Background
He was born on April 5, 1779 at West Barnstable, Massachussets, United States, the son of Capt. John and Mary (Snow) Percival, and a descendant of John Percival who was born in France in 1658 and who settled at Barnstable in 1685.
He was born on April 5, 1779 at West Barnstable, Massachussets, United States, the son of Capt. John and Mary (Snow) Percival, and a descendant of John Percival who was born in France in 1658 and who settled at Barnstable in 1685.
There is no information about his education.
At the age of thirteen he went to sea, and at twenty, commanded vessels in the West Indian and transatlantic trade. He was impressed into the British navy at Lisbon on February 24, 1797, and served in H. M. S. Victory and then in a naval brig, but about two years later escaped at Madeira to the American ship Washington.
During the naval conflict between the United States and France, he served a year as master's mate in the U. S. S. Delaware, was warranted midshipman on May 13, 1800, and was discharged at the peace establishment in July 1801.
He reëntered the merchant service as mate and master, and according to his own statement as reported by B. F. Stevens who later became his ship's secretary, was imprisoned for several months and robbed of his ship at Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, "about 1805". Many legends accumulated about these early years before he rejoined the United States navy as sailing master in 1809.
In the War of 1812 his first exploit was at New York on July 5, 1813, when he loaded the fishing smack Yankee with vegetables and livestock, hid thirty-two volunteers under hatches, and surprised and captured the British tender Eagle. As sailing master of the sloop Peacock in her victory over the Epervier on April 29, 1813, he handled his craft, according to her commander Lewis Warrington, "as if he had been working her into a roadstead". For his constant attention to duty and for his professional knowledge, Warrington recommended his promotion to the rank of lieutenant in 1814.
After cruises in the Porpoise against West Indian pirates he sailed to the Pacific in 1823 as first lieutenant in Hull's flagship United States, and in 1825-26, he commanded the schooner Dolphin in the South Seas, pursuing mutineers from the whaleship Globe.
Made commander in 1831, and captain in 1841, he commanded the Cyane in the Mediterranean, 1838-39, supervised repairs to the Constitution at Norfolk, 1841-43, and then commanded her in a cruise round Africa to China and back by Hawaii and California from 1844 to 1846. He was put on the reserved list in 1855.
Percival died at the age of 83 on 17 September 1862 in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
He was humorous, irascible, a superb seaman, the half-fictitious, heroic figure.
He was married in 1823 to Maria, daughter of a Dr. Pinkerton of Trenton, New Jersey, but they had no children, although they informally adopted a relative, Maria Weeks.