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User:Wee Curry Monster/Henry Smith

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Henry Smith
Born4 July 1797
Montreal, Canada
DiedAugust 19, 1854(1854-08-19) (aged 58)
Varna Bay, Bulgaria
Cause of deathSuspected to be Cholera
OccupationNaval Officer
OrganizationRoyal Navy
Known forFirst British resident in the Falkland Islands, Commander of HMS Rattler
SuccessorLt Robert Lowcay
SpouseElisa

Captain Henry Smith was a 19th Century naval officer in the Royal Navy. Whilst still a Lieutenant serving aboard HMS Tyne, in 1832 he volunteered to become the first British resident in the Falkland Islands, a position he remained in until he resigned the post in 1838. Although he was solely responsible for redeveloping the settlement at Port Louis in the Falkland Islands from a dilipidated state, he never received official recognition for his efforts and was even censored by his commanding officer. After resigning he returned to the UK and in 1844 was appointed as commander of the sloop HMS Rattler, a ship built to test the merits of the screw propeller which was tested against paddle steamers to prove the superiority of this form of naval propulsion. In 1853, he was appointed to command the iron screw ship HMS Simoom in the Crimean War but died aboard the ship the following year.

Early life

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Fakland Islands

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An image of Port Louis in 1834 by the artist Conrad Martens. The White Ensign flies over Lt.Smith's residence.

HMS Rattler

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HMS Rattler (left) and Alecto (right) in their 1845 competition

Crimean War

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HMS Simoom was Henry Smith's last command

Personal life

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References

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Footnotes

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Bibliography

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  • Mary Cawkell (January 1983). The Falkland story, 1592–1982. A. Nelson. ISBN 978-0-904614-08-4. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  • Great Britain. Admiralty (1854). The Navy List. H.M. Stationery Office. pp. 169–.