A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Proby, Henry Joshua Philadelphia
PROBY. (Retired Commander, 1845. f-p., 14; h-p., 34.)
Henry Joshua Philadelphia Proby was born 22 Aug. 1785, at Stratford, St. Mary, co. Suffolk. He is a distant cousin of Rear-Admiral Hon. G. L. Proby.
This officer entered the Navy, 22 Aug. 1799, as a Supernumerary, on board the Scorpion sloop, Capt. Chas. Tinling, lying in Yarmouth Roads, for the purpose of joining the Circe 28, into which ship he was received, 14 Sept. following, from the Isis 50, bearing the flag of Sir Andw. Mitchell, at the time employed in fitting out the Dutch fleet that had just surrendered. After serving in the Circe up the river Elbe and in the North Sea, he removed, with Capt. Winthrop, as Midshipman, in Feb. 1800, to the Stag 32. Prior to that ship being wrecked, a catastrophe which took place in Vigo Bay 6 Sept. in the same year, he cruized with much activity and assisted in landing the troops during the expedition to Ferrol. On his return to England in the London 98, Capt. John Child Purvis, Mr. Proby Joined the Impétueux 74, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew, under whom he served at the blockade of Brest, and was for eight months, including the severe winter of 1801-2, employed in watching the enemy’s squadron at Rochefort. The Impétueux being paid off at the peace, he was next, in June, 1803, received on board the Venerable 74, Capts. John Clarke Searle and Geo. Reynolds, attached, latterly under the flag of Rear-Admiral Collingwood, to the Channel fleet, with which he continued until again, in 1804, placed under the orders of Capt. Winthrop in the Ardent 64, stationed off Boulogne, where he remained for a period of 12 months, and came into frequent contact with the enemy’s batteries and flotilla. Being then, in April, 1805, transferred to the Namur 74, Capt. Lawrence Wm. Halsted, he took part, 22 Aug. following, in Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis’ attack on the French fleet close in with Brest harbour. He was also, 4 Nov. in the same year, present at Sir Richard Strachan’s capture of the four French line-of-battle ships escaped from Trafalgar (for which he received the rating of Master’s Mate); and besides witnessing the surrender, 13 March, 1806, of the Marengo 80, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Linois, and 40-gun frigate Belle Poule, he went in pursuit of the celebrated Rochefort squadron to the West Indies and Newfoundland. Towards the close of 1806, having returned to England and passed his examination, he proceeded, in the Ramillies 74, Capt. Fras. Pickmore, to Barbadoes, and thence, in the Blonde frigate, to Jamaica, where he joined, on promotion, the Veteran 64, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres. After assisting at the capture of various slave-vessels in the Gulf of Florida, and cruizing off the city of San Domingo, he was nominated, 21 May, 1808, Acting-Lieutenant of the Veteran; and was shortly afterwards sent in command of the Pike schooner to assist in rescuing the guns and stores of the Meleager frigate, which had been wrecked on Barebush Key. Having been advanced, at home, to the rank of Lieutenant by a commission bearing date 23 Feb. 1808, he became, in Aug. of that year, Senior of the Moselle sloop, Capts. Gordon and Lennock, also in the West Indies, whence, however, he soon invalided. His subsequent appointments were – 3 May, 1809, to the Blossom 18, Capt. Fras. Beaufort, employed in co-operation with the patriots on the north coast of Spain, also in escorting convoy to Quebec and other ports of Canada, and on the Downs and Jamaica stations – 30 Dec. 1809, to the Reindeer 18, Capt. Peter John Douglas, in the West Indies – next, as a Supernumerary, to the Polyphemus 64, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Bartholomew Sam. Rowley at Jamaica – 21 March, 1810, to the Moselle again, Capts. Henry Boys, Jas. Stirling, and Geo. Moubray, from which vessel he invalided in Sept. 1812 – 4 June, 1813, to the Britomart 10, Capt. Robt. Riddell (now Carre), stationed off the Texel and in the North Sea – 28 Feb. 1814, to the Mercurius 18, Capt. Thos. Renwick, under whom he cruized on the latter station and in the Baltic, and witnessed the evacuation of Anholdt – and 5 May, 1815, for nearly four months, to the Queen Charlotte 100, Capt. Chas. Inglis, lying at Portsmouth. In the Blossom, Moselle, Britomart, and Mercurius, Mr. Proby discharged the duties of First-Lieutenant. His prompt and judicious conduct in 1810, in rescuing the Moselle when nearly wrecked in the Gulf of Florida, was such as to call forth from the President of the Court-martial, which took place in consequence, a very gratifying expression of the sense entertained by the Court of his exertions. When in the same vessel at the Havana, he was ordered by Capt. Boys to take charge of a suspected person to the Governor of New Providence, and proceed with him to Nassau. On his return to the Havana he experienced a severe attack of yellow fever. Unable, after he left the Queen Charlotte, to procure employment, he accepted, 18 Jan. 1845, the rank he now holds. Agent – J. Hinxman.