277
BENCH—DENHAM—DENMAN.
1824, to the Wellesley 74, Capt. Graham Eden Hamond, employed on a particular service – and, 21 Dec. 1825, to the Java 52, flag-ship in the East Indies of Rear-Admiral Wm. Hall Gage. He was advanced to the command, 21 Feb. 1828, of the Champion 18; but since the following autumn has been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
DENCH. (Lieutenant, 1844.)
Charles Thomas Dench passed his examination 1 Feb. 1837; and after serving for some time in the Mediterranean as Mate of the Calcutta 84, Capt. Sir Sam. Roberts, and of the Vesuvius steam-vessel, Capt. Erasmus Ommanney, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 20 Nov. 1844. He has been employed, since 20 Jan. 1845, in the Acorn 16, Capt. John Elliot Bingham, on the south-east coast of America.
DENCH. (Captain, 1828. f-p., 21; h-p., 33.)
Thomas Dench entered the Navy, in April, 1793, as Midshipman, on board the Ardent 64, Capt. Robt. Manners Sutton; while in which ship he served on shore at the occupation of Toulon, and was in warm action with the batteries of St. Fiorenza during the siege of Corsica. In April, 1794, when the Ardent took fire and blew up, with all hands on board, this officer had the good fortune to be absent in charge of a prize. We next find him, in the St. George 98, flag-ship of Sir Hyde Parker, taking part in Hotham’s actions of 14 March and 13 July, 1795; and, on 14 Feb. 1797, serving under the flag of Vice-Admiral Chas. Thompson, in the Britannia 100, at the battle off Cape St. Vincent. Removing then, with Capt. Thos. Foley, to the Goliath 74, he was present, in July following, at the bombardment of Cadiz; and on 1 Aug. 1798, he further officiated at the battle of the Nile. A few days after that tremendous conflict he assisted, as a Volunteer, in cutting out a heavy gun-vessel from under the castle of Aboukir. On his return to England he was appointed, at the recommendation of Capt. Foley, Master’s Mate of the Prince 98, bearing the flag of Sir Chas. Cotton, to whom he became Signal-Lieutenant, in the Prince George, 23 Jan. 1801, and afterwards, for nearly four years, in the San Josef. From May to Dec. 1807, Mr. Dench was next employed in a similar capacity under Rear-Admiral Thos. Wells in the Zealand 64, at the Nore. He then, as before, rejoined Sir C. Cotton in the Hibernia 110, off Lisbon; to which ship he continued attached until promoted, 24 April, 1808, to the command of the Nautilus 18. In May, 1809, Capt. Dench brought home the despatches announcing the evacuation of Oporto by the French army under Marshal Soult; after which he cruized with great Success in the Mediterranean, where, among other vessels, he captured – 21 July, 1812, Le Brave of 5 guns and 112 men – 7 Feb. 1813, La Léonilde of 14 guns and 83 men – and, 24 May following. La Colombe of 4 guns and 40 men. For these and other services he received the public thanks of Sir Edw. Pellew, the Commander-in-Chief. He was compelled to invalid home in Nov. 1814, and has not since been afloat. His Post-commission bears date 4 June, 1828. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
DENHAM, F.R.S. (Capt., 1846. f-p., 37; h-p., 1.)
Henry Mangles Denham was born 28 Aug. 1800.
This officer entered the Navy, in April, 1809, as a Volunteer, on board the Daphne 20, Capt. Philip Pipon, on the Guernsey and Jersey station; where he next served, from April, 1810, to May, 1814, latterly as Midshipman, in the Vulture 10, Capts. Martin White, Geo. Morris, and Henry Baugh. During the three following years we find him borne on the books of the Queen Charlotte, Boyne, and Prince, ships of the line, but detached the whole of the time on the survey of the Channel Islands, under his former Commander, Capt. Martin White; with whom, as Midshipman and Lieutenant (commission dated 26 Dec. 1822), of the Shamrock 14 he was further employed, from March, 1817, to May, 1827, in examining the English and Irish Channels, and the south-west and north-east coast of Ireland. In Oct. 1827, Mr. Denham assumed command of the Linnet 10, for the purpose of surveying the coast of France; and while nominally attached, between Sept. 1828, and March, 1835, to the St. Vincent, Caledonia, and San Josef, he conducted a survey of the Bristol Channel, and of the ports of Liverpool and Milford. As an especial mark of their approbation of the high merit and talent displayed by Lieut. Denham in the important public services which he had thus performed, the Lords of the Admiralty promoted him to the rank of Commander on the 20th of the month last mentioned. He was subsequently employed, from Jan. 1842, to July, 1845, as Commander of the Lucifer steam-vessel, and of the Royal Sovereign yacht, in defining the coasts of Lancashire and Cumberland. He was then appointed to the Avon steamer; and on 27 Sept. following he sailed on a surveying expedition to the coast of Guinea, including the mouths of the Niger. He returned to England on the attainment of his present rank, 17 Aug. 1846; and since 2 Dec. following has been borne on the books of the William and Mary yacht. Thirty years of Capt. Denham’s servitude in the Navy have been employed in the construction of charts, and eighteen in the actual command of maritime surveys. In 1830 this scientific officer received the thanks and a vote of plate from the Trinity Board; in 1834 he was further presented with the freedom of the borough of Liverpool, and elected a member of the Literary and Philosophical Society at that place; and in 1839 he was chosen a Fellow of the Royal Society; as likewise, in 1841, a Younger Brother of the Trinity Corporation, and a member of the United States’ National Institution for the Advancement of Science. He has received the thanks of the Geological Society, of several Refuge Harbour Committees, and of the Committee at Lloyd’s.
Commander [errata 1] Denham, who married 18 March, 1826, has issue three sons and three daughters.
DENMAN. (Capt., 1825. f-p., 24; h-p., 33.)
Edmund Denman died 6 July, 1846, at Knocker’s Knowle, near Devonport.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 April, 1790, as a Boy, on board the Royal George 100, Capt. Thos. Pringle, flag-ship in the Channel of the Hon. Sam. Barrington. He afterwards joined the Cambridge 80, bearing the flag at Plymouth of Sir Rich. Bickerton; and on his return from the West Indies in the Perseus 20, Capt. Geo. Palmer, obtained, in April, 1793, a Midshipman’s berth on board the Royal Sovereign 100, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Thos. Graves; under whom he figured in Lord Howe’s actions of 28 and 29 May and 1 June, 1794. In the same ship, under Vice-Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, Mr. Denman was subsequently present in that gallant officer’s celebrated retreat of 16 and 17 June, 1795. He was promoted, 14 June, 1796, to a Lieutenancy in the Trusty 50, Capt. John Osborn, at the Cape of Good Hope; and was afterwards appointed – 11 Dec. 1798, to the Saturn 74, Capt. Thos. Totty – 3 July, 1799, to the Windsor Castle 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Chas. Cotton – and 24 April, 1800, to the Jason 36, Capt. Hon. John Murray, all on the Home station; where, as Senior Lieutenant of the latter ship, he was wrecked and taken prisoner 21 July, 1801. Mr. Denman, who had been frequently employed in cutting out vessels under the enemy’s batteries, next became, 9 April, 1803, and 14 May, 1808, First-Lieutenant, on the Home and Jamaica stations, of the Plantagenet 74, Capts. Graham Eden Hamond, Hon. Michael De Courcy, Francis Pender, and Wm. Bradley, and of the Polyphemus 64, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Bartholomew Sam. Rowley. In June, 1809, we find him commanding the night guard-boats of the squadron employed under the orders of Capt. Wm. Pryce Cumby at the blockade of St. Domingo;
