A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Kellett, Henry

by William Richard O'Byrne

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KELLETT, C.B. (Captain, 1842.)

Henry Kellett, born 2 Nov. 1806, is cousin of Commander Arthur Kellett, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy 7 Jan. 1822, and from 1823 until 1826 served in the West Indies on board the Ringdove. Towards the close of the latter year, after having accompanied a body of troops to Lisbon in the Gloucester 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton, he joined the Eden 26, Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, under whom he was again employed on the coast of Africa (whither he proceeded for the colonization of Fernando Po) until his return to England in the summer of 1831 – the last three years as First-Lieutenant (commission dated 15 Sept. 1828). He had command during part of that time of the Cornelia tender, and was on board the Eden at a period of dreadful sickness, when 46 men were laid up with fever without a surgeon, and only 2 officers besides himself were left to perform duty. Being next appointed, 7 Nov. 1831, to the Aetna surveying-vessel, Capts. Edw. Belcher, Wm. Geo. Skyring, and Wm. Arlett, he returned to his former station, where, at the time that Capt. Skyring was murdered, he held the post of First-Lieutenant, and was afterwards detached in charge of the Raven, an assistant to the Aetna. On 29 Oct. 1835, shortly after the latter vessel had been paid off, Lieut. Kellett assumed command of the Starling cutter, of 105 tons, and was ordered upon surveying-service to the west coast of South America. While there, he held the acting-command, from July, 1836, until Feb. 1837, of H.M.S. Sulphur, during the interval which elapsed between the resignation of Capt. Beechey and the advent of Capt. Belcher. He then went back to the Starling, and in that small vessel, on his return to the Pacific after a voyage round Cape Horn, he proceeded to China, visiting en route the Marquesas and Tahiti, and touching at the New Hebrides, Salomon Islands, Borneo, &c. Arriving at his destination in Dec. 1840, Lieut. Kellett (whose vessel on her passage had been struck by lightning and dismasted) joined in the warfare then commencing against the Chinese, in which, as will be seen, he bore a very eminent part. On 7 Jan. 1841 we find him uniting in the operations against the enemy’s forts at Chuenpee; and in the course of the same day serving with the Nemesis and the boats of the Calliope under Capt. Belcher, by whom he was spoken of in terms of high commendation, at the destruction of 11 out of 13 large war-junks, an exploit which was achieved in admirable style.^[1] He next, on 26 Feb., acquired the thanks of Sir Gordon Bremer for his gallantry and zeal in the action which preceded the capture of the forts at the Boca Tigris.^[2] During the operations of March against Canton he acquired every favourable consideration for his useful exertions in sounding, conjointly with Lieut. Rich. Collinson, and Mr. Rich. Browne, Master of the Calliope, the various inlets through which the ships had to pass, and conducting them in safety to an anchorage off that city. In the discharge of these duties Mr. Kellett was indeed indefatigable.^[3] At one period, in addition to his own vessel, the Algerine, and the Young Hebe and Louisa tenders, were simultaneously placed under his orders. In May, 1841, when the British renewed hostilities against Canton, our officer, whose promotion to the rank of Commander took place on 6 of that month, again found opportunity of distinction.^[4] Proceeding afterwards to the northward, he succeeded, on the night previous to the attack upon Chapoo, 18 May, 1842, in thoroughly sounding (with the assistance of Capt. Collinson) between the anchorage of the ships and the shore, and thus enabled the Cornwallis, Blonde, and Modeste, while the troops were landing, to take up excellent positions against the sea-batteries.^[5] In the ensuing June he appears to have again, with much zeal and perseverance, co-operated with Capt. Collinson in surveying the channel before Woosung.^[6] After the fall of Shanghae, to her position in front of which place he had piloted the North Star 26, Capt. Kellett proceeded with Capt. Bourchier 30 miles up the river into the interior, and contributed to the destruction, on 20 June, of two batteries mounting 5 guns each.^[7] He was also present in all the operations up the Yang-tse-Kiang,^[8] where he led the Commander-in-Chief’s ship to Nanking. As a further reward for his particularly useful services Capt. Kellett was advanced to Post-rank 23 Dec. 1842,^[9] and nominated, the next day, a C.B.^[10] He obtained leave to return to England in Aug. 1843; but since 8, Feb. 1845 has been again afloat, as Captain of the Herald 26, now engaged in surveying the Pacific. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.

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1. Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1102, 1222.
2. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1438.
3. Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1804-5.
4. Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 2510.
5. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3692.
6. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3397.
7. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3401.
8. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3404.
9. Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 3821-3864.
10. To enable Capt. Kellett to receive Post-rank the Starling had been rated a sloop-of-war.