A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Thornton, Henry Alexander Daniel
THORNTON. (Lieut., 1815. h-p., 10; h-p., 32.)
Henry Alexander Daniel Thornton, born 6 June, 1790, at Kingston-on-Thames, is son of Henry Ford Thornton, Esq., of Clare, co. Suffolk.
This officer entered the Navy, 2 April, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Namur 74, Capt. Lawrence Wm. Halsted, in which ship, bearing the flag at first of Rear-Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell, he served in the North Sea, Channel, West Indies, and Downs (the last 13 months in the capacity of Midshipman), until transferred, in July, 1807, to the Royalist 18, Capts. John Maxwell and Geo. Downie. That sloop, while he was in her, took so many privateers that her commanders were both promoted to Post-rank. Among them were La Princesse of 16 guns and 50 men, Le Grand Napoléon of 18 guns and 75 men, L’Heureuse Etoile of 28 guns and 15 men, Le Beau Marseille of 14 guns and 60 men, Le François of 14 guns and 60 men, Le Prince Eugène of 14 guns and 55 men, Le Roi de Naples of 14 guns and 48 men, and L’Aventurier of 14 guns and 50 men. By Capt. Maxwell, whom he accompanied in the expedition of 1809 to the Walcheren, Mr. Thornton was on one occasion publicly thanked and complimented for the intrepidity he had manifested in jumping overboard and saving the life of a brother officer. On leaving the Royalist, in which vessel, we may add, he had been chiefly employed on the French, Swedish, and Dutch coasts, he was received on board the Bellerophon 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John Ferrier in the North Sea, where he continued to serve with that officer, in the Scarborough 74, until March, 1814 – nearly all that time as Master’s Mate. In the following April he joined the Puissant 74, Capt. Benj. Wm. Page, lying at Spithead; he was promoted, 4 Feb. 1815, to the rank of Lieutenant; and from June until Sept. in the latter year he was employed in the Phoebe 36, Capt. Jas. Hillyar, on the coast of France. Unable to procure an appointment, he has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Thornton married, 1 Sept. 1823, Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel Whitehall, Esq., of Brockhurst Cottage, co. Hants. Agent – Fred. Dufaur.