25 Sept. 1806, he assisted, in company with the Mars and Monarch 74’s, at the capture of four heavy French frigates, whose resistance was not overcome until the Commodore had lost an arm. Mr. Henderson, who was sent with the despatches announcing the latter event to the fleet off Brest, next accompanied Lord Gambier’s expedition to Copenhagen. On the surrender of Madeira in Dec. 1807, being at the time the Centaur’s First-Lieutenant, he was again entrusted with Sir Sam. Hood’s despatches,[1] and sent with a strong recommendation to England, where, on his arrival, he was presented with a Commander’s commission bearing date 22 Jan. 1808. After an interval of half-pay he was appointed, 13 July, 1809, to the fire-vessel division of the expedition then fitting for the Walcheren, during the operations connected with which we find him frequently distinguishing himself, in particular, however, by the highly satisfactory nature of his conduct, at the destruction, under Capt. Nicholas Tomlinson, of the basin, arsenal, and sea-defences of Flushing on its evacuation by the British.[2] Capt. Henderson, it appears, next, in the course of 1810, joined the Eclipse and Hecate sloops, and Néréide frigate; the latter of which vessels he brought home, after having assisted at the reduction of the Isle of France, and put out of commission in May, 1811. Attaining Post-rank on 1 of the following Aug., he was further appointed, on the East India station – 23 June, 1813, to the Acorn 20 – 20 April, 1814, to the Minden 74, bearing the flag of his friend Sir Sam. Hood – and 14 Jan. 1815, to the Malacca 42. The latter ship, the last he commanded, he paid off in the ensuing July. He accepted Flag-rank 1 Oct. 1846.
The Rear-Admiral married, first, 26 Nov. 1817, Frances, eldest daughter of Edm. Walcott, Esq., of Winkton, near Christchurch, Hants, and sister of Capt. J. E. Walcott, R.N., by whom (who died 1 Dec. 1836) he has issue four sons and two daughters; and, secondly, in 1842, Rachel, relict of R. P. Cazalet, Esq., and only daughter of the Rev. H. Davies, of Ringwood.
HENDERSON. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 31.)
John Henderson (c) entered the Navy, 1 Oct. 1806, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Majestic 74, Capt. Geo. Hart, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell on the North Sea station, where, and on the Baltic, he served in the same ship, chiefly as Midshipman, until Jan. 1810. He then in succession joined the Impérieuse 38, Capts. Thos. Garth and Hon. Henry Duncan, Rodney 74, and Ville de Paris 110, both commanded by Capt. Geo. Burlton, Cossack 22, Capts. Thos. Garth and Geo. Price, Vigo 74, flag-ship of Sir Jas. Nicoll Morris, Illustrious 74, Capt. Alex. Skene, Prince 98, Capt. Geo. Fowke, Ariel 16, Capt. Dan. Ross, and St. Lawrence 98, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Edw. W. C. B. Owen, on the Mediterranean, Baltic, Portsmouth, African, and Canadian Lake stations. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 10 March, 1815, and on leaving the St. Lawrence was appointed to the Prince Regent 56, in which vessel, commanded by Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, he remained on the Lakes of Canada until Nov. 1816. He has since been on half-pay.
HENDERSON. (Lieutenant, 1822. f-p., 16; h-p., 24.)
John Henderson (d) entered the Navy, 23 Oct. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Experiment packet, Lieut.-Commander Fegen, employed on the Falmouth station. On being appointed, early in 1809, Midshipman of the Mercurius sloop, Capt. Thos. Renwick, we find him, in the course of that year, cruizing in the North Sea and Baltic, then visiting the north coast of Spain, and finally attending the expedition to the Walcheren. From Feb. 1810 until Sept. 1815 Mr. Henderson, besides making a voyage to Rio de Janeiro and the Cape of Good Hope, served on the stations above alluded to, principally as Master’s Mate, in the Impétueux 74, Capts. John Lawford, David Milne, Chas. Inglis, and Chas. Philip Butler Bateman, and Niger 38, Capt. Peter Rainier. He was then employed for nearly two years in North America as Admiralty-Midshipman of the Pactolus 38, Capt. Wm. Hugh Dobbie, and was afterwards appointed, in a similar capacity – 10 Aug. 1817, to the Ramillies 74, Capt., Thos. Boys, on the Home station – 12 Sept. 1818, to the Severn frigate, Coast Blockade depot, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch – and, 11 Feb. 1821, to the Fury bomb, Capt. Wm. Edw. Parry, whom he accompanied in his second north-west passage explorative mission, returning with him to England in the autumn of 1823. Since that date Mr. Henderson, who had been advanced to his present rank on 26 Dec. in the preceding year, has been on half-pay.
HENDERSON. (Capt., 1840. f-p., 27; h-p., 10.)
Thomas Henderson, born in June, 1795, in Scotland, is brother of Jas. Henderson, Esq., Master-Attendant at Plymouth Dockyard.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 May, 1810, as a Volunteer, on board the Pomone 38, Capt. Robt. Barrie, under whom, prior to being wrecked on the Needles Point, 14 Oct. 1811, we find him sharing, as Midshipman, in a gallant action of an hour and a half in Sagone Bay, where the Pomone, in company with the Unité 36, and Scout 18, effectually destroyed, after incurring an individual loss of 2 men killed and 19 wounded, the two 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. We may add that he was also present at the capture, among other vessels, of one from Salem, the Hercules, on board of which were Lucien Buonaparte and his family. Joining next the Furieuse 36, Capt. Wm. Mounsey, Mr. Henderson served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate of that frigate, at the blockade of Toulon, the reduction of the island of Ponza and of the town of Via Reggio, the unsuccessful attack upon Leghorn, the occupation of Santa Maria and of the enemy’s other forts in the Gulf of Spezia, and the capture of Genoa and its dependencies. Among the numerous boat affairs in which it was his fortune to participate we may enumerate the cutting-out of a bombard from Sagone Bay; of a xebec, mounting 2 six-pounders, from under the tower and batteries of Orbitello, 7 May, 1813; and, 4 Oct. following (with a loss to the British of 12 men killed and wounded) of a large convoy, protected by the galling fire of two gun-vessels and several batteries in the harbour of Marinelo. The Furieuse being ultimately ordered to North America, Mr. Henderson had the ill luck to be there captured, while detached in a small schooner in the Bay of Fundy, and detained a prisoner-of-war during the winter of 1814-15. In Aug. of the latter year, a few months after he had rejoined the Furieuse, he was received by his old Captain, Robt. Barrie, on board the Dragon 74, from which ship, however, he almost immediately removed to the Rochfort 74, Capt. Sir Arch. Dickson, lying at Portsmouth, where he continued until he was enabled, in June, 1816, to pass his examination. He then served for three months in the Channel, as Mate of the Snapper cutter, Capt. Rich. Steel, on leaving which vessel in the following Oct. he joined, in a similar capacity, and was for more than 13 years employed in, the Prince of Wales Revenue-vessel, Capt. Benj. Oliver. As a reward for the activity of his services during that period, both in the Prince of Wales herself, and in her tender and boats, Mr. Henderson, in Dec. 1829, was appointed, on promotion, to the Winchester 52, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys on the North America and West India station. He was accordingly advanced to the rank of Lieutenant on 2 of the next April, and appointed, about the same period, to the Shannon 46, Capt. Benj. Clement, attached to the force in the West Indies,
