A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Twysden, Henry Duncan
TWYSDEN. (Commander, 1838. f-p., 19; h-p., 19.)
Henry Duncan Twysden is son of Capt. Thos. Twysden, R.N. (who commanded the Pylades sloop when that vessel was wrecked among the Shetland Islands in Nov. 1794, and the Révolutionaire 38 during the latter part of the French revolutionary war; and died 4 Oct. 1801), by Isabella, daughter of Henry Duncan, Esq.; and grandson of Sir Wm. Twysden, the fourth Baronet of that name. One of his paternal aunts was married, first, to Archibald, 11th Earl of Eglinton; and secondly, to Fras. Moore, Esq., brother of the gallant Lieut.-General Sir John Moore, who fell at Corunna, and of the late Admiral Sir Graham Moore, G.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 Feb. 1809, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Donegal 74, Capt. Sir Pulteney Malcoln; in which ship he witnessed the attack made by Lord Cochrane upon the French fleet in Aix Roads, and was present, as Midshipman, in Nov. 1810 in an attempt made by Capt. Chas. Grant, of the Diana 38, to destroy the French frigates Amazone and Elize under the fire of the enemy’s batteries near Cherbourg. In June, 1811, he joined the Hussar 38, Capt. Jas. Coutts Crawford; and in Aug. 1812, being then in the East Indies, he removed, we believe, to the Modeste 36. From May, 1813, until within a few days of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 9 June, 1815, he served on the Mediterranean and Home stations in the Rivoli 74, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, and Impérieuse 38 and Glasgow 50, both commanded by Capt. Hon. Henry Duncan. His succeeding appointments were – 26 Dec. 1815 and 5 June, 1818, to the Wye 26, Capts. Jas. Lillicrap and John Harper, and Iphigenia 42, Capt. Hyde Parker, on the Halifax and Jamaica stations – 22 Dec. 1823 (he had invalided from the Iphigenia in March, 1819), to the Active 46, Capts. Andrew King and Hon. Robt. Rodney, with whom he was for about 12 months employed in the Mediterranean and off Lisbon – 24 April, 1830, as First, to the Prince Regent 120, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Henry Blackwood at the Nore – 2 Aug. following, to the Caledonia 120, Capts. Rich. Curry and Edw. Curzon, employed on various particular services – 26 Nov. 1831, to the San Josef 110, bearing the flag of Sir Manley Dixon at Plymouth, where he remained until the early part of 1833 – and, 1 Feb. 1838, as Senior, to the Hastings 72, Capt. Fras. Erskine Loch, fitting at Sheerness. He was advanced to his present rank 28 June, 1838, and was employed as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard from 4 July, 1839, until July, 1845. He is now on half-pay.
Commander Twysden married, 22 July, 1819, his cousin Mary, daughter of the late Sir Wm. Jervis Twysden, Bart., by Frances, daughter of Alex. Wynch, Esq., Governor of Madras. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.