Allegiance United Kingdom Role Member of Parliament Rank Admiral Name Henry Leeke | Battles and wars Crimean War Years of service 1803 – 1864 | |
Commands held HMS MyrmidonHMS QueenHMS San Josef | ||
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.
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Career
Leeke's father was Samuel Leeke, 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.
Family
Leeke married Augusta Sophia (d. 1861), the second daughter of James Dashwood in 1818. They had at least two children. Following Augusta's death, Leeke married (in 1863) Georgiana Lucy Cecilia, only daughter of Revd. Geoffrey Hornby. His eldest and only surviving son, Henry Edward Leeke, died on 2 May 1885, aged 59.