A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Lancaster, Henry
LANCASTER. (Lieutenant, 1813. f-p., 10; h-p., 32.)
Henry Lancaster, born 12 May, 1791, is youngest son of the Rev. Thos. Lancaster, Rector of Merton, co. Surrey.
This officer entered the Navy, 14 Sept. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., under the especial patronage of Lord Nelson, on board the Victory 100, Capt. Thos. Masterman Hardy, bearing the flag of that distinguished nobleman, under whom he was present in the ensuing action off Cape Trafalgar. After a servitude of two years with Lord Collingwood as Midshipman in the Ocean 98, he joined the Thames 32 in which frigate and the Apollo 38, both commanded by Capt. Bridges Watkinson Taylor, we find him employed, chiefly on the Mediterranean station, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 20 Oct. 1813. While in the latter ship Mr. Lancaster served in her boats, with those of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour, on the night of 31 Oct. 1809, at the capture and destruction, notwithstanding a fearful struggle and a loss to the British of 15 men killed and 55 wounded, of the French store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grondeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous strong batteries in the Bay of Rosas.[1] He assisted also in capturing, 13 Feb. 1812, the French frigate-built store-ship Mérinos, of 20 guns and 26 men 126 men [errata 1], under the batteries of Corsica, and, on 20 of the following Sept., the national xebec Ulysse of 6 guns.[2] He was further, it appears, present at the reduction, in Jan. and Feb. 1813, of the islands of Angusta and Curzola, as well as on shore, as a volunteer, in 1813, at the siege of Trieste, where he was slightly wounded, and, by his conduct, obtained the thanks of Rear-Admiral Thos. Fras. Fremantle, and a particular letter of introduction from that officer to Sir Sidney Smith, to whose flag-ship he had been appointed. During the term of his attachment to the Apollo Mr. Lancaster, we must too record, was twice the instrument of preserving life by his intrepidity in jumping overboard, once in the Adriatic, and another time, at night near Malta. In Nov. 1813, a short time after he had joined Sir Sidney Smith, our officer found himself appointed to the Prince of Wales 98, Capt. John Erskine Douglas; in which ship he had an opportunity of sharing in Sir Edw. Pellew’s second partial action with the Toiilon fleet, and of witnessing the fall of Genoa and Savona. His last appointment was, 10 Sept. 1814, to the Myrtle 18, Capt. Arthur Batt Bingham, with whom he served at Cork until 30 Nov. 1815.
He married, in May, 1823, and has issue. Agents – Case and Loudonsack.