A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Henderson, Thomas
HENDERSON. (Capt., 1840. f-p., 27; h-p., 10.)
Thomas Henderson, born in June, 1795, in Scotland, is brother of Jas. Henderson, Esq., Master-Attendant at Plymouth Dockyard.
This officer entered the Navy, 10 May, 1810, as a Volunteer, on board the Pomone 38, Capt. Robt. Barrie, under whom, prior to being wrecked on the Needles Point, 14 Oct. 1811, we find him sharing, as Midshipman, in a gallant action of an hour and a half in Sagone Bay, where the Pomone, in company with the Unité 36, and Scout 18, effectually destroyed, after incurring an individual loss of 2 men killed and 19 wounded, the two armed storeships Giraffe and Nourrice, each mounting from 20 to 30 guns, and protected by a 5-gun battery, a martello tower, and a body of about 200 regular troops. We may add that he was also present at the capture, among other vessels, of one from Salem, the Hercules, on board of which were Lucien Buonaparte and his family. Joining next the Furieuse 36, Capt. Wm. Mounsey, Mr. Henderson served, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate of that frigate, at the blockade of Toulon, the reduction of the island of Ponza and of the town of Via Reggio, the unsuccessful attack upon Leghorn, the occupation of Santa Maria and of the enemy’s other forts in the Gulf of Spezia, and the capture of Genoa and its dependencies. Among the numerous boat affairs in which it was his fortune to participate we may enumerate the cutting-out of a bombard from Sagone Bay; of a xebec, mounting 2 six-pounders, from under the tower and batteries of Orbitello, 7 May, 1813; and, 4 Oct. following (with a loss to the British of 12 men killed and wounded) of a large convoy, protected by the galling fire of two gun-vessels and several batteries in the harbour of Marinelo. The Furieuse being ultimately ordered to North America, Mr. Henderson had the ill luck to be there captured, while detached in a small schooner in the Bay of Fundy, and detained a prisoner-of-war during the winter of 1814-15. In Aug. of the latter year, a few months after he had rejoined the Furieuse, he was received by his old Captain, Robt. Barrie, on board the Dragon 74, from which ship, however, he almost immediately removed to the Rochfort 74, Capt. Sir Arch. Dickson, lying at Portsmouth, where he continued until he was enabled, in June, 1816, to pass his examination. He then served for three months in the Channel, as Mate of the Snapper cutter, Capt. Rich. Steel, on leaving which vessel in the following Oct. he joined, in a similar capacity, and was for more than 13 years employed in, the Prince of Wales Revenue-vessel, Capt. Benj. Oliver. As a reward for the activity of his services during that period, both in the Prince of Wales herself, and in her tender and boats, Mr. Henderson, in Dec. 1829, was appointed, on promotion, to the Winchester 52, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys on the North America and West India station. He was accordingly advanced to the rank of Lieutenant on 2 of the next April, and appointed, about the same period, to the Shannon 46, Capt. Benj. Clement, attached to the force in the West Indies, whence, however, he invalided in the ensuing month of July. On that occasion he took a passage home in the Prospect merchantman, of London, and was wrecked in her in the Gulf of Florida. After an interval of half-pay he succeeded, on 16 March, 1831, in obtaining an appointment to the Coast Guard, during his continuance in which service he once, on 22 Feb. 1832, came into conflict with an armed party of smugglers, and was severely wounded. From 27 June, 1832, until the spring of 1834, he successively commanded the Victorine, Sylvia, and Speedy Revenue-cutters, and while in the second named of those vessels he was employed on the river Suir, and obtained the acknowledgments of the Lord-Lieutenant for his exertions in suppressing a combination which had been entered into by the lightermen for the purpose of preventing the colliers from proceeding above the bridge of Waterford. Being advanced, for his services and wounds in the Customs department of the Navy, to the rank of Commander 12 Feb. 1834, and appointed, 2 June following, to the Columbine 18, Capt. Henderson sailed for the Mediterranean, and in the early part of 1835 accompanied the Euphrates expedition, under Lieut.-Colonel Chesney, from Malta to the mouth of the river Orontes. While engaged in superintending its debarkation, his boat upset on the bar of the stream, and, the strength of the current carrying him into the surf beyond all power of assistance from the shore, he was compelled to swim to sea, in the hope that the ships at anchor outside might have observed the accident, and have sent their boats to his rescue, which providentially proved to be the case. The Columbine being paid off in April, 1838, on her return from a successful anti-slavery cruize on the coast of Africa, Capt. Henderson was next appointed, 31 Aug. 1840, to the Vesuvius steam-vessel, and again ordered to the Mediterranean, whither he proceeded, carrying out a detachment of troops to Gibraltar and Malta. For the part he subsequently took in the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre he was advanced to Post-rank by commission dated 4 Nov. 1840, but he did not resign the command of the Vesuvius until 25 March, 1841, previously to which period he had further rendered himself useful to the Commanders of the British and Turkish forces by his transportance of their troops, guns, and stores, and by the assistance he had afforded in filling up the breaches formed in the battlements of Acre. He had also, during the same period, it appears, been of signal aid to the Pique when dismasted off Caiffa, and had conveyed to Malta the despatches announcing the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptians. Since 8 Dec. 1845 Capt. Henderson has been in command of the Sampson steam-frigate, in the Pacific.
He married, first, Jane, only daughter of the late John M‘Cormick, Esq., of the firm of Stirling and Sons, Glasgow, by whom he has issue one daughter; and secondly, 30 Oct. 1841, Frances Maria, eldest daughter of the late Jas. Way, Esq., Captain in the Royal Horse Artillery. By the latter lady Capt. Henderson also has issue. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.