A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dent, William Dent
DENT, formerly Hedley. (Lieutenant, 1825. f-p., 16; h-p., 21.)
William Dent Dent, born 18 April, 1796, is only son of the late Matthew Hedley, Esq., by Jane Charlton, of the family of Charlton of Lee Hall, co. Northumberland, great-niece of Sir Wm. Lorraine, of Kirke-Harle. He assumed his present surname, in lieu of his patronymic, Hedley, on succeeding, in 1831, to the property of his great-uncle, John Dent, Esq., of Shortflatt Tower, in the above county.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 June, 1810, as Midshipman, on board the Rifleman 18, Capts. Alex. Innes and Joseph Pearce, employed on the Home and American stations. On one occasion, when off the Penobscot, he contrived, in a tender, with only four men, to capture one of the enemy’s heavily laden ships; but he had scarcely despatched his prize to New Brunswick, when he had the misfortune to be himself taken captive. He soon, however, effected his escape; and, in Oct. 1814, joined the Royal Oak 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Pulteney Malcolm, whom he accompanied in the expedition to New Orleans; where he commanded the ship’s cutter at the disembarkation of the troops, and was in immediate attendance on the last-mentioned officer, and also on Major-General Keane. While co-operating with the army on shore, he fell in at night with a body of Americans, and, being again taken prisoner, was sent 400 miles up the Mississippi. On being eventually exchanged, Mr. Dent returned home, and in Sept. 1815 joined the Alert 18, Capt. John Smith, with whom he served for three years on the east coast of England. Having passed his examination in June, 1816, he was next successively appointed Admiralty-Midshipman and Mate, on the Downs and Mediterranean stations, of the Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, Cambrian 48, Capt. Gawen Wm. Hamilton, and Euryalus 42, Capt. Augustus Wm. Jas. Clifford. While in the Cambrian, in 1820-3, Mr. Dent escorted Lord Strangford to Constantinople, and was stationed in the Archipelago at the commencement of the revolution in Greece. On obtaining his commission, which bears date 14 Feb. 1825, he joined the Sybille 48, Capt. Sam. John Pechell; with whom he continued until April, 1826. He then returned to England, and has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Dent is in the commission of the peace for co. Northumberland. He married, 12 May, 1840, Ellen Mary, daughter of Andrew Seton Kerr, Esq., of Kippilow, co. Roxburgh, by whom he has issue a son and two daughters.