Wm. Jardine Purchas, on the coast of Africa, whence he returned to England in May, 1828. He attained his present rank, after having had command, from 20 Dec. 1837 until July 1839, of the Brisk brigantine,on the station last named, 7 Nov. 1839; and was lastly, from 2 Sept. 1841 until the close of 1846, employed in the Coast Guard.
He married, in 1834, Maria Lucinda, eldest daughter of the late Major Hanna, 56th Regt. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
KELLETT, C.B. (Captain, 1842.)
Henry Kellett, born 2 Nov. 1806, is cousin of Commander Arthur Kellett, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 7 Jan. 1822, and from 1823 until 1826 served in the West Indies on board the Ringdove. Towards the close of the latter year, after having accompanied a body of troops to Lisbon in the Gloucester 74, Capt. Joshua Sydney Horton, he joined the Eden 26, Capt. Wm. Fitzwilliam Owen, under whom he was again employed on the coast of Africa (whither he proceeded for the colonization of Fernando Po) until his return to England in the summer of 1831 – the last three years as First-Lieutenant (commission dated 15 Sept. 1828). He had command during part of that time of the Cornelia tender, and was on board the Eden at a period of dreadful sickness, when 46 men were laid up with fever without a surgeon, and only 2 officers besides himself were left to perform duty. Being next appointed, 7 Nov. 1831, to the Aetna surveying-vessel, Capts. Edw. Belcher, Wm. Geo. Skyring, and Wm. Arlett, he returned to his former station, where, at the time that Capt. Skyring was murdered, he held the post of First-Lieutenant, and was afterwards detached in charge of the Raven, an assistant to the Aetna. On 29 Oct. 1835, shortly after the latter vessel had been paid off, Lieut. Kellett assumed command of the Starling cutter, of 105 tons, and was ordered upon surveying-service to the west coast of South America. While there, he held the acting-command, from July, 1836, until Feb. 1837, of H.M.S. Sulphur, during the interval which elapsed between the resignation of Capt. Beechey and the advent of Capt. Belcher. He then went back to the Starling, and in that small vessel, on his return to the Pacific after a voyage round Cape Horn, he proceeded to China, visiting en route the Marquesas and Tahiti, and touching at the New Hebrides, Salomon Islands, Borneo, &c. Arriving at his destination in Dec. 1840, Lieut. Kellett (whose vessel on her passage had been struck by lightning and dismasted) joined in the warfare then commencing against the Chinese, in which, as will be seen, he bore a very eminent part. On 7 Jan. 1841 we find him uniting in the operations against the enemy’s forts at Chuenpee; and in the course of the same day serving with the Nemesis and the boats of the Calliope under Capt. Belcher, by whom he was spoken of in terms of high commendation, at the destruction of 11 out of 13 large war-junks, an exploit which was achieved in admirable style.[1] He next, on 26 Feb., acquired the thanks of Sir Gordon Bremer for his gallantry and zeal in the action which preceded the capture of the forts at the Boca Tigris.[2] During the operations of March against Canton he acquired every favourable consideration for his useful exertions in sounding, conjointly with Lieut. Rich. Collinson, and Mr. Rich. Browne, Master of the Calliope, the various inlets through which the ships had to pass, and conducting them in safety to an anchorage off that city. In the discharge of these duties Mr. Kellett was indeed indefatigable.[3] At one period, in addition to his own vessel, the Algerine, and the Young Hebe and Louisa tenders, were simultaneously placed under his orders. In May, 1841, when the British renewed hostilities against Canton, our officer, whose promotion to the rank of Commander took place on 6 of that month, again found opportunity of distinction.[4] Proceeding afterwards to the northward, he succeeded, on the night previous to the attack upon Chapoo, 18 May, 1842, in thoroughly sounding (with the assistance of Capt. Collinson) between the anchorage of the ships and the shore, and thus enabled the Cornwallis, Blonde, and Modeste, while the troops were landing, to take up excellent positions against the sea-batteries.[5] In the ensuing June he appears to have again, with much zeal and perseverance, co-operated with Capt. Collinson in surveying the channel before Woosung.[6] After the fall of Shanghae, to her position in front of which place he had piloted the North Star 26, Capt. Kellett proceeded with Capt. Bourchier 30 miles up the river into the interior, and contributed to the destruction, on 20 June, of two batteries mounting 5 guns each.[7] He was also present in all the operations up the Yang-tse-Kiang,[8] where he led the Commander-in-Chief’s ship to Nanking. As a further reward for his particularly useful services Capt. Kellett was advanced to Post-rank 23 Dec. 1842,[9] and nominated, the next day, a C.B.[10] He obtained leave to return to England in Aug. 1843; but since 8, Feb. 1845 has been again afloat, as Captain of the Herald 26, now engaged in surveying the Pacific. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
KELLOCK. (Lieut., 1824. f-p., 23; h-p., 24.)
Henry Gray Kellock is son of an old Warrant officer who was presented with a service of plate for his distinguished conduct on board the Queen 98, Rear-Admiral Gardner’s flag-ship in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794, and died Master-Rigger of Sheerness Dockyard. His grandfather and his four uncles also held warrants in the Navy. The only one of the latter now living, Robert, has retired on a pension. Mr. Kellock’s elder brother, James, a Lieutenant R.N., was drowned at sea in command of a merchant-ship.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 Sept. 1800, as Third-cl. Vol., on board the Royal Sovereign 100, Capt. Gardner, with whom he served in the Channel until April, 1802. Re-embarking, 27 Nov. 1803, on board the Ville de Paris 110, Capt. Rich. Raggett, bearing the flag afterwards of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, he was present as Midshipman in that officer’s pursuit of the French fleet into Brest, and skirmish with the enemy’s batteries, 22 Aug. 1805. When next in the Bellona 74, Capt. John Erskine Douglas, we find him witnessing the destruction of the French 74-gun ship L’Impétueux, near Cape Henry, 14 Sept. 1806. After a servitude of three years and eight months on the Halifax, North Sea, and Baltic stations, as Midshipman, in the Nemesis, Capt. Philip Somerville, Leveret and Kite sloops, both commanded by Capt. Benj. Crispin, and Daring 10, Lieut.-Commander Campbell, he joined, in Feb. 1812, the Ranger sloop, Capt. Geo. Acklom, and was for some time employed at the siege of Danzig, where he was twice lent to the Meteor bomb. In Feb. 1814, having left the Ranger in the preceding June, Mr. Kellock, who shortly afterwards passed his -examination, was received on board the Espoir sloop, Capts. Robt. Russell and Norwich Duff. During the remainder of the war with the United States he was actively employed in the Chesapeake, part of the time in a tender, in carrying troops to the attacks upon Washington and Alexandria. From 23 Sept. 1815, until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 21 Jan. 1824, he served uninterruptedly, as Admiralty Midshipman and Chief Mate, in the Alban 10, and Griper and Scout Revenue-cruizers, Lieut.-Commanders Hugh Patton, Wm. Smith, Cook, and Chas. Cromer. He twice shared, during that period, in the annual bounty awarded to the vessel which had convicted
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1102, 1222.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 1438.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, pp. 1804-5.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1841, p. 2510.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3692.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3397.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3401.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3404.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1842, pp. 3821-3864.
- ↑ To enable Capt. Kellett to receive Post-rank the Starling had been rated a sloop-of-war.
