Henry Medley

Vice-Admiral of the Red Henry Medley (1687 – 5 August 1747) was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator.

Life

Medley entered the Royal Navy in 1703, and in 1706 was midshipman of the 80-gun with Captain Price at the relief of Barcelona. He passed his examination as lieutenant on 8 February 1710, and on 5 September 1710 was promoted by Sir John Norris to be lieutenant of ; a few months later he was moved into the 70-gun . In 1717 he was a lieutenant of the 90-gun , flagship of Sir George Byng in the Baltic Sea.

Early in 1720 Medley was promoted to the command of , a fire-ship, and on 17 February 1721 was posted into the 60-gun . In 1722, while commanding the 50-gun in the Mediterranean, he seized a ship named the Revolution, lying within the mole of Genoa, on information of her being in the service of the Old Pretender. He later commanded the Leopard on the coast of Portugal and in the English Channel until the end of 1728. At this period he was Governor of Newfoundland.

In 1741 Medley commanded the 70-gun in the Channel Fleet under Sir John Norris, and in 1742–4 was with Norris as captain of the fleet. On 19 June 1744 he was promoted to be rear-admiral of the white, and in the following winter commanded a squadron cruising in the Channel Soundings for the protection of trade.