A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Temple, Henry Edward
TEMPLE. (Lieut., 1814. f.p., 10; h-p., 32.)
Henry Edward Temple, born 6 Aug. 1792, is son of Henry Temple, Esq., of Chapel Street, Grosvenor Square.
This officer entered the Navy, 4 July, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Dictator 64, Capt. Jas. Macnamara, under whom he was for more than six years employed, the greater part of the time in the capacities of Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the same ship and in the Edgar and Berwick 74’s, on the North Sea and Baltic stations. While attached to the Edgar he saw much boat-service, and had command, in Aug. 1808, of a gun-boat at the embarkation from Nyeborg of the Spanish General the Marquis de la Romana and his patriot army; whom, on being transferred to a prize taken on the occasion, he assisted in conveying as far as Gottenborg. In the Berwick, in which ship he continued to serve under Capts. Sir Robt. Laurie and Edw. Brace until he invalided home in Feb. 1813 on borad the Blake 74, Capt. Edw. Codrington, he was present, 25 March, 1811, at the self-destruction, near Cherbourg, of the French 40-gun frigate L’Amazone. In June, 1813, at the recommendation of Capt. Macnamara, he was received by Capt. John Phillimore on board the Eurotas of 46 guns and 320 men; and in that ship, after witnessing the capture of La Trave French frigate, he took part, 25 Feb. 1814, in a destructive action of two hours and ten minutes with La Clorinde, mounting 44 guns and 12 brass swivels, with a complement of 360 picked men, of whom 120 were killed and wounded, with a loss to the British of 20 slain and 40 wounded. Although the junior passed Midshipman present was at once advanced to the rank of Lieutenant, Mr. Temple, who was the senior one,[1] was sent on promotion to the West Indies; where (a few weeks after he had joined the Shark sloop, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Wm. Brown at Port-Royal, Jamaica) he was nominated, 26 July in the same year, Acting-Lieutenant of the Sapphire, Capt. Adam Brown. He was confirmed to that vessel 26 Sept. following, and remained in her until paid off in Sept. 1815. He has not been since afloat. It may be added that while serving in the Eurotas, he boarded in a boat manned with volunteers and retook, during a gale of wind, the Avon West Indiaman, a prize to the True-blooded Yankee American privateer, and in the act at the time of going into Ushant. He was sent with his trophy to Plymouth. On another occasion the Eurotas chased three French frigates a distance of 450 miles.
- ↑ He had passed his examination 16 Sept. 1811.