A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hendry, William
HENDRY. (Captain, 1822. f-p., 25; h-p., 27.)
William Hendry was born 16 Aug. 1777, at Paisley, N.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 26 April, 1795, as Midshipman, on board the Alcmène 32, Capt. Wm. Brown, with whom, in the same frigate, and in the Defence 74, be served, in the North Sea and off Lisbon and Cadiz, until May, 1798. He then removed to the Ville de Paris 110, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent, by whom, we believe, he was appointed, in Feb. 1799, Acting-Lieutenant of the Transfer brig, Capt. Geo. Mundy, on the Mediterranean station. In the following -Aug. he rejoined Capt. Brown, as Midshipman, on board the Vanguard 74, in which ship, and in the Aurora 28, Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, and Robust 74, and Hussar 38, both commanded by his friend Capt. Brown, he further served, on the Lisbon, Newfoundland, Channel, and Irish stations, until promoted, immediately on passing his examination, to a Lieutenancy, 11 July, 1801, in the Hazard sloop, Capts. Wm. Butterfield and Rich. John Neve. Joining next (after a prolonged employment of four years off the coast of Ireland and in the Channel) the Hero 74, Capt. Hon. Alan Hyde Gardner, Mr. Hendy fought in that ship in Sir Rich. Strachan’s action off Ferrol 4 Nov. 1805, and was also present, 13 March, 1806, at the capture of the French 80-gun ship Marengo, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule. In the course of the latter year, he was again placed under the orders of Lord St. Vincent, in the Hibernia 110; and while next attached, between Aug. 1807, and March, 1810, to the Statira 38, Capts. Robt. Howe Bromley, Chas. Worsley Boys, and Geo. Paris Monke, he attended, as First-Lieutenant, the expedition to the Walcheren (where, with the frigate-squadron under Lord Wm. Stuart, he assisted in forcing the passage between the batteries of Flushing and Cadsand), and co-operated in the reduction of Guadeloupe. From the period of his leaving the Statira until that of his advancement to the rank of Commander, 27 April, 1814, Mr. Hendy successively officiated as Senior and Flag-Lieutenant, in the West Indies and at home, on board the Blonde 38, Capt. Thos. Huskisson, Tonnant 80, Capt. Sir John Gore, and Ulysses and Argo 44’s, flag-ships of Rear-Admiral Wm. Brown. Being appointed, on 19 of the ensuing July, to the Forester 18, our officer, who retained command of that vessel on the Jamaica station until Aug. 1816, had the good fortune, although four other Captains had failed in the attempt, to obtain the liberation at Santa Martha of the officers and crews belonging to some vessels which had been confiscated by the authorities of Carthagena. Capt. Hendry’s only other appointments were, 5 Jan. 1819, and 21 July, 1821, to the Rosario 10, and Doterel 18, on the St. Helena and North American stations, from the former of which he was selected to carry home, in the Heron 18, Capt. Job Hanmer, the despatches announcing the death of Napoleon Buonaparte. On the morning immediately after the decease of the unfortunate Emperor, 6 May, 1821, Capt. Hendry appears to have formed one of the three naval Captains who were admitted to view the body.[1] He attained Post-rank 19 July, 1822, and accepted the half-pay of Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
On the first opening, in 1829, of the College in Portsmouth Dockyard for the instruction of officers in subjects connected with their profession, Capt. Hendry was the Senior of those admitted. The Frolic 16, a sloop constructed by him, was launched 23 Aug. 1842.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1821, p. 1409.