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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Overend, Henry

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1861407A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Overend, HenryWilliam Richard O'Byrne

OVEREND. (Retired Commander, 1844. f-p., 13; h-p., 35.)

Henry Overend entered the Navy, 2 Aug. 1799, as Third-cl. Boy, on board the Cerberus 32, Capt. Jas. Macnamara; and on 20 of the following Oct., while cruizing off Ferrol, was present in a very gallant attack made by that ship on one of five Spanish frigates in escort of a large convoy. In July, 1803, soon after his return from a visit to the West Indies, he became Midshipman (a rating he had attained in Aug. 1801) of the Suffisante sloop, Capt. Gilbert Heathcote, lying at Plymouth; and he next, in Jan. 1804 and Nov. 1805, joined in succession the Franchise 36, and, as Master’s Mate, the Bacchante 20, Capts. Hon. John Murray, Randall Macdonnell, and Jas. Rich. Dacres, both on the Jamaica station; where, after a servitude of 12 months in the Veteran 64, Capt. Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, he was nominated, 3 Dec. 1807, Acting-Lieutenant of the Arethusa 38, Capt. Sir Chas. Brisbane. On the morning of 30 Aug. 1806, being then in the Bacchante, Mr. Overend served with the boats under Lieut. Geo. Norton at the cutting out of an armed brig and two armed feluccas, under a tremendous fire from them and from several batteries and field-pieces on the beach in the harbour of Santa Martha, on the Spanish Main.[1] On leaving the Arethusa, of which frigate he had been confirmed a Lieutenant 9 Jan. 1808, he followed Sir C. Brisbane, in Sept. of that year, into the Blake 74, commanded subsequently by Capt. Edw. Codrington in the Downs. His last appointments were – 16 June, 1809 (three months after he had left the Blake), to the Mermaid 32, Capt. Major Jacob Henniker, whom he accompanied with convoy to Quebec – 12 Jan. 1810, to the Grampus 50, Capt. Wm. Hanwell, in which ship he sailed with the trade for China – and 30 Nov. 1812, to the Primrose 18, Capt. Chas. Geo. Rodney Phillott, employed off Flushing. He went on half-pay in Aug. 1812; and accepted the rank he now holds 19 Oct. 1844.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1806, p. 1535.