A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Handley, John William Henry
HANDLEY. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)
John William Henry Handley entered the Navy, 2 March, 1805, as Third-cl. Vol., on board the Puissant 74, Capt. John Irwin, lying at Portsmouth; and on 4 of the following Nov., having joined the Namur 74, Capt. Lawrence Wm. Halsted, was present in Sir John Strachan’s action off Ferrol. After that event he served, until July, 1807, in the West Indies, and on the African and American stations. He then removed, as Midshipman, to the Valiant 74, Capts. Young, Alex. Robt. Kerr, John Bligh, John Nash, and Robt. Dudley Oliver; in which ship, under Capt. Bligh, he assisted at the destruction of the French squadron in Aix Roads in April, 1809, and at the capture, near Belleisle, 3 Feb. 1810, of the French 40-gun frigate Cannonière, laden with the spoil of the principal prizes which the enemy had taken in the East Indies during the three preceding years. He also, while borne on the books of the Valiant, commanded a gun-boat during the operations of 1809 against the island of Walcheren. On leaving the last-mentioned ship, Mr. Handley, in Dec. 1811, joined the Bellerophon 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John Ferrier off the Texel, where he served until Nov. 1812. Becoming Master’s Mate, in March, 1813, of the San Josef 110, flag-ship in the Mediterranean of Sir Rich. King, he there, on 5 Nov. in the same year, and 13 Feb. 1814, witnessed Sir Edw. Pellew’s two actions with the Toulon fleet; after which, on being transferred to the Cyane, of 32 guns and 171 men, Capt. Gordon Thos. Falcon, he was on board that vessel when captured, 20 Feb. 1815, together with her consort, the Levant, of 20 guns and 131 men, by the United States frigate Constitution, of 54 guns and 469 men, at the close of a desperate conflict in which the Cyane sustained a loss of 6 men killed and 13 wounded. He was soon, however, restored to liberty, and, on his arrival in England, found that he had been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission bearing date 7 Feb. 1815. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.