A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Honyman, Robert
HONYMAN. (Admiral of the Blue, 1847. f-p., 29; h-p., 36.)
Robert Honyman is son of the late Patrick Honyman, Esq. (a descendant of Robert, first Earl of Orkney, natural son of James V. of Scotland), by his second wife, Margaret, daughter of Patrick Sinclair, Esq., of Durwin; half-brother of the late Lord Armadale, one of the Lords of Session, and Justiciary in the Supreme Courts of Scotland; and uncle of the present Sir Ord Honyman, Bart., Lieut.Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, who married a daughter of Admiral Geo. Bowen, of Coton Hall, Salop.
This officer entered the Navy, 20 April, 1782, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Queen, Capt. Patrick Sinclair, stationed in the North Sea, where he removed, with the same Captain, to the Termagant sloop. In Sept. 1783, after he had served for six months with Capt. Benj. Archer in the Unicorn 32, he rejoined him as Midshipman on board the Hyaena 24, on the Irish station; and he was next, from Oct. 1785 until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 21 Oct. 1790, employed, chiefly at home, in the Powerful 74, Capt. Andrew Sutherland, Lowestoffe frigate, Capt. Edm. Dod, Orion 74, Capts. A. Sutherland and Chas. Chamberlayne, Iphigenia frigate, Capt. P. Sinclair, and Regulus 44, Capt. Wm. Mitchell. On the renewal of hostilities in 1793 he obtained an appointment to the Diadem 64, Capts. A. Sutherland and Wm. Smith, and sailed for the Mediterranean, where, after witnessing the occupation of Toulon, he removed in succession to the Berwick 74, Capts. A. Sutherland and Wm. Smith, and St. George 98, flag-ship of Sir Hyde Parker, under whom he was wounded in Hotham’s first partial action, 14 March, 1795.[1] Being awarded (while serving in the Channel on board the Defiance 74, Capt. Theophilus Jones) a second promotal commission 13 Aug. 1796, Capt. Honyman, on 4 May, 1797, assumed command of the Tisiphone sloop, in which, in the course of the same year, he captured the French privateers Le Prospère of 14 guns and 73 men, and Le Cerf Volant, of 14 guns, 6 swivels, and 63 men. He attained Post-rank in the Dortrecht, On the Home station, 10 Dec. 1798, and was subsequently appointed – 16 Oct. 1800, to the Garland 28, in which ship he conveyed Rear-Admiral Robt. Montagu to Jamaica – 19 Oct. 1801, to the Topaze frigate, employed on the latter station, whence he returned towards the close of 1802 – 21 Dec. 1802, to the Leda 38 – 14 March, 1809, to the Ardent 64, attached to the force in the Baltic, on which station he continued until April, 1812 – 1 Jan. and 28 June, 1813, to the Sceptre and Marlborough 74’s, both in North America – and, 11 June, 1814, to the office of Regulating Captain at Portsmouth. When in the Leda, at the commencement of the late war, we find Capt. Honyman stationed on the coast of France, with a small squadron under his orders, for the purpose of obstructing the progress of the enemy’s flotilla from the eastward towards Boulogne. On 29 Sept. 1803 part of his force attacked a division of gun-boats, and drove two on shore, where they were bilged; and on 24 April, 1805, having discovered 26 of the enemy’s vessels rounding Cape Grisnez, he succeeded, during an engagement of about two hours, in cutting off seven schuyts, carrying altogether 18 guns, 1 howitzer, and 168 men, from Dunkerque, bound to Ambleteuse.[2] The Leda afterwards assisted in a conspicuous manner at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope in Jan. 1806[3] – was present at the capture, 21 Feb. and 4 March following, of the Rolla brig and Voluntaire frigate in Table Bay – took an active and zealous share, on accompanying Sir Home Popham to the Rio de la Plata, in all the operations which preceded the evacuation of Spanish America in 1807[4] – formed part of the ensuing expedition to Copenhagen – effected the capture, 4 Dec. 1807, of L’Adolphe privateer, of 18 guns and 70 men – and was finally wrecked, near the entrance of Milford Haven, 31 Jan. 1808. The subject of the present narrative, whom a court-martial acquitted of all blame in the catastrophe, and who has been unemployed since Jan. 1816, became a Rear-Admiral 27 May, 1825, a Vice-Admiral 10 Jan. 1837, and a full Admiral 19 Feb. 1847.
Admiral Honyman was elected M.P. in 1802 for the shires of Orkney and Shetland. He is married.