A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Woodham, William Henry
WOODHAM. (Lieutenant, 1815.)
William Henry Woodhamwas born 22 July, 1794. One of his brothers, Geo. Horatio, a Midshipman R.N., was lost in the Anacreon 18, in the Bay of Biscay, 28 Feb. 1814 : another, Senior Captain of the 9th Foot, after having fought in most of the Peninsular actions, was killed, while gallantly leading his company, at the storming of St. Sebastian in 1813.
This officer entered the Navy, 4 April, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Uranie 38, Capt. Hon. Chas. Herbert, stationed on the coast of North America. After serving for about two years in the Canada 74, Capt. John Harvey, in the West Indies (where he was in company with a squadron under Sir Alex. Cochrane during the close pursuit of a French squadron, which lasted for two or three days), he was received as Midshipman, in Jan. 1808, on board the Orion 74, Capt. Sir Arch. Collingwood Dickson, on the Baltic station. Rejoining Capt. Harvey, in June, 1809, on board the Leviathan 74, in the Mediterranean, he united, in Oct. of the same year, in the chase which led to the self-destruction, near Cape Cette, of the ships-of-the- line Robuste and Lion. He continued to serve with Capt. Harvey and with Capts. Wm. Bedford and Jas. Bisset, on the station last named and in the Channel, until transferred, in April, 1813, to the Majestic of 56 guns, Capt. John Hayes. In her he was present at the blockade of the American ship Constitution in the port of Boston; at the capture, 3 Feb. 1814, near the Azores, of the Terpsichore French frigate of 44 guns, after a running action of two hours and a half; in the operations connected with the attack upon Washington; and at the capture, 15 Jan. 1815, of the U.S. ship President of 56 guns. On leaving the Majestic in June, 1815, he took up a commission bearing date 15 Feb. in that year. Since 24 March, 1829, he has had charge of a station in the Coast Guard. He had been previously, for five years, employed in the Coast Blockade, with his name on the books of the Ramillies, Hyperion, and Ramillies again, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch, Wm. Jas. Mingaye, and Hugh Pigot.
Lieut. Woodham married, first, 29 Sept. 1818, a daughter of Philip Duhige, Esq.; and secondly, 25 Oct. 1839, Eleanor Elizabeth, daughter of Lieut. Edw. Medley, R.N. He has issue eight children.