The doctor was born Giueseppe Maria Joseph Stilon, a native of Calabria and a Royal Naval surgeon in Malta.

From 3 November 1843 to 1846 he served as lieutenant in HMS Fox commanded by Commodore Sir Henry Martin Blackwood stationed off Ireland and then the East Indies.

He served from 22 October 1853 to 1 January 1854 as captain of HMS Agamemnon, flagship to Rear-Admiral Edmund Lyons of the Mediterranean fleet, during the Crimean War.

[5] Between 14 February 1855 and April 1857 he was captain of HMS Royal Albert, flagship to Edmund Lyons in the Black Sea and then the Mediterranean.

He moved to take command of HMS Majestic on 1 February 1860 when she replaced Hastings on coast guard service and was then appointed deputy controller general of the coast-guard in 1861.