Henry Lambert

Career Lambert was the son of naval Captain Robert Lambert and entered the navy at an early age aboard in 1795. Serving in the Mediterranean, Cumberland was heavily engaged at the Battle of Hyères where the French ship of the line was blown up. For the next six years, Lambert served in the Mediterranean on board the frigate HMS Virginie and the ship of the line before obtaining promotion to lieutenant in 1801. He later joined and the following year during the Peace of Amiens.

At the outbreak of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, Lambert was promoted to be commander of the 20-gun . In April 1804 he fought off the 36-gun French privateer on the East India Station. The following year he became a post captain in command of the 44-gun frigate HMS San Fiorenzo. As captain of San Fiorenzo, in February 1805 he encountered the Psyché again, now a frigate of the French Navy. This time Lambert captured her. He then sailed San Fiorenzo back to Britain in June.

In 1808 Lambert took command of the frigate , initially based at Quebec, but later transferring back to the Indian Ocean where he had previously been successful.