KING, HENRY (1783-1874) was born at Torquay on 7 Apr 1783, and at the age of 12 entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman in the Namur, in which he served five years. He was present at the battle of St Vincent, distinguished himself in many boat actions and, having been promoted third lieutenant, transferred to the Canopus. He served also in the Ambuscade and the Unite, from which he was invalided with a broken leg due to the fall of a topsail tie. On his recovery he was appointed first lieutenant in the Seahorse, in which he served against the Americans on the Potomac and at the taking of Alexandria. For his services in convoying a merchant fleet he was promoted commander. Admiral Cochrane, in recommending him, said that King rose from his sickbed while the ship was passing the hostile batteries and personally laid the first two guns, each of which disabled an enemy gun.

Retiring from active service on peace being proclaimed, King took employment as a bargemaster on the Bude and Holsworthy canal. Many years later he became interested in the Plymouth Company for the settlement of Taranaki and, accepting the position of chief commissioner, he sailed in the Amelia Thompson, arriving on 3 Sep 1841. He was at once gazetted police magistrate, but a few months later (following the absorption of the Plymouth Company) he was superseded as commissioner by Captain Liardet. He then, in company with George Cutfield, settled on his Brooklands section, bringing cattle from Australia in the Jupiter.

In 1848 he was appointed resident magistrate. The European population of Taranaki gave him little trouble, but the native question always called for tact and discretion. In 1852, having completed 10 years on the bench, King retired, and lived quietly at Brooklands until the outbreak of the war in 1860 obliged him to withdraw to New Plymouth. He died on 6 Jun 1874.

Wells; Taranaki Herald, 8 Jun 1874.

Reference: Volume 1, page 250

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