Overview
Captain Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse (29 June 1781 – 13 June 1841) was a British Royal Navy officer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars, War of 1812, and First Anglo-Chinese War. In China, he was the senior naval officer of the British fleet from 31 March 1841 until his death on board his flagship, HMS Blenheim, in Hong Kong from fever contracted during the capture of Canton.
Early life
Senhouse was born on 29 June 1781 in Barbados, where he was baptised on 23 August 1781 in the Parish of Saint Philip. He was the third son of William Senhouse (1741–1800) by the same's wife Elizabeth Ward Wood. William, who was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was Surveyor-General of Barbados and of the British Leeward Islands. Elizabeth was the daughter of Samson Wood, who was the Speaker of the Barbados Assembly. Senhouse's grandfather, who was also named Humphrey Senhouse, of Netherhall, Cumberland, married Mary, who was the daughter of Sir George Fleming, 2nd Baronet, Bishop of Carlisle.
Senhouse joined the Royal Navy in January 1797 on HMS Prince of Wales, which was the flagship of Rear-Admiral Henry Harvey in the West Indies Station. Senhouse in November 1797 moved to the brig Requin, in which he arrived in England for the first time in 1799. Senhouse from March 1800 to April 1802 served in HMS Fisgard under Captains Thomas Byam Martin and Michael Seymour.
Mediterranean and North America
On 7 April 1802, Senhouse passed the examination for promotion to lieutenant, and was attached to two days later. In May 1803, he was appointed to with Captain Thomas Louis. With Israel Pellew, who relieved Louis in April 1804, Senhouse served in the Mediterranean, West Indies, and in the Battle of Trafalgar, until January 1806. He again went to the West Indies on board , and was put on board the flagship of under Sir Alexander Cochrane. In September 1806, he was appointed to command on the Spanish Main and Leeward Islands until March 1808, when he joined as a flag-lieutenant to Cochrane, who sent him home with despatches in July 1808 in .
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).