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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/King, Henry

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1778903A Naval Biographical Dictionary — King, HenryWilliam Richard O'Byrne

KING. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 18; h-p., 34.)

Henry King entered the Navy, 28 Dec. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Namur 98, Capt. Jas. Hawkins Whitshed, with whom, and latterly with Rear-Admiral Geo. Campbell, he continued to serve, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant, in the Barfleur and Téméraire 98’s, on the Home, Mediterranean, and West India stations, until Oct. 1802. His first commission bears date 18 of the latter month. His succeeding appointments were – 13 April, 1803, to the Canopus 80, bearing the flag of the last-mentioned officer in the Mediterranean – 27 March, 1805, to the Ambuscade 32, Capt. Wm. D’Urban, with whom he was for four years employed as Senior-Lieutenant on the same station – 26 Sept. 1809, in a similar capacity, to the Unité 36, Capts. Patrick Campbell and Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, also in the Mediterranean, whence (after having taken part in a very gallant action of an hour and a half in Sagone Bay, where that frigate, in company with the Pomone 38, and Scout 18, effectually destroyed the armed storeships Giraffe and Nourrice, each mounting from 20 to 30 guns, and protected by a 5-gun battery, a martello tower, and a body of about 200 regular troops) he invalided in Aug. 1811 – 1 May, 1812, to the Tigre 74, Capt. John Halliday, in the Channel – and, 14 Sept. following, as First, to the Seahorse 38, Capt. Jas. Alex. Gordon. In Aug. 1814, Lieut. King (who had made a voyage to South America, and had been for some time actively employed in the Chesapeake) accompanied the brilliant expedition up the Potomac, where he assisted at the destruction of Fort Washington and witnessed the capitulation of |Alexandria. Such was his eagerness to participate in the hardships and dangers encountered by the British during their subsequent descent of the river that he actually left a sick bed for the purpose of commanding at his quarters; and the two first guns he pointed each disabled a gun of the enemy.[1] Proportionately great, therefore, was the official praise bestowed upon him by Capt. Gordon. He was in consequence promoted to his present rank on 19 of the following Oct., but has not been since afloat.

Commander King is a Police Magistrate at New Zealand. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 2081.