# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Debenham, John

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​DEBENHAM. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 22; h-p., 37.)
John Debenham was born in 1772.
This officer entered the Navy, 3 Nov. 1788, as Captain’s Servant, on board the Fairy sloop, Capts. Jas. Geo. Manley and Thos. Spry, employed on the African and West India stations; subsequently to which he removed to the Discovery sloop, Capt. Geo. Roberts, lying at Dcptford; and, on proceeding to the East Indies in the Thames 32, Capt. Thos. Troubridge, was present at the capture of Tippoo Saab’s “Fortified Islands,” close to Onore, on the coast of Malabar. After witnessing, in the Duke 98, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Geo. Murray, the unsuccessful attack on Martinique in June, 1793, Mr. Debenham joined the Glory 98, and in that ship, under Capt. John Elphinstone, distinguished himself in Lord Howe’s victory of 1 June, 1794. For his ensuing exertions, as Midshipman of the Prince of Wales 98, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Henry Harvey, in conducting into port one of the three French 74’s taken in the action off Ile de Groix, 23 June, 1795, he was presented by the latter officer with a commission, appointing him, 12 Sept. 1796, to the Invincible 74, Capt. Wm. Cayley, on the Leeward Islands station. In April, 1798, having previously assisted in an attack on some batteries at St. Eustatius, and also in the reduction of Trinidad, he became, at the instance of Lord CameU’ord, First Lieutenant to that nobleman in the Favorite sloop, commanded afterwards in the North Sea by Capt. Joseph Westbeach. Mr. Debenham’s next appointments appear to have been – 15 Aug. 1800, to the Formidable 98, Capts. Edw. Thornbrough and Rich. Grindall, on the Channel and Jamaica stations – 21 April, 1804, as Senior Lieutenant, to the Devastation bomb, Capt. Alex. Milner, under whom we find him in daily collision with the Boulogne flotilla – and, 3 Feb. 1806, to the command of the Furious gun-brig. While in the latter vessel, independently of a vigilant blockade of Calais, Ostend, and the intermediate ports, he conducted, in a six-oared boat, and without other aid, many perilous cutting-out affairs in the very teeth of the enemy’s batteries; and he was also successful in the capture of numerous merchantmen. In Dec. 1807, however, in consequence of a violent contusion of the foot, and of the dislocation of three of his toes, by the firing of a gun, Lieut. Debenham was compelled to resign the command of the Furious, and for several months to move upon crutches. While next employed, from Sept. 1808, to Oct. 1809, as Agent for Transports, he was most efficiently present at the battle of Corunna, and in the attack on Flushing; after which he zealously commanded the Deptford tender, between Limerick and Plymouth, in connection with the Impress service, for a period of more than two years and a half. Resuming his duties as Transport Agent in July, 1813, he proceeded to the north coast of Spain, and rendered himself particularly conspicuous by his important co-operation with the British army immediately preparatory to the investment of Bayonne. On 24 Feb. 1814, especially, when a flotilla under Rear-Admiral Penrose had arrived off the fearful mouth of the Adour, for the purpose of entering that river, and enabling the troops to occupy both banks, Lieut. Debenham, in a six-oared cutter, was the first officer who summoned resolution to face the tremendous surf which beats over the bar. He, however, happily accomplished the dangerous feat, and afterwards succeeded, by his intrepid exertions, in snatching from destruction many others who followed in his wake, but were upset in their progress. In consideration of these, and of many other sterling instances of good conduct, which we find procured him the particular mention of Lieut.-General Sir John Hope, he was promoted, on the recommendation of his Admiral, to the rank of Commander, 27 Aug. following, but since that period he has not been able to procure employment.
He is married and has issue.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814. p. 566.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 618.