Henry Browne Mason: promoted to Lieutenant

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

To gain the rank of Lieutenant Henry needed to pass his examinations. An examinee had to produce his Midshipman's Journals, but Henry's had been lost aboard the captured trabaccolo in the Adriatic. When a certificate from his former Captain, still in the Mediterranean, failed to arrive in time, Henry's Aunt Georgiana asked one of her lady friends in high places for a favour. Harriet Manningham had married Charles Philip Yorke, then First Lord of the Admiralty. A Special Order was issued to accept Henry for examination at Somerset House. "They were lenient with me," he wrote. Except for the navigation lessons in Verdun he had not touched anything nautical for two years.

Georgiana next enlisted Harriet Yorke's assistance in getting Lieutenant Henry B. Mason a ship. One month after arriving back in London he was appointed to HMS Dreadnought of 98 guns on the Lisbon station. Having arrived in the Tagus aboard HMS Jasper, and reported to Captain Luiger, one of the greatest tartars in the Navy the ship was ordered home since Wellington was already chasing the French out of Portugal.

Again Georgiana sought the help of Harriet Yorke for a transfer. Harriet made it clear such favours could not be repeated. Henry did transfer to HMS America of 94 guns commanded by Captain Josias Rowley blockading Toulon with Lord Exmouth's fleet. Almost immediately however Henry was required to transfer to HMS Kent commanded by a captain he referred to as a great humbug. At this point he contemplated asking to be sent home, which would have ended his naval career. Commonsense prevailed however, but he still received a stern letter from Aunt Georgiana.

Georgiana again used her influence to obtain a posting to the newly built frigate HMS Forth modelled, together with her new sister ship HMS Severn, on HMS Endymion to take on three American 44 gun frigates, the USS Constitution, President and United States. These American ships had been doing more damage in one year to the British fleet than the French and Spanish had managed in 20 years.

Back to H B Mason Summary Page