Arthur Bingham

Arthur Batt Bingham (1784–1830) was an officer in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of post captain. He is remembered chiefly for his command of HMS Little Belt, when the Little Belt affair occurred, just prior to the War of 1812.

Family and early life Bingham was born in 1784, the second son of the Ven. William Bingham, D.D. (1743–1819), vicar of Great Gaddesden (1777) and rector of Hemel Hempstead (1778) – later archdeacon of London (1789–1813) and chaplain to George III (1792); and his wife Agnata (aka Agnes), daughter of Liebert Dörrien, a merchant of Fenchurch Street, London and of West Ham, Essex. Arthur entered the Navy, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 1 May 1804. By early 1809 he was first lieutenant aboard HMS Nereide, then on the Cape of Good Hope Station under Captain Robert Corbett.

Lieutenant of the Nereide Nereide sailed from Simon's Bay on 1 May and cruised off the French possessions of Mauritius and Réunion. In August Corbett began an attack on Sainte-Rose on the eastern side of Réunion, using grapeshot to fire on two batteries overlooking the harbour. The frigate followed, closing Little Belt, and appeared to be trying to manoeuvre into a position to rake the smaller British ship. Bingham wore ship three times to foil the American's attempts, while calling for the frigate to identify herself. Each time though the American demanded the same of Bingham. The frigate, actually the 44-gun USS President under Commodore John Rodgers, then, according to Bingham, opened fire on the Little Belt. Bingham returned fire and an engagement began, lasting three-quarters of an hour. The President was observed to have a fire onboard and drew away.

Family Bingham had married Emily Kingsman on 11 March 1813, and the couple had four sons and daughter. Two, Arthur Maunsel Bingham and Thomas Henry Bingham also had naval careers, whilst the third son, William Poulet Bingham became a lieutenant-colonel of the 64th Regiment. The fourth son was Francis Robert Bertie Bingham, and the daughter was Emily Agnata Harriet Bingham.