A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dumaresq, Henry
DUMARESQ. (Commander, 1842. f-p., 20; h-p., 6.)
Henry Dumaresq was born, 28 Sept. 1808, at Jersey, where his father was the late King’s Attorney-General. His brother, Lieut. Don Philip Dumaresq, R.N., died on board H.M.S. Bittern, of African fever, in 1844; and his cousin, Lieut. Philip Dumaresq, R.N., was killed in the Asia, at Navarin. He is a cousin of the present Capt. Rich. Saumarez, R.N.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 6 Sept. 1821; and embarked, 29 Aug. 1823, as a Volunteer, on board the Victor 18, Capt. Thos. Prickett; under whom he was actively employed on boat service against the Ashantees, in 1823-4. Until he passed his examination, 19 July, 1828, he afterwards served, as Midshipman, on the Cape and South American stations, in the Owen Glendower 42, Capt. T. Prickett, Jaseur 18, Capt. Thos. Martin, Blanche 46, Capt. Wm. Bowen Mends, and Maidstone 42, Commodore Wm. Skipsey. He then successively joined, as Mate, the Helicon 10, Capt. Stanhope, Isis 50, Commodore Sir Thos. Staines, Meteor surveying-vessel, Capt. Rich. Copeland, Dee steamer, Capt. Robt. Oliver, Caledonia and Britannia, flag-ships of Sir Josias Rowley and Sir Philip Chas. Durham, Salamander steamer, Capt. Sidney Colpoys Dacres, and Britannia again, bearing the flag of Sir P. Durham. During his attachment to those ships, Mr. Dumaresq appears to have been much employed in the Mediterranean, and also off the north coast of Spain, where, in the Salamander, he was particularly active during the civil war in 1838. He was at length promoted, on 10 Oct. in the latter year, to the rank of Lieutenant, and appointed, 8 Sept. 1839, to the Wolverene 16, Capt. Wm. Tucker. As First-Lieutenant of that vessel he distinguished himself by his conduct in capturing two Spanish slavers up the river Niger; and on a later date he took by assault the island of Corisco, in face of an overwhelming force, and destroyed all the slave-factories there established. On that occasion his party, originally 40 in number, sustained a loss of 10 men killed and wounded. For these services Mr. Dumaresq, who paid the Wolverene off as her Acting-Commander, was ultimately promoted, from the Caledonia 120, flag-ship at Plymouth of Sir Graham Moore, to his present rank 21 March, 1842. He has been in command, since 12 Nov. 1846, of the Seaflower cutter, at Portsmouth.
Commander Dumaresq married, 18 Jan. 1844, his cousin, Anna Susanna, second daughter of Philip Janvrin, Esq., of Jersey, and has issue one son. Agent – J. Hinxman.