A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Boyes, Henry
BOYES. (Captain, 1842. f-p., 19; h-p., 32.)
Henry Boyes entered the Navy, 1 May, 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Lion 64, Capts. Edm. Crawley, Hen. Inman, Chas. Cobb, and Manley Dixon, and soon afterwards attained the rating of Midshipman. Under the last-named officer he took part, 15 July, 1798, In a brilliant action, off Carthagena, between the Lion and four Spanish frigates of 42 guns each, which terminated in the surrender of one of the latter, the Santa Dorotea; and, on 31 March, 1800, we believe he further assisted, in company with the Penelope and Foudroyant, at the capture, after a tremendous conflict, in which the Lion had 8 men killed and 38 wounded, of Le Guillaume Tell, of 84 guns and 1000 men, having Rear-Admiral Decrès on board. He was then transferred with Capt. Dixon to the Généreux 74, and from that ship, in Nov. following, to the Swiftsure 74, Capt. Benj. Hallowell, with whom, after serving under the flag of Sir Rich. Bickerton at the blockade of Alexandria, he was taken prisoner in a desperate engagement, of more than an hour’s duration, which rendered the Swiftsure a prize-wreck to Rear-Admiral Ganteaume’s squadron of 4 line-of-battle ships, 24 June, 1801. On regaining his liberty, Mr. Boyes, in June, 1802, joined the Kent 74, bearing the flag on the Mediterranean station of Sir R. Bickerton, from whom he received, 1 Oct. following, an order to act as his Flag-Lieutenant, in which rank he was confirmed 14 Jan. 1803. After accompanying the same officer, in a similar capacity, into the Royal Sovereign 100, and Queen 98, he was successively appointed – 29 Oct. 1805, to the Fame 74, Capts. Graham Moore and Bich. Hen. Alex. Bennett, employed in the West Indies, off Newfoundland, and in the Channel, from which ship he invalided in Jan. 1806 – 2 May, 1808, to the Statira 46, Capt. Robt. Howe Bromley, on the Western station – 8 Aug. in the same year, to the Caledonia 120, as Flag-Lieutenant to Lord Gambler, under whom he was present, 11 April, 1809, at the destruction of the French ships in Aix Boads – in May, 1811, and March, 1813, to the Boyne 98, and Ville de Paris 110, as Flag-Lieutenant likewise to Sir Harry Neale, in the Channel – and, 3 Nov. 1813, to the Prince 98, again as Flag-Lieutenant to Admiral Sir Rich. Bickerton, then Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, where he continued until the receipt of his second promotal commission, 11 May, 1815. Capt. Boyes, who remained on half-pay from that period until appointed, 30 Aug. 1841, to the Vixen steam-vessel, on the East India station, was, for his services during the operations on the Yang-tse-Kiang river in China, advanced to Post-rank 23 Dec. 1842.[1] He is at present unemployed. Agent – J. Chippendale.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 3404, 3821.