A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Harris, Henry
HARRIS. (Retired Commander, 1845. f-p., 12; h-p., 36)
Henry Harris entered the Navy, 3 Dec. 1799; as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ariadne 20, Capt. Jas. Bradley, with whom, after serving for some time in the North Sea, he removed to the Andromeda frigate, and proceeded to the West Indies, where he continued to serve under Capts. Edw. Durnford King and Chas. Fielding, latterly as Midshipman, until Oct. 1802. In March, 1803, a few days after he had been appointed Midshipman of the Déterminée 24, armée en flûte, Capt. Alex. Becher, he had the misfortune to be wrecked off the island of Jersey; owing to which event he next joined the Dreadnought 98, flag-ship off Brest of the Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, commanded subsequently by Capt, John Child Purvis, and also by Capt. Robt. Carthew Reynolds, whom we find him accompanying into the Princess Royal 98. Proceeding in 1805 to the East Indies on board the Greyhound 32, Capt. Chas. Elphinstone, Mr: Harris, in July of the following year, assisted at the destruction of a Dutch armed brig under the fort of Manado, as also of a similar vessel off the island of Tidore and on 28 of the same month he participated in a sharp action which terminated in- the surrender, to the Greyhound and Harrier sloop, of the Pallas frigate and two armed and richly-laden Indiamen. On 10 Jan. 1807, having been for the last four months Master’s-Mate of the Blenheim 74, flagship of Sir Thos. Troubridge, he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Harrier brig, Capt. Justice Finley; which vessel, on 5 of the ensuing month, was in company with the Blenheim and Java frigate in the hurricane which, it is supposed, proved so fatal to those ships. Prior to his official promotion, which took place 16 Aug. 1808, Mr. Harris appears to have been further employed, as Acting-Lieutenant, in the Malabar, Capt. John Temple, and Defiance 74, Capt. John M‘Kerlie. His succeeding appointments were – 12 Sept. 1808, to the Arethusa 38, Capt. Robt. Mends, in the Channel – 11 Jan. 1809 and 2 June, 1810, to the Virginie 38, and Endymion 40, commanded on the Irish station by Capts. Edw. Brace, Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel, and Sir Wm. Bolton – and, 2 Feb. 1813, to the Hamadryad 36, Capt. Edw. Chetham, employed in the Baltic. He went on half-pay 18 Feb. 1814; and accepted his present rank 6 iov. 1845. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell-.