Marryat, Frederick (Captain) (1792–1848)

English naval officer and writer. He was the originator of the British sea story. His adventure stories, taken from personal experience, are full of life, humour, and stirring narrative; they include Peter Simple (1834) and Mr Midshipman Easy (1836). He also wrote children's books, including The Children of the New Forest (1847).

Marryat was born in Westminster, London, and entered the Royal Navy in 1806. In 1812 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He took command of the sloop Beaver in 1820, and was employed on the St Helena station until the death of Napoleon. Serving in the Burma war of 1824, it was at his suggestion that the Diana was used, the first time a steamship was employed on active service. He held several other appointments, but finally resigned from the navy in 1830 after the success of his first novel, The Naval Officer: or Scenes and Adventures in the Life of Frank Mildmay (1829).

Other books include The Phantom Ship (1839), Masterman Ready (1841–42), Percival Keene (1842), and The Settlers in Canada (1844). He wrote a pamphlet, ‘Suggestion for the Abolition of the Present System of Impressment in the Naval Service’ (1822), which created a profound impression in naval circles at the time. He also published several political and social caricatures.