A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Layton, Henry
LAYTON. (Captain, 1846. f-p., 16; h-p., 19.)
Henry Layton, born 2 Feb. 1799, at Chigwell, co. Essex, is second son of the Rev. Thos. Layton, M.A., Vicar of that place and of Theydon Bois, and a magistrate for the above co.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 May, 1812, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Barfleur 98, Capt. Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy, whom he followed aa Midshipman in the ensuing Sept. into the Ramillies 74. While in that ship, besides serving at the capture of Washington, Baltimore, and Stonington, and participating in the operations against New Orleans, he assisted in the boats of a squadron at the taking, 14 Dec. 1814, on Lake Borgne, of five American gun-boats under Commodore Jones, which did not surrender until the British, after a violent conflict, had been occasioned a loss of 17 men killed and 77 wounded. From Nov. 1815, when he left the Ramillies, until Dec. 1818, Mr. Layton was employed on the Home station in the Malta 80, and Rivoli 74, both commanded by the present Sir Chas. Ogle, and Rosario 10, Capt. Thos. Ladd Peake. He shortly afterwards passed his examination; and was then for nearly three years and a half stationed in South America, once more under Sir T. M. Hardy, in the Superb 78, Créole 42, and again in the Superb. He was during that period promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 2 Nov. 1821. His next appointment was, 9 June, 1824, to the Bulwark 76, Capt. Thos. Dundas, guard-ship at Plymouth, where he was paid off 28 Feb. 1825. Attaining the rank of Commander 10 June following, Capt. Layton was in that capacity employed in the Coast Guard at Killybegs and Gosport from 30 June, 1834, until 26 July, 1837; and on 19 April, 1844, appointed to the Cygnet 6, in which sloop he sailed for the suppression of the slave-trade on the coast of Africa, carrying out Mr. Duncan, the African traveller, to Cape Coast, on his way to the Niger, together with presents for the chiefs of the Cameroon river. He was superseded in Feb. 1846; was advanced to his present rank on 9 Nov. in the same year; and since 12 of that month has been in command of the Belvidera store-ship.
Capt. Layton married, 16 May, 1839, Charlotte Elizabeth, second daughter of the Rev. Edw. Barnard, Rector of Alverstoke, Hants.