Henry Wolsey Bayfield
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Henry Wolsey Bayfield (21 January 1795 – 10 February 1885) was a British naval officer and surveyor.
. While his education is unknown, he joined the Royal Navy
on 6 January 1806 at the age of 10, as a volunteer on HMS Pompee
. That same year, he was on the ship when it defeated a French privateer
. At Cádiz
, he was transferred to , and shortly after to HMS Duchess of Bedford. In this particular ship, he was wounded in a battle with two Spanish ships near Gibraltar
; for his good work in this episode, he was transferred as a first class volunteer to , on 29 September 1806, on which over the next four years he was involved in a number of battles. He was rated midshipman
in 1810, and saw Canada
for the first time in the same year, at the age of 15. In April 1811, he took command of , and worked in many different places, including the coast of North America
, the West Indies and Spain
. He was commissioned as a lieutenant
on 20 March 1815, and in the summer of 1816 assisted Captain William Fitz William Owen in surveying various Canadian rivers and lakes.
, Lake Erie
and Lake Huron
, among many others. After several years surveying the lakes in North America, he returned to England in the autumn of 1825, and completed several charts of the lakes. He was promoted commander
in 1826, and the following year, he travelled to Quebec
to complete surveys of the St Lawrence River.
on 4 June 1834, and on 2 April 1838, he married Fanny, who was the only daughter of General Charles Wright; they had six children together. In 1841 his headquarters were moved to Charlottetown
, Prince Edward Island
, so that the survey could be continued. On 21 October 1856, he was promoted Rear Admiral of the Blue, and subsequently Rear Admiral of the White on 8 December 1857, Rear Admiral of the Red on 9 August 1861, and Vice Admiral of the Blue on 27 April 1863, and Vice Admiral of the Red on 11 January 1864. He retired on 31 March 1866, and was promoted admiral on the retired list on 18 October 1867. Over a period of over 20 years, he wrote a book entitled Sailing directions for the Gulf and River of St. Lawrenc, that was published in instalments. It was later republished in 1860 as The St. Lawrence pilot. The city of Bayfield
is named after him, as have been several ships owned by the Canadian Hydrographic Service
. He died in Charlottetown on 10 February 1885, at the age of 90.
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Henry Wolsey Bayfield (21 January 1795 – 10 February 1885) was a British naval officer and surveyor.
Early life and career
Bayfield was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, to John Wolsey Bayfield and Eliza Petit. His family was an ancient one, who at one time lived at Bayfield Hall in NorfolkNorfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. While his education is unknown, he joined the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on 6 January 1806 at the age of 10, as a volunteer on HMS Pompee
French ship Pompée (1793)
Pompée was a Téméraire-class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the Siege of Toulon, Captain Poulain, her commanding officer, joined the British. She fled Toulon when the city fell to the French Republicans and sailed to Britain....
. That same year, he was on the ship when it defeated a French privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
. At Cádiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, he was transferred to , and shortly after to HMS Duchess of Bedford. In this particular ship, he was wounded in a battle with two Spanish ships near Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
; for his good work in this episode, he was transferred as a first class volunteer to , on 29 September 1806, on which over the next four years he was involved in a number of battles. He was rated midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in 1810, and saw Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
for the first time in the same year, at the age of 15. In April 1811, he took command of , and worked in many different places, including the coast of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the West Indies and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He was commissioned as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 20 March 1815, and in the summer of 1816 assisted Captain William Fitz William Owen in surveying various Canadian rivers and lakes.
Admiralty surveyor
In June 1817, Bayfield was made the admiralty surveyor for North America. He surveyed Lake SuperiorLake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, among many others. After several years surveying the lakes in North America, he returned to England in the autumn of 1825, and completed several charts of the lakes. He was promoted commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1826, and the following year, he travelled to Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to complete surveys of the St Lawrence River.
Later career
Bayfield was promoted to captainCaptain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
on 4 June 1834, and on 2 April 1838, he married Fanny, who was the only daughter of General Charles Wright; they had six children together. In 1841 his headquarters were moved to Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, so that the survey could be continued. On 21 October 1856, he was promoted Rear Admiral of the Blue, and subsequently Rear Admiral of the White on 8 December 1857, Rear Admiral of the Red on 9 August 1861, and Vice Admiral of the Blue on 27 April 1863, and Vice Admiral of the Red on 11 January 1864. He retired on 31 March 1866, and was promoted admiral on the retired list on 18 October 1867. Over a period of over 20 years, he wrote a book entitled Sailing directions for the Gulf and River of St. Lawrenc, that was published in instalments. It was later republished in 1860 as The St. Lawrence pilot. The city of Bayfield
Bayfield, Wisconsin
Bayfield is a city in Bayfield County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 611 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Henry Bayfield, a British Royal Topographic Engineer who explored the region in 1822-23....
is named after him, as have been several ships owned by the Canadian Hydrographic Service
Canadian Hydrographic Service
The Canadian Hydrographic Service is Canada's hydrographic office, with responsibility for performing hydrographic surveys and publishing paper and electronic nautical charts...
. He died in Charlottetown on 10 February 1885, at the age of 90.