A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Boteler, Henry
BOTELER. (Commander, 1819. f-p., 25; h-p., 18.)
Henry Boteler, born 15 Feb. 1793, is member of a family of very ancient standing in co. Kent, and eldest surviving son of the late Wm. Boteler, Esq., F.S.A., of Eastry, by his second wife, Mary, daughter of Capt. John Harvey, R.N., who was mortally wounded in command of the Brunswick 74, on the memorable 1st of June, 1794. He is brother of Commander J. H. Boteler, R.N. – of the late Commander Thos. Boteler, R.N., who died, 28 Nov. 1829, while commanding the Hecla surveying-vessel on the coast of Africa – of the late Lieut.-Col. Rich. Boteler, R.E., an officer who served throughout the whole of the Peninsular war – and of Capt. Robt. Boteler, R.E.; nephew of the late Admiral Sir John Harvey, K.C.B., the late Vice-Admiral Sir Thos. Harvey, K.C.B., and the present Capt. Edw. Harvey, R.N.; and cousin of Commanders Henry, John, and Thomas Harvey, R.N. His half-brother, Wm. Fuller Boteler, Esq., Q.C., is a Bencher of Lincoln’s Inn, Recorder of the City of Canterbury the towns and ports of Sandwich, Hythe, and New Romney, and the borough of Deal, and Steward of the town of Fordwich.
This officer entered the Navy, 4 Oct. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Agamemnon 64, commanded by his uncle, Capt. John Harvey, with whom he was present, as Midshipman, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, 22 July, 1805. He continued to be employed under the same officer (with the exception of a period of 17 months, from Jan. 1808, to June, 1809, when he appears to have been doing duty on board the Orion 74, Capt. Archibald Collingwood Dickson, on the Baltic station) in the Canada and Leviathan 74’s, and as Master’s Mate, in the Royal Sovereign 100, in the West Indies and Mediterranean. On the latter station, in the Leviathan, one of a squadron under Sir Geo. Martin, he witnessed the destruction, 26 Oct. 1809, of the French line-of-battle ships Robuste and Lion; and, in the Royal Sovereign, he assisted at the blockade of Toulon in 1811. Mr. Boteler, who next joined the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew, received a commission appointing him to that ship, 18 Sept. 1812. He subsequently became attached, 22 Oct. following, to the Scout 18, Capts. Alex. Renton Sharpe and Benj. Crispin, on the Mediterranean station – 6 Sept. 1813, as First-Lieutenant, to the Nautilus 18, Capt. Thos. Dench, similarly employed – in Dec. of the same year, to the Eclair 18, Capt. John Bellamy, on the Irish station – and, 22 Aug. 1815, as Senior, to the Antelope 50, from which ship, after serving for three years in the Leeward Islands under the flag of his relative, Rear Admiral J. Harvey, he was paid off in April, 1819. Commander Boteler, who was promoted to the rank he now holds 12 Aug. ensuing, was afterwards employed for three years, from 20 June, 1833, until 1836, in the Coast-Guard. He also held, as Additional-Commander of the Tmraire and Ocean guard-ships at Sheerness, the Superintendence of the Packet Establishment at Dover, from 16 Sept. 1837, until the summer of 1841; and from 17 Aug. in that year until the close of 1846, he was again occupied as an Inspecting Commander in the Coast Guard.
He married, 1 Dec. 1829, Henrietta, daughter of the late Allan Bellingham, Esq., and niece of the late Sir Wm. Bellingham, Bart., of Castle Bellingham, by whom he has issue a daughter.