A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Davenport, Salusbury Pryce
DAVENPORT, formerly Humphreys, Kt., C.B., K.C.H. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1840.)
Sir Salusbury Pryce Davenport was born, 24 Nov. 1778, at Clungunford Rectory, near Ludlow, and died, 17 Nov. 1845, at Cheltenham. He was third son of the Rev. Evan Humphreys, Rector of Montgomery and of Clungunford, by Mary, daughter, and coheir, with her sister, of the Rev. Salusbury Pryce, D.D.; and brother of the late Rev. Dr. Trevor, Prebendary of Chester. Sir Salusbury assumed the surname of Davenport in 1838, on succeeding, through his wife, to the Davenport estates of Bramall, in Cheshire. This officer entered the Navy, 1 July, 1790, as Midshipman, on board the Ardent 64, Capt. Jas. Vashon; served next in the West Indies, with Sir John Laforey and Capts. Matthew Squire and Fras. Laforey, in the Trusty 50, Solebay 32, and Fairy sloop; escorted Lord Dorchester, in 1794, to Quebec in the Severn 44, Capt. Paul Minchin; and, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 27 Jan. 1797, further served, in the Leeward Islands, under the latter officer and his successor, Capt. Matthew Henry Scott, on board the Hebe 38. Mr. Humphreys, who subsequently co-operated in the reduction of Ste. Lucie, returned to England, in April, 1797, in the Fury, which sloop had been appointed to bring home the despatches relative to the unsuccessful attack on Puerto Rico. While next attached to the Juno 32, he took command, 12 Aug. 1799, of the Undaunted, a schuyt armed with 2 24-pounder carronades, which he had recently cut out; and, assisted by the Crash gun-boat, and by the launches of the Latona and Pylades, took a 6-gun battery at Schiermonikoog, on the coast of Holland, where he also brought out 13 of the enemy’s vessels, and caused the destruction of the Vengeance schooner, of 6 guns and 70 men. After the ensuing occupation of the Helder, Lieut. Humphreys joined the Isis 50, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Mitchell, whom he accompanied up the Zuyder Zee in the Babet of 20 guns. On his removal to the Stag cutter, we next find him, on the night of 7 July, 1800, supporting Capt. Henry Inman in an attempt to destroy four French frigates in Dunkerque, on which occasion La Désirée, of 40 guns and 350 men, fell into the hands of the British. He was afterwards, while serving with Sir Andrew Mitchell in the Windsor Castle 74, promoted to the rank of Commander, 29 April, 1802; and posted, while commanding the Prospero bomb, at Portsmouth, 8 May, 1804. In May, 1806, Capt. Humphreys was appointed to the Leander 50, on the Halifax station, where, shortly after his arrival, he removed to the Leopard, of similar force, flag-ship of the Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley, who, however, chiefly resided on shore. On 22 June, 1807, being off Cape Henry, he fell in with the American frigate Chesapeake of 46 guns; and, pursuant to the orders of his Commander-in-Chief, proceeded to search that vessel for deserters. The attempt meeting with resistance, Capt. Humphreys, finding it impossible otherwise to fulfil the instructions he had received, eventually fired three broadsides, which killed 3 and wounded 18 of the Chesapeake’s people; whereupon the latter ship struck her colours. The search was then carried into effect, and four of the runaway seamen discovered and identified; after which the Leopard made sail, and returned to the squadron she had recently left. Capt. Humphreys’ conduct throughout the whole transaction met with the warm approval of Vice-Admiral Berkeley; but that officer, in order to propitiate the Americans, to whom the affair had given the utmost offence, was recalled in 1808. The subject of this memoir was at the same time placed on half-pay, and not afterwards employed. He attained Flag-rank 17 Aug. 1840.
The Rear-Admiral, who acted as magistrate for the counties of Buckingham, Chester, Derby, Lancaster and Gloucester, was nominated a C.B. 26 Sept. 1831, and on 21 Feb. 1834, received the honour of Knighthood and the Insignia of a K.C.H. He married first, in 1805, Jane Elizabeth, eldest daughter and heir of John Tirel Morin, Esq., of Weedon Lodge, Bucks. That lady dying in 1808, he wedded, secondly, 31 May, 1810, Maria, daughter and heir of Wm. Davenport, Esq., of Bramall Hall. By the former marriage he had issue one son, now in Holy Orders : he has left, by the second, with two daughters, five sons, all of whom are in the army.