A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Compton, Henry
COMPTON. (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 13; h-p., 45.)
Henry Compton entered the Navy, 26 Jan. 1789, as A.B., on board the Cumberland 74, Capt. John Macbride, lying at Plymouth; and. Until Jan. 1796, afterwards served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Actaeon brig, Capt. Joseph Hanwell, Kite, Lieut.-Commander Wm. Lamb, Romulus 36, Capts. John Sutton and Geo. Hope, Melpomene 44, Capt. Wm. Paterson, Minotaur 74, flagship of Hon. Wm. Waldegrave, Blonde 38, Capt. Wm. Pierrepont, and Britannia 100, and Victory 100, flag-ships of Vice-Admiral Hotham and Sir John Jervis, on the West India and Home stations, as also in the Mediterranean, where, in the Romulus, he beheld the occupation of Toulon in Aug. 1794. Being confirmed, 11 March, 1796, to a Lieutenancy in the Agamemnon 64, Capt. Horatio Nelson, he continued to be employed with that hero in the Captain 74, Theseus 74, Seahorse 38, Vanguard 74, and Foudroyant 80, until 1799; and was consequently present, during that period, – latterly as First-Lieutenant, – at the siege of Porto Ferrajo, the cutting out of four French vessels from under a heavy fire at Loano, the battle of Cape St. Vincent, the attack on Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, the victory of the Nile, and throughout the various operations in the Bay of Naples which led to the restoration of the King of the Two Sicilies. Having been confirmed in the command, 3 Sept. 1799, of the Perseus bomb, he further served at the blockades of Alexandria and Malta, and in many active operations on the coast of Italy, including the reduction of Civita Vecchia. Capt. Compton, who has not been afloat since the peace of Amiens, accepted his present rank 10 Sept. 1840.