Henry Hotham

Sir Henry Hotham
Monument to Sir Henry Hotham in Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta
Born	(1777-02-19)19 February 1777
Died	19 April 1833(1833-04-19) (aged 56) Valletta, Malta
Allegiance	Great Britain  United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1775–1833
Rank	Vice-Admiral
Commands held	Fleche HMS Mignonne HMS Dido HMS Blanche HMS Immortalite HMS Imperieuse HMS Revolutionnaire HMS Defiance HMS Northumberland HMS Superb Mediterranean Fleet
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars  • Siege of Bastia Napoleonic Wars  • Battle of Cape Ortegal  • Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne  • Action of 22 May 1812  • Hundred Days War of 1812
Awards	Order of the Bath (1815) Order of St Michael and St George (1831)
Relations	Admiral William Hotham (uncle) Admiral Sir William Hotham (cousin) General Beaumont Hotham, 3rd Baron Hotham (nephew)

Vice-Admiral The Honourable Sir Henry Hotham KCB GCMG (19 February 1777 – 19 April 1833) was officer of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary, Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812, was later a member of the Board of Admiralty, and ended his career as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.

He was the youngest surviving son of (2nd Baron Hotham from 1813) and Susanna, daughter of Sir Thomas Hankey. He joined the Navy in 1790 (aged 13) serving aboard Princess Royal, the flagship of his uncle Rear-Admiral William Hotham. He went on to serve aboard Lizard, Lapwing, Victory and Aigle, and finally once again with his uncle, now a Vice-Admiral, aboard Britannia in the Mediterranean.

Hotham was present as a midshipman at the Siege of Bastia in April–May 1794. He was subsequently commissioned as a lieutenant on 6 June 1794 (aged just 17) and was given command of the prize sloop Fleche in November 1794. He was promoted to captain on 13 January 1795, in the prize frigate Mignonne, and later commanded the sixth-rate Dido and the fifth-rate Blanche.