# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Butterfield, Edward Harris

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​BUTTERFIELD. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 14; h-p., 12.)
Edward Harris Butterfield, born 21 Feb. 1808, at Chelsea, is second son of the late Wm. Butterfield, Esq., Rear-Admiral of the Red (who died 3 Oct. 1842, in his 76th year, after a naval career of 61 years, during which he had been present in seven general actions, and had been made Commander for his gallantry, as First of the Mars 74, at the capture of L’Hercule 74), by his second wife, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of the late Chas. Harris, Esq., Deputy-Auditor of the Impress at Chelsea Hospital.
This officer entered the Navy, 28 March, 1821, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Glasgow 50, Capt. Bentinck Cavendish Doyle, successively employed in conveying the remains of the late Queen Caroline from Harwich to Cuxhaven, Sir Edw. Paget from Portsmouth to Colombo, the Governor-General of India (the late Marquis of Hastings) from Calcutta to Genoa, and General Sir Wm. Lumley, the Governor, and Capt; Thos. Briggs, R.N., the Dockyard Commissioner, to Bermuda. After further serving, as Midshipman, off Lisbon, and for 17 weeks at the blockade of Algiers, he returned home and was paid off 18 Oct. 1824. He then joined the Victory 104, flag-ship at Portsmouth of Sir Geo. Martin; and, in Dec. of the same year, became attached to the Atholl 28, Capt. Jas. Arthur Murray, in which ship we find him assisting at the capture, on the coast of Africa, of 6 slavers, carrying in the whole about 1000 negroes. Returning home in Aug. 1826, for the purpose of attending a court-martial, Mr. Butterfield was next, for a short time, employed in the Royal George, Capt. Sir Michael Seymour, at Portsmouth. On resuming his previous station in the Sybille 48, Commodore Francis Augustus Collier, he contributed, both in that ship, and as Mate of her tender, the Black Joke, Lieut.-Commander Henry Downes, to the capture of not fewer than 21 vessels, with, in the aggregate, upwards of 7000 slaves on board. Of the prizes made by the Black Joke alone, which mounted but 1 gun, a long 18-pounder on a pivot, with a crew of 34 men, it may be sufficient to particularize, as indicative of the valour that won them, the Spanish brig Providentia of 14 guns and 80 men – the Brazilian brig Vengador of 8 guns and 645 slaves – the Buenos Ayrean privateer Presidente of 7 guns and 97 men, which, with her captures, the brigantines El Hossey of 6, and Marianna of 2 guns, was boarded and taken, after a close running-fight of 10 hours – and the Spanish brig El Almirante of 14 guns (10 eighteens and 4 long nines) and 80 men, with 460 slaves on, board, carried after a severe action of 80 minutes (11 hours having been previously absorbed in sweeping up), in which the enemy had 15 killed and 13 wounded, and the British 3 killed and 7 wounded. For this last very dashing exploit, achieved in Feb. 1829, Lieut. Downes and the Senior Mate, Mr. T. P. Le Hardy, were soon afterwards promoted, and Mr. Butterfield, who had passed his examination 5 April, 1827, placed, with Messrs. Roberts and Slade, on the Admiralty List, and ultimately appointed, 5 Jan. 1830, First-Lieutenant of the Primrose 18, Capts. Thos. Saville Griffinhoofe, Edw. Iggulden Parrey, and Wm. Broughton. On 7 Sept. following, under the last-named officer, he again signalized himself, in a desperate hand-to-hand conflict with a powerful slaver, the Veloz Passagera of 20 heavy guns and 180 men, laden with a cargo of 555 Africans. The enemy’s loss prior to surrendering amounted to 46 killed and 20 wounded, – that of the Primrose to 3 killed, and as many as 13 wounded, including Capt. Broughton himself, who, being seriously hurt while in the act of boarding, was most ably succeeded in the command by Lieut. Butterfield. The latter officer next, in March, 1831, joined the Pallas 42, Capt. Manley Hall Dixon, lying in Portsmouth Harbour; and, on 16 April, 1831, he commissioned the Brisk brig, of 3 guns, in which we find him, first enforcing the quarantine regulations in Cromarty Bay during the prevalence of the cholera, then cruizing with Sir Edw. Codrington on the Channel and Irish stations, subsequently employed off the Scheldt under Rear-Admiral Fred. Warren and in conveying troops and arms to the Gambia, and finally capturing the Preuva, with 313 slaves. For the gallantry he had exhibited in the action with the Veloz Passagera, he was, immediately on accomplishing his time, promoted to the rank of Commander, by commission dated 7 March, 1832. Capt. Butterfield’s last appointment was, 28 Oct. 1839, to the Fantome 16, in which sloop he was ordered to the Cape. Finding, on his arrival, that Rear-Admiral Hon. Geo. Elliott had sailed for China, he became invested for a time with all the responsibility of senior officer on that station. When afterwards relieved, he was sent, with a small squadron of brigs under his orders, to cruize off Angola, where he had the good fortune, by the seizure of 48 slavers, to rescue 5628 human beings from bondage. He was advanced to Post-rank 23 Nov. 1841, and left the Fantome in May, 1842. Capt. Butterfield has taken out a steam-certificate. Agents – Messrs. Stillwell.