A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Butler, Humphrey
BUTLER. (Commander, 1839. f-p.,19; h-p.,16.)
Humphrey Butler entered the Navy, 12 March, 1812, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Royal Oak 74, flag-ship successively of Rear- Admirals Lord Amelius Beauclerk and Pulteney Malcolm. He attained the rating of Midshipman in May, 1813; and after serving for some time in the North Sea, off the Western Islands, and in Basque Roads, accompanied Rear-Admiral Malcolm to North America, where we find him actively employed during the operations against Washington and Baltimore, the attack on New Orleans, and the reduction of Fort Bowyer. From Sept. 1815, to Sept. 1818, he next served in the Ister 42, Capt. Thos. Forrest, in the Mediterranean, along the coast of Scotland, and off Newfoundland. He joined, in Aug. 1820, the Leander,60, bearing the flag in the East Indies of Hon. Henry Blackwood; received an order to act as Lieutenant of the Topaze frigate, Capts. John Rich. Lumley, Chas. Richardson, and Price Blackwood, 14 March, 1821; and, on 11 Dec. following, was confirmed. About the same period, Mr. Butler took part, during a visit to China with Capt. Richardson, in a very severe dispute between the natives and the British, on the amicable settlement of which, however, he returned home and was paid off towards the close of 1822. His subsequent appointments, as Lieutenant, appear to have been – 18 Nov. 1824, to the Ocean 80, Capt. Lucius Ferdinand Hardyman, flag-ship afterwards of Lord Amelius Beauclerk, off Lisbon – 9 Jan. 1827, to the Spartiate 76, Capt. Fred. Warren, on the same station – 28 Oct. 1830, to the Tyne 28, Capt. Chas. Hope, in South America, where he was superseded in, we believe, Sept. 1832 – and, 5 May, 1836, to the Royal Adelaide 104, as Flag-Lieutenant to his patron, Lord Amelius Beauclerk, then Commanderin-Chief at Plymouth. At the expiration of the latter officer’s term of service he was advanced to his present rank by commission dated 4 May, 1839. He has not since been employed. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.