View source for Henry Peachey, 3rd Baron Selsey

{{Short description|Royal Navy officer and art collector}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix  = [[The Right Honourable]]
|name              = The Baron Selsey
|honorific_suffix  = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRS}}
|image             = Henry John Peachey as a midshipman.jpg
|alt               = 
|caption           = Peachey as a [[midshipman]], by Mary Byrne
|nickname          = 
|birth_date        = 4 September 1787
|birth_place       = 
|death_date        = {{death date and age|1838|03|10|1787|09|04|df=y}}
|death_place       = [[Florence]], Italy
|placeofburial     = [[West Dean House|West Dean Park]], [[Sussex]]
|allegiance        = [[United Kingdom]]
|branch            = [[Royal Navy]]
|serviceyears      = {{circa}}1800–1838
|rank              = [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]]
|unit              = 
|commands          = [[HMS Hecate (1809)|HMS ''Hecate'']]<br/>[[HMS Malacca (1809)|HMS ''Malacca'']]<br/>[[Asia (1797 ship)|HMS ''Sir Francis Drake'']]
|known_for         = 
|battles           = {{Tree list}}
*[[French Revolutionary Wars]]
*[[Napoleonic Wars]]
**[[Invasion of the Spice Islands]]
**[[Invasion of Java (1811)|Invasion of Java]]
{{tree list/end}}
|awards            = 
|memorials         = 
|alma_mater        = 
|spouse            = {{marriage|Anna Maria Louisa Irby|1817|1838}}
|relations         = 
|laterwork         = 
|signature         = 
}}
[[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] '''Henry John Peachey, 3rd Baron Selsey''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|FRS}} (4 September 1787 – 10 March 1838) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer and [[Peer of the realm|peer]]. Serving on the [[East Indies Station]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], he participated in the [[Invasion of the Spice Islands]] and [[Invasion of Java (1811)|Invasion of Java]], rising from [[lieutenant (Royal Navy)|lieutenant]] to [[captain (Royal Navy)|captain]]. He returned to England in 1813 commanding the [[frigate]] [[Asia (1797 ship)|HMS ''Sir Francis Drake'']] and had no further service.

Peachey became [[Baron Selsey]] upon the death of his father in 1816; he was active in the [[House of Lords]] as a [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]]. A [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] from 1817, he was patron to several notable sculptors including [[Richard James Wyatt]] and [[Joseph Kendrick (sculptor)|Josephus Kendrick]]. With his [[family seat]] at [[West Dean House|West Dean Park]], Peachey may have used his other properties, including [[Newsells Park]], to hold his collection of marbles and library.

==Early life==
Henry John Peachey was born on 4 September 1787, the eldest surviving son of [[John Peachey, 2nd Baron Selsey|John Peachey]], later the second [[Baron Selsey]], and Hester Elizabeth {{nee}} Jennings.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=540}} Peachey's maternal grandfather was [[Michael Burke, 10th Earl of Clanricarde]].{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}} The family lived at [[West Dean House|West Dean Park]], a large mansion surrounded by parkland {{convert|5|mi|km|sigfig=1}} from [[Chichester]], rebuilt by Peachey's father.<ref name="Bonhams"/>{{sfnp|Neale|1821|p=130}}

==Naval career==
Peachey joined the [[Royal Navy]], aged thirteen, during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]].<ref name="Wigs">{{cite web|url=https://www.wigsonthegreen.co.uk/portrait/capt-henry-peachey/|access-date=20 June 2024|website=Wigs on the Green|title=Capt. Henry Peachey}}</ref> He was promoted to [[lieutenant (Royal Navy)|lieutenant]] on 5 January 1807. With the [[Napoleonic Wars]] underway, he served as [[First lieutenant#Royal Navy|first lieutenant]] of the 54-gun [[fourth-rate]] [[HMS Cornwallis (1805)|HMS ''Cornwallis'']] on the [[East Indies Station]]. Peachey participated in the [[Invasion of the Spice Islands]] in 1810, and was present in ''Cornwallis'' at the capture of [[Ambon Island|Amboyna Island]] in February.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}}{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|p=93}} For his services there he was [[mentioned in despatches]].{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|p=93}}

Staying in the vicinity of the Spice Islands, on 1 March ''Cornwallis'' came across the Dutch 8-gun [[gun-brig]] ''Margaretta''. After a chase through the day the Dutch ship fled into a small bay on Amblaw Island. Peachey was given the task of capturing ''Margaretta'', for which he was assigned command of three boats from  the ship. Setting out for the bay as night fell, it took them all night to reach the ship. In the early morning Peachey's force [[naval boarding|boarded]] ''Margaretta''. The Dutch crew fought back, firing [[grapeshot]] and muskets at the British and attacking them with swords and [[Pike (weapon)|pikes]]. After a short engagement in which the commanding officer of ''Cornwallis'', [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] [[William Augustus Montagu|William Montagu]], described ''Margaretta'' as "defended bravely", the ship was captured by Peachey.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}}{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|pp=93–94}}

Peachey's force had five men wounded, while the Dutch had one killed and twenty wounded. ''Margaretta'' had on board money and supplies meant for [[Ternate]].{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}}{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|pp=93–94}} A portrait of Peachey, depicting him just prior to the boarding of ''Margaretta'', was exhibited by [[William Beechey|Sir William Beechey]] at the [[Royal Academy]] towards the end of 1816.{{sfnp|Roberts|1907|p=135}}

[[File:Fragata Dona Maria II (1831-1850).jpg|thumb|Peachey's final command was [[HMS Sir Francis Drake|HMS ''Sir Francis Drake'']]]]
Peachey was given command of the 18-gun [[brig-sloop]] [[HMS Hecate (1809)|HMS ''Hecate'']] in July 1811, in which he took part in the [[Invasion of Java (1811)|Invasion of Java]] later in the year. During this period he was also promoted to [[commander (Royal Navy)|commander]]. He continued in ''Hecate'' until he was promoted to [[captain (Royal Navy)|captain]] on 7 August 1812. Peachey was then given command of the 36-gun frigate [[HMS Malacca (1809)|HMS ''Malacca'']] at [[Madras]].{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|p=94}}{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=272}}{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=160}}{{sfnp|Syrett|DiNardo|1994|p=400}} Later in the year he transferred to command the 32-gun frigate [[HMS Sir Francis Drake|HMS ''Sir Francis Drake'']].{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=197}} Peachey returned to England with ''Sir Francis Drake'' in the following year, escorting a convoy of merchant ships valued at over {{Inflation|UK|3,000,000|1813|fmt=eq|orig=yes|cursign=£|r=-5}}.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}}{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|p=94}} The ship arrived at [[Deptford]] on 28 May.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=197}} This was Peachey's last active service in the Royal Navy.{{sfnp|Marshall|1829|p=94}}

==Politics==
Peachey's father died on 27 June 1816 and he inherited his barony, becoming the third Baron Selsey. Taking his seat in the [[House of Lords]], Peachey generally supported the [[Whigs (British political party)|Whig]] faction.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}} When [[George IV]] introduced the [[Pains and Penalties Bill 1820]] in an attempt to divorce [[Caroline of Brunswick]], Peachey was one of eighteen [[peer of the realm|peers]] to enter protests against it on 6 November, arguing that [[adultery]] could not be proven and the benefit of the doubt should have been given to Caroline.{{sfnp|Rogers|1875|p=537}} He also voted in favour of the [[Reform Act 1832]].{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=541}}

==Patron of the arts==
[[File:John Gibson by Margaret Sarah Carpenter (née Geddes).jpg|thumb|Peachey was a patron of the sculptor [[John Gibson (sculptor)|John Gibson]]]]
Peachey was appointed a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]], as both previous barons had been, on 27 March 1817.{{sfnp|Burke|1819|p=836}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://royalsociety.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=4294972811 |title=List of Fellows of the Royal Society 1660 – 2007|access-date=20 June 2024|archive-date=30 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130205428/http://royalsociety.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=4294972811 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He took after his father, who had been a patron of the arts, owning [[Old Master]] paintings such as a portrait by [[Pompeo Batoni]]. Peachey's primary interest was contemporary sculpture, as well as purchasing books, drawings, and prints. He formed a collection of sculptures known as the Selsey marbles, which he intended [[Newsells Park]] in [[Hertfordshire]] to house. He also owned a [[townhouse]], 33 [[Lower Grosvenor Street]] in London, where the collection may have been held.{{sfnp|Sharpe|1830|p=5 P 1}}<ref name="Christie's">{{cite web|url=https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-5812506|access-date=20 June 2024|title=A Life-Size Marble Figure of 'Psyche With The Lamp'|website=Christie's|date=2014}}</ref>

Peachey was patron to a number of prominent sculptors, including [[Joseph Nollekens]], [[Joseph Kendrick (sculptor)|Josephus Kendrick]], [[Richard James Wyatt]], [[John Gibson (sculptor)|John Gibson]], and [[Luigi Bienaimé]]. Kendrick and Wyatt produced busts of Peachey, both of which have now been lost.<ref name="Christie's"/>

==Personal life==
Peachey married Anna Maria Louisa Irby, a daughter of [[Frederick Irby, 2nd Baron Boston]], on 21 October 1817. They had no issue. Peachey's younger brother John William Peachey, a [[clergyman]], died unmarried on 6 July 1837. Peachey survived him for only a year, dying in [[Florence]] on 10 March 1838, aged fifty.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=540}} His body was transported back to England to be buried at West Dean Park.<ref name="Bonhams">{{cite web|url=https://www.bonhams.com/auction/19943/lot/54/mrs-james-green-nee-miss-mary-byrne-british-1776-1845-captain-henry-john-peachey-3rd-baron-selsey-1787-1838-when-a-midshipman-wearing-blue-coat-with-standing-collar-white-waistcoat-chemise-and-black-stock/|website=Bonhams|access-date=20 June 2024|title=Captain Henry John Peachey, 3rd Baron Selsey (1787-1838)}}</ref>

With no extant male relatives, the Selsey barony and attached [[baronetcy]] both became extinct. Peachey had one sister, Caroline Mary Peachey. She married the clergyman [[Leveson Venables-Vernon-Harcourt]], but also had no children.{{sfnp|Urban|1838|p=540}} Peachey's widow survived him, dying in 1870; his sister inherited his estates and owned them until her death in 1871.{{sfnp|Lady's Own Paper|1870|p=426}} Peachey's library was then broken up by [[Ulick de Burgh, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde]], who had inherited, and was sold at [[Sotheby's]] on 20 June 1872.{{sfnp|Sabin|1961|p=257}}{{sfnp|London Reader|1872|p=333}}

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite journal|title=A Rare Book|journal=The London Reader of Literature, Science, Art and General Information|volume=19|issue=483|year=1872|ref={{harvid|London Reader|1872}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Burke|first=John|author-link=John Burke (genealogist)|year=1819|title=A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire|location=London|publisher=Henry Colburn}}
*{{cite RNB1823 |wstitle=Peachey, John Henry|volume=sup|part=3|pages=93–94}}
*{{cite book|last=Neale|first=John Preston|author-link=John Preston Neale|year=1821|title=Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen|volume=4|location=London|publisher=Sherwood, Neely, and Jones}}
*{{cite book|last=Roberts|first=W.|year=1907|title=Sir William Beechey, R.A.|location=London|publisher=Duckworth and Co}}
*{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=James E. Thorold|year=1875|author-link=Thorold Rogers|volume=2|title=A Complete Collection of the Protests of the Lords|location=Oxford|publisher=Clarendon Press}}
*{{cite book|last=Sabin|first=Joseph|year=1961|title=Bibliotheca Americana|volume=19|location=Amsterdam|publisher=N. Israel}}
*{{cite book|title=The Lady's Own Paper|year=1870|volume=7|location=London|publisher=E. Marlborough|ref={{harvid|Lady's Own Paper|1870}}}}
*{{cite book|year=1830|title=Sharpe's Peerage|volume=2|location=London|publisher=John Sharpe|ref={{harvid|Sharpe|1830}}}}
*{{cite book |last1=Syrett |first1=David |last2=DiNardo |first2=R. L. |author-link1=David Syrett |author-link2=R. L. DiNardo |year=1994 |title=The Commissioned Sea Officers of the Royal Navy 1660–1815 |location=Aldershot |publisher=Scolar Press |isbn=978-1-85928-122-2}}
*{{cite book|last=Urban|first=Sylvanus|author-link=Sylvanus Urban|year=1838|volume=19|title=The Gentleman's Magazine|location=London|publisher=William Pickering; John Bowyer Nichols and Son}}
*{{cite book |last=Winfield |first=Rif|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates |location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire|publisher=Seaforth|year=2008|isbn=978-1-78346-926-0}}

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{{s-bef|before= [[John Peachey, 2nd Baron Selsey|John Peachey]] }}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Baron Selsey]] | years=1816–1838}}
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{{S-end}}

[[Category:Barons Selsey]]
[[Category:1787 births]]
[[Category:1838 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Navy officers]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society]]
[[Category:Royal Navy captains]]