Royal Naval Biography/Harness, Richard Stephens
RICHARD STEPHENS HARNESS, Esq.
[Commander.]
Son of the late Dr. John Harness, F.L.S., for many years a commissioner of the Transport Board[1].
This officer was born at Wickham, co. Hants, in July, 1792. He entered the royal navy as midshipman on board the Diadem 64, Captain Sir Home Popham, in July, 1805; was present, in that ship, at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope and Buenos Ayres, in 1806; and subsequently served in the Sampson and Inflexible 64’s. The latter ship formed part of the fleet under Admiral (now Lord) Gambier, at the siege of Copenhagen, in 1807.
After the surrender of the Danish capital and navy, Mr. Harness joined the Volontaire frigate, Captain Charles Bullen, by which excellent officer he was selected to assist at the successful attack upon a French convoy in the Bay of Rosas, on the night of Oct. 31st, 1809[2]. He obtained the rank of lieutenant in Feb. 1812; and, after serving for some time in the Fame 74, Captain Walter Bathurst, was advanced to his present rank, Aug. 27th, 1814. He was an unsuccessful candidate for employment in the expedition sent against Algiers, in 1810.
The father of Commander Harness married, secondly, the widow of Admiral Robert Linzee: one of his sons is in holy orders, another in the corps of royal engineers.
- ↑ See Nav. Chron. v. 35. p. 265 et seq.
- ↑ See Suppl. Part III. p. 159.