whence, however, he invalided in the ensuing month of July. On that occasion he took a passage home in the Prospect merchantman, of London, and was wrecked in her in the Gulf of Florida. After an interval of half-pay he succeeded, on 16 March, 1831, in obtaining an appointment to the Coast Guard, during his continuance in which service he once, on 22 Feb. 1832, came into conflict with an armed party of smugglers, and was severely wounded. From 27 June, 1832, until the spring of 1834, he successively commanded the Victorine, Sylvia, and Speedy Revenue-cutters, and while in the second named of those vessels he was employed on the river Suir, and obtained the acknowledgments of the Lord-Lieutenant for his exertions in suppressing a combination which had been entered into by the lightermen for the purpose of preventing the colliers from proceeding above the bridge of Waterford. Being advanced, for his services and wounds in the Customs department of the Navy, to the rank of Commander 12 Feb. 1834, and appointed, 2 June following, to the Columbine 18, Capt. Henderson sailed for the Mediterranean, and in the early part of 1835 accompanied the Euphrates expedition, under Lieut.-Colonel Chesney, from Malta to the mouth of the river Orontes. While engaged in superintending its debarkation, his boat upset on the bar of the stream, and, the strength of the current carrying him into the surf beyond all power of assistance from the shore, he was compelled to swim to sea, in the hope that the ships at anchor outside might have observed the accident, and have sent their boats to his rescue, which providentially proved to be the case. The Columbine being paid off in April, 1838, on her return from a successful anti-slavery cruize on the coast of Africa, Capt. Henderson was next appointed, 31 Aug. 1840, to the Vesuvius steam-vessel, and again ordered to the Mediterranean, whither he proceeded, carrying out a detachment of troops to Gibraltar and Malta. For the part he subsequently took in the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre he was advanced to Post-rank by commission dated 4 Nov. 1840, but he did not resign the command of the Vesuvius until 25 March, 1841, previously to which period he had further rendered himself useful to the Commanders of the British and Turkish forces by his transportance of their troops, guns, and stores, and by the assistance he had afforded in filling up the breaches formed in the battlements of Acre. He had also, during the same period, it appears, been of signal aid to the Pique when dismasted off Caiffa, and had conveyed to Malta the despatches announcing the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptians. Since 8 Dec. 1845 Capt. Henderson has been in command of the Sampson steam-frigate, in the Pacific.
He married, first, Jane, only daughter of the late John M‘Cormick, Esq., of the firm of Stirling and Sons, Glasgow, by whom he has issue one daughter; and secondly, 30 Oct. 1841, Frances Maria, eldest daughter of the late Jas. Way, Esq., Captain in the Royal Horse Artillery. By the latter lady Capt. Henderson also has issue. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.
HENDERSON, C.B., K.S.F. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 26; h-p., 13.)
William Honyman Henderson is son of the late Alex. Henderson, Esq., of Sempster, Caithness, N.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 25 Dec. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Hero 74, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, employed on the North Sea and Baltic stations, where, and in South America, he afterwards, until Oct. 1814, served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Ardent 64, Capt. Robt. Honyman, and Aquilon and Ceres frigates, Capts. Wm. Pakenham and Wm. Bowles. He was then for some time employed at Newfoundland in the Plover sloop, Capt. John Skekel; after which he joined the Tonnant 80, bearing the flag of Hon. Sir Alex. Cochrane, and on 14 Dec. 1814, previously to participating in the expedition against New Orleans, assisted in the boats of that ship and of a squadron at the capture, on Lake Borgne, of five American gun-boats under Commander Jones, who did not surrender until, in a severe conflict, he had occasioned the British a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded. Between June, 1815, and Jan. 1820, Mr. Henderson, we find, was next employed, on the Home, and again on the South American stations, as Master’s Mate and Admiralty Midshipman, in the Royal Sovereign 100, Capt. Broughton, Childers 16, Capt. Rich. Wales, Rivoli 74, Capts. Chas. Ogle and Aiskew Paffard Hollis, Dover 28, Capts. John Ross and Chas. Hope Reid, Créole 42, Capts. Wm. Bateman Dashwood and Wm. Bowles, and Superb 74, Capt. Thos. White. On leaving the latter ship he rejoined Capt. Bowles as Acting-Lieutenant on board the Créole, which frigate, however, he quitted soon after his oficial promotion, which took place on 10 of the following May. His next appointments were – in the course of 1824, to the Seringapatam frigate, Albion 74, and Tribune frigate, Capts. Chas. Sotheby, Sir Wm. Hoste, and Gardiner Henry Guion, on the Portsmouth and Lisbon stations – 20 Feb. 1826, to the Forte 44, Capt. Jeremiah Coghlan – 22 March, 1826, to the Blonde 42, Capt. Lord Byron, in the Pacific – 14 Sept. 1827, to the Columbine sloop, Capts. Chas. Crole and John Townshend, on the Halifax station, whence he returned home and was paid off 1 June, 1830 – in March, 1831, to the Barham 50, Capt. Hugh Pigot – and 7 May, 1831, as First Lieutenant, to the Dublin 50, Capt. Lord Jas. Townshend, with whom he served, again in South America, until 1834, on 2 Oct. in which year the Dublin was put out of commission. Being advanced to the rank of Commander 19 Dec. following, Capt. Henderson, on 9 Sept. 1835, was placed in charge of the Phoenix steamer, and immediately ordered to the coast of Spain, where the importance of his services during the civil war was ultimately acknowledged by his investiture with the second class of the order of San Fernando. He was superseded from the Phoenix on being awarded a Post-commission, dated 27 June, 1838. His next appointment was, 19 June, 1839, to the Gorgon, another steam-vessel, in which he was for three years employed in the Mediterranean – participating during that period in the operations on the coast of Syria, including those against Sidon and St. Jean d’Acre.[1] He was in consequence nominated,a C.B. 18 Dec. 1840. He has been in command, since 25 Aug. 1846, of the Sidon steam-frigate.
Capt. Henderson married, 4Sept. 1844, Elizabeth Martha, relict of his old Captain, Lord Jas. Townshend. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
HENDERSON, C.B., K.H. (Captain, 1815. f-p., 24; h-p., 24.)
William Wilmott Henderson is brother of Lieut. John Henderson, R.N., who was lost in command of the Maria schooner in a hurricane among the Leeward Islands, 16 Oct. 1807; of Benj. W. Henderson, Esq., Admiralty-Midshipman of the Leven, who died on board that ship’s tender, in Delagoa Bay, while employed in surveying the east coast of Africa, in March, 1823; and of Lieut. Rich. Wilmott Henderson, R.N. (1823), who died in 1836. He is nephew, further, of the gallant Capt. David Wilmot, R.N., who was eight times wounded in battle, and closed a distinguished career at St. Jean d’Acre, where he fell in command of the Alliance 36; and cousin of Lieut. John Blackmore, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1799, on board the Royal George 100, Capt. Wm. Domett bearing the flag in the Channel of Lord Bridport; removed, in Oct. 1800, to the Ville de Paris 110; flag-ship on the Mediterranean station of his patron Earl St. Vincent; was subsequently employed for three years and a half on board the Belleisle 74 Capts. John Whitby and Wm. Hargood, under the latter of whom he accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies in pursuit of the combined squadrons and, on his return to the Mediterranean, fought at Trafalgar; and on 26 March, 1806, was promoted,
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1840, p. 2603.
