William Hennah
| William Hennah | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 1768 St Austell, Cornwall, England |
| Died | 23 December 1832 (aged 69) St Cuby, Cornwall, England |
| Occupation | Royal Navy Captain |
Captain William Hennah CB RN (January 1768 - 23 December 1832) was British naval officer, whose largely undistinguished career was suddenly highlighted by his assumption of command of HMS Mars at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 upon the death of that ship's captain, George Duff, who was decapitated by a cannonball.
Hennah was born in January 1768 and baptised on the 7th, the son of Richard Hennah, the vicar of St Austell in Cornwall. He joined the navy as a teenager, following his Cornish hero, the circumnavigator Samuel Wallis into service. Hennah became a lieutenant in the general promotion at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary War in 1793, but afterwards had little opportunity for distinction until 1800, when he participated in a boat raid on the Morbihan river in which the French corvette Réloaise was burnt. He reportedly acquitted himself "with great judgement and gallantry", under the command of Lieutenant John Pilfold, another lieutenant who was to command a ship at Trafalgar.
Following the Peace of Amiens, Hennah was posted to HMS Mars as first lieutenant under George Duff, and was with the ship during the lead up to the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, when Mars was the first ship to spot the advancing enemy. He was stationed on the quarterdeck during the battle, and following the early death of Captain Duff, Hennah took command of the ship, directing her fire into the Fougueux, despite serious damage to his ship. Mars was so battered by the engagement that she was almost unmanoeuvrable, but continued to fire on any enemy ship which approached, including the French Algésiras and the Spanish Monarca. Following the action and emergency repairs, the Mars returned to Gibraltar with some difficulty, before Hennah was ordered home that winter.
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