.  She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary Dalley. 

After the voyage, Leverick remained in the Navy becoming a boatswain.  On 22 July, 1793, William Bradley in HMS Comet, Sheerness, under Vice Admiral Dalrymple, recommended that “John Leverick be appointed as Boatswain as no other has reported to the ship”.¹  

Nine days later, on 31 July, Bradley wrote that he has “received a letter from James Johnston, Boatswain of HMS Comet, that he was unable to join the ship having had a fall at Godalming where he is confined to his bed”.  Bradley requested that John Leverick be appointed to replace him.²  

Two years later, on 28 February, 1795, a list of Warrant Officers includes “John Leverick, Boatswain of HMS Camel, Appointed to HMS Castor and his warrant sent to Portsmouth”.³  

In 1799 Leverick’s name appears in a list recording the sending of wages to the next of kin of people in HMS Zealand.  His rank is given as Boatswain, and his wife is Mary.⁴ 

Leverick in Comet was present at the Battle of the Glorious 1st of June, off Brittany in 1794.  Camel and Castor were both in the Mediterranean Sea during the period when Leverick was in them.  Zealand was a guardship at The Nore in 1799.

Leverick died on 14 November, 1802, in a fall while in Zealand.  His death was recorded in a letter from the Navy Board, dated 17 November, 1802.⁵  His widow Mary then applied to the Widow’s Fund.  “Mary Levrick otherwise Mary Leverick, widow of John Levrick otherwise John Leverick, boatswain”, who died 14 November, 1802.⁶

Mary Leverick was buried on 22 April, 1820, aged 64, at St. Margaret of Antioch, Rochester.  She was listed as being from the Poor House.

John Robson

References

1. Letters from Captains with surnames B.  Reference ADM 1/1508/182.  Held at The National Archives (TNA), Kew.
2. Letters from Captains with surnames B.  ADM 1/1508/183.  TNA.
3. Letters from Captains with surnames B.  ADM 1/1511/293.  TNA.
4. Allotment registers recording the sending of wages to next of kin by warrant officers, ratings and Royal Marines from ships named D-Z.  ADM 27/6/511.  TNA. 
5. Navy Board Bound Out-letters.  Reference ADM 354/206/339.  TNA.
6. Papers submitted to the Charity for the relief of Officers' Widows.  ADM 6/339/65.  TNA.

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 32, volume 48, number 2 (2025).