pay, with which to maintain himself, a wife, and eight children; – obliged to keep at a distance (such is the world) even from his friends, and thereby incapacitated from bringing forward his family."
This memorial, after having been submitted to the Prince Regent in Council, was sent back to the Admiralty with a favorable recommendation; to which their Lordships, however, merely replied, that they had “no funds.” In the one afterwards presented to the Lord High Admiral, it is stated by Commander Debenham, “that he has never received the least compensation of any kind for the serious injury sustained in his foot, while commanding the Furious, although he was thereby obliged to give up the most eligible appointment he ever held.” He also states, “that the refusal of any compensation for this hurt, was made a ground for preventing him the attainment of an object he subsequently had in view;” and then adds, “that, on one occasion, having detained, and brought in for adjudication, a vessel[errata 1] from one of the enemy’s ports bound to another, she was not only set free, but the whole expenses of the proceedings allowed to fall upon him; whereas, had he not detained her, pursuant to the existing Orders in Council, he would have been liable to a court-martial.” His memorial to the Admiralty on this occasion was attended with no success.
In 1823, Commander Debenham received the following testimonial from Captain James Anderson, under whom he had served at Corunna and Walcheren; and another, of which we shall subjoin a copy, from the late Sir George Collier:
“These are to certify, that John Debenham, Esq. commander in the royal navy, served under my command on various dangerous and difficult services, with great credit to himself and to my entire satisfaction, and I can recommend him with the utmost confidence, from the knowledge I have of his vigilance, diligence, attention, uncommon sobriety, and great humanity of disposition, mixed with firmness, as a fit person to fill any situation particularly requiring the rare concurrence of these qualifications.
Errata:
- ↑ Correction: a vessel should be amended to a Papenbourgh vessel
