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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Cary, Henry

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1651935A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Cary, HenryWilliam Richard O'Byrne

CARY. (Retired Commander, 1843. f-p., 15; h-p., 33.)

Henry Cary died in the early part of 1847.

This officer entered the Navy, 7 Sept. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Penguin 18, Capt. Bendall Robert Littlehales, on the Irish station; became Midshipman, in 1800, of the Sophie sloop, Capt. Geo. Burdett, whom he accompanied to Newfoundland; and, on removing to the Resistance 36, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse, was wrecked, off Cape St. Vincent, 31 May, 1803. He then joined the Victory 100, bearing the flag of Lord Nelson, and remained in that ship – participating intermediately in the pursuit of the Franco-Spanish fleet to the West Indies, and in the battle of Trafalgar – until Jan. 1806. After a further attachment to the Ocean 98, Capt. Thos. Bowen, and Egyptienne, Revolutionnaire, and Cambrian frigates, commanded, the first and last by the Hon. Chas. Paget, and the second by Capt. Chas. Feilding, on the Home station, Mr. Gary was promoted, 13 July, 1807, to a Lieutenancy in the Inflexible 64, Capt. Joshua Rowley Watson, one of the ships employed in the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen, where he served on shore as Major of Brigade, and acquired much credit. His next appointments were, on the West India and Mediterranean stations – 21 Dec. 1807, to the Cherub sloop, Capts. Geo. Ravenshaw, Alex. Nesbitt, and Thos. Tudor Tucker – 7 Feb. and 11 April, 1809, to the Ville de Paris 110, and Ocean 98, both commanded by Capt. John Surman Garden – 22 April, 1809, to the Kent 74, Capt. Thos. Rogers – and, 6 April, 1811, again to the Ville de Paris, Capt. Geo. Burlton. On 13 Dec. 1810, he served in the boats of the Kent, with those of a squadron under Capt. Fras. Wm. Fane, at the destruction of a large convoy, protected by two batteries, in the Mole of Falamos, where, out of a body of 600 British officers and men, upwards of 200 were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. Mr. Gary – who afterwards commanded the Kerryhead Signal station at the mouth of the Shannon, from Sept. 1813, to May, 1814 – was lastly appointed, 11 Jan. 1816, First of the Cyrus 20, Capt. Wm. Fairbrother Carroll, with whom he served for some time, on the Irish station, as First Lieutenant. He attained the rank of Retired Commander 10 April, 1843.[1]


  1. Although not employed by the Admiralty after he left the Cyrus, Commander Cary had charge, from 1820 until 1834, of a hired packet under the Post-Office. He has left a widow, a lunatic, and four daughters, one of them married, hut the others (the Commander having lost all his property in the service) totally unprovided for.