A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Crease, Henry

1667850A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Crease, HenryWilliam Richard O'Byrne

CREASE. (Commander, 1821. f-p., 21; h-p., 28.)

Henry Crease entered the Navy, 2 March, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Indefatigable 46, Capts. Sir Edw. Pellew, Hon. Henry Curzon, and Matthew Henry Scott; in which ship, under Capt. Curzon, he attended, as Midshipman, the expedition against Ferrol in the autumn of 1800; and assisted at the capture, 22 Oct. following, of La Venus French frigate of 32 guns. Having been paid off in April, 1802, he rejoined Sir Edw. Pellew, in April, 1803, as Master’s Mate, on board the Tonnant 80; and on that officer hoisting his flag on board the Culloden 74, accompanied him to India, where he officiated as his Acting First-Lieutenant, from 1 April, 1805, until confirmed by the Admiralty, 31 Jan. 1806. From Oct. in the latter year until Aug. 1812, he continued actively employed on the same station as Senior of the Sir Francis Drake and Phaeton frigates, Capts. Pownall Bastard, and Fleetwood Broughton Reynolds, Pellew; and on 27 May, 1813, we find him appointed, in a similar capacity, to the Menelaus 38, Capts. Sir Peter Parker and Edw. Dix. Under the former officer Mr. Crease landed near Baltimore in command of one of two divisions, consisting of 134 seamen and marines, and essentially contributed to the defeat of a very superior body of the enemy, 30 Aug. 1814; on which occasion, however, the British sustained a loss of 14 killed, including Sir Peter Parker, and 27 wounded.[1] The Menelaus being paid off in Oct. 1815, the subject of this sketch was next appointed, 18 Sept. 1817, again as First-Lieutenant, to the Impregnable 104, flag-ship of his old Captain, Lord Exmouth, at Plymouth, where he remained until promoted to the rank of Commander, 12 Feb. 1821. He has not been since employed.

Commander Crease is married, and has issue.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 1946.