A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Heathcote, Henry
HEATHCOTE, Kt. (Admiral of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 18; h-p.,39.)
Sir Henry Heathcote, born 20 Jan. 1777, is fourth son of the late Sir Wm. Heathcote, Bart., of Hursley Park, near Winchester, M.P. for co. Hants, by Frances, daughter and co-heir of John Thorpe, Esq., of Embley, co. Hants; and brother of the late Capt. Gilbert Heathcote, R.N. (1806).
This officer entered the Navy, 3 July, 1790, on board the Captain 74, Capt. Arch. Dickson, stationed in the Channel, where, and in the West Indies and Mediterranean, he was employed, during the six following years, in the Colossus 74, Capt. Henry Harvey, Proserpine frigate, Capt. Jas. Alms, America 74, Capt. Hon. John Rodney, Inconstant 36, Capt. Augustus Montgomery, Egmont 74, Capt. Arch. Dickson, Princess Royal 98, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Sam. Cranston Goodall, Cyclops frigate, Capt. Wm. Hotham, Windsor Castle 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Robt. Mann, Amphion 32, Capt. Israel Pellew, Goliath 74, Capt. Sir Chas. Henry Knowles, and Victory 100, flag-ship of Sir John Jervis. He served on shore, while in the Egmont, at the reduction of Corsica in 1794; and on 14 March and 13 July, 1795, he was present, as Midshipman of the Princess Royal, and Master’s Mate of the Cyclops, in Admiral Hotham’s partial actions. On 19 Sept. 1796 Mr. Heathcote was confirmed a Lieutenant in the Britannia 100, Capt. Thos. Foley, in which ship, and the Meleager frigate, he further served in the Mediterranean, until nominated, 5 June, 1797, Acting-Commander of the Alliance store-ship – an appointment sanctioned by the Admiralty on 11 of the following Aug. From the latter vessel, then at Lisbon, he was removed, 7 Nov. 1797, to the Captaincy, by an order from his Admiral, of the Romulus 36, which frigate he paid off shortly after his official advancement, 5 Feb. 1798, to Post-rank. Capt. Heathcote’s subsequent appointments were – 4 April, 1803, to the Galatea 32, employed at first on the coast of Ireland, and then in convoying a fleet of 150 sail to the West Indies, where, during a continuance of many months, he performed much valuable service, and gave proofs not only of great seamanship, but of more than ordinary gallantry, always seeking opportunities of distinction, and on one occasion actually bidding defiance to two first-class French frigates, lying in Basseterre, Guadeloupe – 19 April, 1805, by exchange, to the Désirée 36, for a passage to England, whither he escorted a convoy of 101 sail – 21 March, 1807, to the Sea Fencibles in the Isle of Wight – and, 13 Feb. 1808, and 28 April, 1812, to the Lion 64, and Scipion 74. In the former of those ships he immediately sailed, in charge of 14 Indiamen, for Bengal and China, and in many instances during his sojourn in the East did he again display the character of an efficient and spirited officer. On his first arrival there, after having parted company with the Bengal division of the convoy, he volunteered to conduct the remainder to their destination, notwithstanding that a French squadron, consisting of three sail of the line, had been reported (although, as it was subsequently discovered, erroneously) to have just before passed through the straits of Malacca into the China sea. After remaining for some time at Chuenpee with two frigates under his orders, and arranging, by his firmness, a dispute which had arisen between the natives and a select committee of Hon. Company’s supercargoes, Capt. Heathcote returned with the trade to England. As soon as his ship had been re-fitted, he was again ordered to India, and directed to convey to Persia their Excellencies Sir Gore Ouseley and Mirza Abdul Hassan, the Persian ambassador. When afterwards at Bombay, in June, 1811, Capt. Heathcote, owing to the absence of Commodore Broughton, the Commander-in-Chief, on the expedition to Java, was induced to open a set of despatches from England, from whose contents he learnt that a large force from France might reasonably be expected to be on its way to Java, for the purpose of defeating any attack on that settlement. From a feeling of zeal for the public service, which was subsequently approved by court-martial, Capt. Heathcote at once left his station for the purpose of communicating the intelligence to Commodore Broughton, and, in so doing, actually surrendered his right to a freight from China to India, worth the sum to him of at least 10,000l. On his return to England, after the subjugation of Java, and his appointment to the Scipion, our officer joined the fleet in the Mediterranean, where, in the autumn of 1813, he assumed command of the in-shore squadron off Toulon, and conspicuously participated, on 5 Nov. in that year, in Sir Edw. Pellew’s skirmish with the enemy’s fleet. On the conclusion of the war he was sent with four sail of the line to Marseilles, for the purpose of thence conveying the British prisoners of war to Port Mahon. He was paid off in Oct. 1814, and has not been since employed. He became a Rear-Admiral 27 May, 1825; a Vice-Admiral 10 Jan. 1837; and a full Admiral 9 Nov. 1846.
Sir Henry Heathcote (upon whom, at the joint request of the diplomatic personages he had formerly conveyed to Persia, the honour of Knighthood was conferred 20 July, 1819) had the satisfaction, during the term of his career afloat, frequently to receive the thanks of the Directors of the Hon.E.I.Co., the Governor in Council of Bombay, the West India merchants, and the Committee at Lloyd’s. In 1823 he took out a patent for an improvement of the stay-sails between the masts of ships and other square-rigged vessels, and the better security of the masts; and in 1824 he published a treatise on the subject, which was by permission dedicated to the King. The plan, we understand, was tried on board two frigates, and reported to the Admiralty as worthy of its acceptance. Sir Henry Heathcote married, 10 Nov. 1799, Sarah Elizabeth, daughter of Thos. Guscott, Esq., many years Naval Storekeeper afloat at Sheerness, by whom he has issue, living, three sons (the eldest in the army) and seven daughters. His second son, Henry, a Major in the 88th Foot, died in 1829. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.