In a 1827 letter, William wrote of John - "Little, Jack, whom I shipped off to France has returned after a six month voyage, and I have put him to a good school where the little chap is fagging with all his might and delight at navigation, that he may get off to sea as quickly as possible. In spite of all my teaching, and though he saw above thirty sail wrecked off Yardmouth and not a soul saved, he is eager to go aboard again and actually desires to have ''a brush'' as he calls it, at fighting. This is a son of mine."
