Henry John Leeke
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Henry John Leeke KCB
KH
DL
(1794 – 26 February 1870) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Third Naval Lord
, Member of Parliament for Dover and Deputy Lieutenant
of Hampshire
.
, a deputy lieutenant of Hampshire, and his brother was William Leeke
, known for his reminiscences of his service as an ensign at the Battle of Waterloo
. His godfather was Lord Henry Paulet
.
Leeke entered the navy in 1803, steadily rising through the ranks until reaching the rank of commander on 1814. In 1818, while in command of HMS Myrmidon he captured a Portuguese slave-vessel, and freed Samuel Ajayi Crowther
, who later became Bishop of Niger
. He was given command of HMS Queen
, in which he served as flag-captain in to Admiral Sir John West
, in 1845 and of HMS San Josef in 1847 and, having been promoted to Rear Admiral in 1854, he became Third Naval Lord
in 1859. His promotion to vice-admiral came in 1860, and to admiral in 1864.
In 1859, he was elected as Conservative Party
Member of Parliament
for Dover
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(1794 – 26 February 1870) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who went on to be Third Naval Lord
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
, Member of Parliament for Dover and Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
.
Career
Leeke's father was Samuel LeekeSamuel Leeke
Samuel Leeke of Havant, was a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant for the Hampshire.He was the son of Samuel Leeke, of Portsmouth. Samuel Leeke snr had been bequeathed Portsea Manor by the previous owner John Moody; it remains in the Leeke family. Leeke snr was also bequeathed a share of Havant...
, a deputy lieutenant of Hampshire, and his brother was William Leeke
William Leeke
William Leeke was a British Army officer and clergyman, known for his published reminiscences of the Waterloo Campaign, which form a primary source for many modern histories of the campaign.-Early life:...
, known for his reminiscences of his service as an ensign at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. His godfather was Lord Henry Paulet
Henry Paulet
Lord Henry "Harry" Paulet KCB was an officer in the Royal Navy who saw service in the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. Born into the British nobility as a younger son of the Marquess of Winchester, he rose through the ranks and had gained his own command...
.
Leeke entered the navy in 1803, steadily rising through the ranks until reaching the rank of commander on 1814. In 1818, while in command of HMS Myrmidon he captured a Portuguese slave-vessel, and freed Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Samuel Ajayi Crowther
Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther was a linguist and the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria. Born in Osogun , Rev. Dr...
, who later became Bishop of Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. He was given command of HMS Queen
HMS Queen (1839)
HMS Queen was a 110-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 May 1839 at Portsmouth. She was initially ordered in 1827 under the name Royal Frederick, but was renamed on 12 April 1839 while still on the stocks in honour of the recently enthroned Queen Victoria...
, in which he served as flag-captain in to Admiral Sir John West
John West (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John West GCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:...
, in 1845 and of HMS San Josef in 1847 and, having been promoted to Rear Admiral in 1854, he became Third Naval Lord
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
in 1859. His promotion to vice-admiral came in 1860, and to admiral in 1864.
In 1859, he was elected as Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Dover
Dover (UK Parliament constituency)
Dover is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
.