Page:A Naval Biographical Dictionary.djvu/292

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278

DENMAN—DENNEHY—DENNIS—DENNY.

and, at the commencement of the following month, acquiring the warm thanks of Major-General Carmichael for his uncommon zeal and exertions in command of a detachment of seamen, landed to cooperate with the troops preparatory to the surrender of that city by the French.[1] On 17 Feb. 1810, Capt. Denman was confirmed in the command of the Shask sloop, in which vessel, and in the Challenger, Sappho , and Sparrow, he alternately served until March, 1811, when his health obliged him to invalid. Being next appointed to the command, 7 June, 1814, of the Redpole 10, he had the honour of conveying from England to the Continent, among other illustrious personages, the Hereditary Prince of Orange, the Crown Prince of Bavaria, the Princes Charles and William of Brunswick, Prince Paul of Wirtemburg, and the present King of the French, then Duke of Orleans. He was also in the same vessel intrusted with the command of a light squadron stationed in the river Scheldt for the protection of Cadsand; and towards the close of 1815, when he was paid off, he brought home the despatches of Rear-Admiral Cockburn announcing the safe arrival of Buonaparte at St. Helena. Capt. Denman was subsequently nominated, 25 March, 1819, Superintending-Commander of the Ordinary at Plymouth, which office he creditably filled for the accustomed period of three years. He was advanced to Post-rank 27 May, 1825; but was not again employed.

Capt. Denman had, with other issue, a daughter, Maria Louisa Hume, who married, in 1842, the present Sir Thos. Turton, Bart., of Starborough Castle, co. Surrey. Agent – John P. Muspratt.



DENMAN, F.R.S. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 15; h-p., 9.)

The Honourable Joseph Denman, born 23 June, 1810, is second son of the Right Hon. Lord Denman, Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench, by Theodosia Anne, eldest daughter of the late Rev. Rich. Vevers, of Saxby, and grand-daughter of Sir Edmund Anderson, Bart. He is brother-in-law of Capt. R. L. Baynes, R.N., C.B., and of Lieut. Fred. Holland, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 7 April, 1823, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Dover 28, Capt. Sam. Chambers, bearing the flag at Leith of Sir John Poo Beresford. In Sept. following he removed, as Midshipman, to the Sybille 48, Capt. Sam. John Pechell, fitting for the Mediterranean station; where, in June, 1826, he served with the boats of that ship in a very sanguinary action with pirates off the island of Candia. After a further attachment of more than four years to the Thetis 46, Capt. Arthur Batt Bingham, and Cruizer and Satellite sloops, Capts. Edw. Griffith Colpoys, John Milligan Laws, and John Parker, on the South American and East India stations, Mr. Denman, who had passed his examination 2 Sept. 1829, obtained a Lieutenant’s commission dated 9 March, 1831. He was next appointed – 1 May, 1832, to the Snake 16, Capt. Wm. Robertson, employed on the North Sea and South American stations – and, 17 Nov. 1834, to the command, off the coast of Africa, of the Curlew 10. Assuming the rank of Commander 7 Aug. 1835, he subsequently, on 26 Dec. 1836 and 17 Nov. 1839, joined the Scylla and Wanderer sloops, in the former of which he served for two years on the Lisbon station. While officiating, in 1840 and 1841, as senior naval officer on that part of the coast of Africa lying between Cape Verde and Cape Palmas, Capt. Denman, owing to most offensive conduct on the part of the slave-dealers at the Gallinas, entered into a treaty with the native chiefs, by virtue of which all the factories were destroyed, the white offenders expelled, and the slaves ready for exportation given up. He then proceeded to Sierra Leone, where the latter, 900 in number, were emancipated. These measures being strongly approved by government, Capt. Denman was rewarded with Post-rank 23 Aug. 1841, immediately after the arrival of the official reports in England. Since that period, however, he has been on half-pay.

The slave-dealers of the Gallinas have since, for damages laid at 360,000l., brought actions against Capt. Denman, which, we believe, are still pending, and are defended at the expense of government. This officer, in Dec. 1842, was appointed a Commissioner for drawing up a code of instructions for H.M. ships employed in the suppression of the slave-trade. In 1844, at his own suggestion, the successful anti-slavery plan of operation, now in adoption on the coast of Africa, was put into force. Capt. Denman married, 12 Feb. 1844, Grace, youngest daughter of J. Watts Russell, Esq., of Islam, co. Stafford, and of Biggin Hall, co. Northampton. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.



DENNEHY. (Lieut., 1824. f-p., 25; h-p., 17.)

Lawrence Dennehy entered the Navy, 4 May, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Belliqueux 64, Capt. Hon. Geo. Byng, under whom he served at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope in Jan. 1806, and contributed to the capture and destruction, 27 Nov. following, of a Dutch frigate, seven brigs of war, and about 20 armed and other merchant vessels, in Batavia Roads. From March, 1807, to April, 1811, we next find him attached to the Fox 32, Capts. Hon. Archibald Cochrane, Henry Hart, and Wm. Wells; during which period he witnessed, 11 Dec. 1807, the annihilation at Griessee, in the island of Java, of the dockyard and stores, and of all the men-of-war remaining to Holland in the East Indies, and further officiated in command of a boat at the cutting out of La Caravanne French privateer, of 8 guns, under the batteries at Sapara, 23 March, 1809. On subsequently joining Commodore Wm. Robt. Broughton in the Illustrious 74, Mr. Dennehy served at the capture of Java, where he appears to have been engaged on shore at the storming of Fort Cornells, 26 Aug. 1811. After a prolonged employment in the Illustrious, under Sir Sam. Hood, he returned home with Commodore Broughton, on board the Doris frigate, in Dec. 1812. From that period he did not again go afloat until Aug. 1819; after which, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 21 Jan. 1824, he served, as Admiralty-Midshipman, in the Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, Blossom 24, Capt. Fred. Edw. Venables Vernon, Menai 24, Capt. Fairfax Moresby, and Andromache frigate, Commodore Joseph Noursa, on the Home and Cape stations. Except from 29 June, 1840, to 20 Dec. 1841, when he commanded the Sovereign transport of 398 tons, Lieut. Dennehy has been in the Coast Guard since 12 Jan. 1835.

He married, first, 27 Nov. 1828, Margaret Louisa, only daughter of the late Mr. Thomas, R.N., and niece of John Porter, Esq., of Cove; and, secondly, in 1838, Margaret, daughter of the late D. Donovan,



DENNIS. (Commander, 1841.)

James Samuel Aked Dennis entered the Navy 24 Oct. 1822; passed his examination in 1829; obtained his first commission 28 June, 1838; and was afterwards appointed, 22 Jan. 1839 and 1 March, 1840, to the Hydra and Phoenix steam-vessels, Capts. Anthony Wm. Milward and Robt. Fanshawe Stopford, on the Mediterranean station. For his services as First-Lieutenant of the Phoenix during the operations on the coast of Syria, he was promoted to his present rank 22 Jan. 1841. He has been in command, since 27 Dec. 1845, of the same vessel on the Home and Mediterranean stations.



DENNY. (Lieutenant, 1841.)

Anthony Cuthbert Collingwood Denny entered the Navy 4 April, 1831; passed his examination 6 June, 1838; and for his services as Mate of the Blenheim 72, Capt. Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse, during the war in China, where he was present at the capture of Canton, the storming of

  1. Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1415.