{{Short description|Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator (1687–1747)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Vice-Admiral The Honourable |name = Henry Medley |birth_date = {{birth year|1687}} |death_date = {{dda|1747|08|05|1687}} |image = Henry Medley Faber (cropped1).jpg |image_size = |caption = 1745 engraving of Medley |birth_place = |death_place = Aboard {{HMS|Russell|1692|6}}, at Vado Ligure |nickname = |allegiance = England <br /> Great Britain |service_years = |rank = Vice-Admiral of the Red |commands = {{ubl|{{HMS|Poole|1696|6}}|{{HMS|York|1706|6}}|{{HMS|Leopard|1703|6}}|{{HMS|Romney|1708|6}}|{{HMS|Nassau|1706|6}}|Mediterranean Fleet}} |branch = Royal Navy |battles = {{ubl|War of the Spanish Succession|War of the Quadruple Alliance|Anglo-Spanish War|War of the Austrian Succession}} |awards = |relations = }}
Vice-Admiral of the Red '''Henry Medley''' (1687 – 5 August 1747) was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator.
==Life== [[File:Memorial to the Hon. Henry Medley in York Minster.JPG|thumb|Memorial in York Minster]] Medley entered the Royal Navy in 1703, and in 1706 was midshipman of the 80-gun {{HMS|Somerset|1698|6}} 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 {{HMS|Fame|1709|6}}; a few months later he was moved into the 70-gun {{HMS|Stirling Castle|1705|6}}. In 1717 he was a lieutenant of the 90-gun {{HMS|Barfleur|1697|6}}, flagship of Sir George Byng in the Baltic Sea.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Medley, Henry}}</ref>
Early in 1720 Medley was promoted to the command of {{HMS|Poole|1696|6}}, a fire-ship, and on 17 February 1721 was posted into the 60-gun {{HMS|York|1706|6}}. In 1722, while commanding the 50-gun {{HMS|Leopard|1703|6}} 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.<ref name="DNB"/>
From 1731 to 1735 Medley was employed on the home station.<ref name="DNB"/> In 1739 and 1740 he was on fishery protection with the Newfoundland fleet, in {{HMS|Romney|1708|6}}.<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=18499|title=Medley, Henry|first=Richard|last=Harding}}</ref> At this period he was Governor of Newfoundland.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Scots Magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=USkoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA282|year=1739|publisher=Sands, Brymer, Murray and Cochran|page=282}}</ref>{{Ref label|A|a|none}}
In 1741 Medley commanded the 70-gun {{HMS|Nassau|1706|6}} 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.<ref name="DNB"/>
On 23 April 1745 Medley was promoted to be vice-admiral, and sent out as commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. The service was one of blockade and co-operation with the allied armies in the War of the Austrian Succession, who in the winter of 1746–7 invaded Provence; but, after an unsuccessful attack on Antibes, they were obliged to retreat.<ref name="DNB"/>
On 15 July 1747 Medley was advanced to be Vice-Admiral of the Red. He died, probably not knowing of the promotion, on board the 80-gun {{HMS|Russell|1692|6}}, at Vado Ligure, on 5 August 1747.<ref name="DNB"/>
George Rodney served with him on two ships at the beginning of his career with Medley acting as a mentor to the younger man.
A monument in Medley's memory, sculpted by Henry Cheere, was placed in York Minster three months after his death.<ref>Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis</ref>
==Notes== {{refbegin}} '''a.''' {{Note label|A|a|none}} Some sources indicate that the governor in 1740 was Lord George Graham. There is no evidence to support this appointment. {{refend}}
==Citations== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.heritage.nf.ca/govhouse/governors/g07.html Biography at Government House ''The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador'']
;Attribution {{DNB|wstitle=Medley, Henry}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box|title=Commodore Governor of Newfoundland | before=Philip Vanbrugh | after=Thomas Smith | years=1739–1740}} {{s-end}} {{NLLG}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medley, Henry}} Category:1687 births Category:1773 deaths Category:Governors of Newfoundland Colony Category:Royal Navy admirals Category:British military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Category:Royal Navy personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession