A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Elton, Henry
ELTON. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 16; h-p., 33.)
Henry Elton is third son of the late Rev. Sir Abraham Elton, Bart., by Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Alderman Sir John Durbin, Kt., an opulent merchant of Bristol; brother of the present Sir Chas. Abraham Elton, Bart, and of Lieut.-Colonel Wm. Elton, of the Dragoon Guards; and brother-in-law of Henry Hallam, Esq., F.R.S., the eminent historian.
This officer entered the Navy, in Feb. 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Centaur 74, Capts. John Markham and Bendall Robt. Littlehales; under the former of whom, after witnessing the surrender of Minorca, he assisted at the destruction, 16 March, 1799, of the Spanish frigate El Guadaloupe of 40 guns. In the course of 1802-3 he successively joined, as Midshipman, the Latona frigate, William store-ship, and Orestes 14, Capts. Frank Sotheron and Thos. Brown; and in 1804 he sailed for the East Indies in the Culloden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew. On his arrival on that station Mr. Elton became Acting-Lieutenant of the Cornwallis 50, Capt. Chas. Jas. Johnston, in which ship, on 11 Nov. 1806, we find him participating in an attack upon the French shipping, in St. Paul’s Bay, Ile Bourbon. Being confirmed in his new rank by commission dated 6 March, 1807, he subsequently rejoined Sir Edw. Pellew, with whom, in the Culloden, after having officiated for some time as Flag-Lieutenant to Vice-Admiral Albemarle Bertie at the Cape, he returned to England in 1809. His latter appointments, we find, were – 24 Jan. 1810, and 26 Jan. and 20 Dec. 1811, to the Dreadnought 98, Boyne 98, and Caledonia 120, flag-ships on the Home and Mediterranean stations of Admirals Thos. Sotheby, Sir Harry Burrard Neale, and Sir Edw. Pellew. On the night of 8 Sept. 1810, Mr. Elton commanded one of the boats of the Dreadnought 98, under Lieut. Thos. Pettman, at the re-capture of a Spanish merchantman among the rocks on the west side of Ushant, a service which was not accomplished without a loss to the British of 6 men killed, 31, including the subject of this notice, wounded, and 6 missijig. In the Caledonia he appears to have been present in two partial actions with the French fleet off Toulon, 5 Nov. 1813, and 13 Feb. 1814. Since the date of his last promotion, 7 June, 1814, Commander Elton has been on half-pay.
He married, 20 July, 1816, Mary, daughter of Sir Fras. Ford, Bart., and widow of Peter Touchet, Esq., by whom he has issue three daughters.