A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Harnage, George
HARNAGE, Bart., formerly Blackman. (Commander, 1820. f-p., 12; h-p., 28.)
Sir George Harnage, born 19 July, 1792, is eldest son of the late Sir Geo. Harnage, Bart., by Mary, eldest surviving daughter of Henry Harnage, Esq., of Belswardyne, co. Salop, Lieut.-Colonel in the Army, who served as Major of the 62nd Regt., under General Burgoyne, during the first American war, and was severely wounded at the battle of Freeman’s Farm 19 Sept. 1777. Sir George (whose brother, Capt. John Lucie Blackman, of the Coldstream Guards, fell at Waterloo) assumed the name of Harnage in 1821; and succeeded his father, as second Baronet, 19 Nov. 1836.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 May, 1807, as Midshipman, on board the Hibernia 120, flag-ship in the Channel and off Brest of Sir Jas. Saumarez. Removing, in July following, to the Penelope 36, Capt. John Dick, he was for some time employed at the blockade of Ferrol; after which he visited North America and the West Indies, and in Feb. 1809 was present at the capture of Martinique. Having been further attached for three years to the Defiance 74, commanded in the North Sea and Baltic by Capt. Rich. Raggett, he had the fortune, on 12 Aug. 1813, to be awarded a Lieutenant’s commission. His subsequent appointments were – 4 Feb. 1814, to the Hamadryad 36, Capt. Edw. Chetham, stationed off Newfoundland, where, in the following Sept., that vessel suffered so severely from the effects of a hurricane as to necessitate her being in a few months broken up – 11 April, 1815, to the Boyne 98, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Israel Pellew, Captain of the Mediterranean fleet, in which capacity he officiated until 29 June, 1816 – and, 4 Aug. 1818, to the Salisbury 58, bearing the successive flags in the Leeward Islands of Rear-Admirals Donald Campbell and Wm. Chas. Fahie. While in the latter ship, in Sept. 1819, Mr. Blackman, being at the time at anchor in the harbour of the island of St. Thomas, was again present in a hurricane of so fearful a nature that on the following morning the wrecks of 96 vessels were counted, independently of numerous others which had foundered – the Salisbury, indeed, out of 115 sail, being the only ship left afloat. He obtained command of the Raleigh sloop 16 Aug. 1820, and continued to serve in the West Indies until the close of 1821, when he returned to England with a freight of 320,000 dollars. He was paid off 14 Jan. 1822, and has not since been afloat.
Sir Geo. Hamage married, 26 Jan. 1826, Caroline Helena, youngest daughter of Bartlett Goodrich, Esq., of Saling Grove, Great Saling, co. Essex, and by that lady has issue an only son. Agent – J. Chippendale.