{{Short description|Royal Navy officer (1770–1812)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Captain |name = Henry Waterhouse |honorific_suffix = |image = |image_upright = |alt = |caption = |native_name = |native_name_lang = |birth_name = |other_name = |nickname = |birth_date = {{birth date|1770|12|13|df=y}} |birth_place = Westminster, London, England |death_date = {{death date and age|1812|07|27|1770|12|13|df=y}} |death_place = Westminster, London, England |burial_place = St John's, Westminster |burial_label = |burial_coordinates = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}}--> |allegiance = |branch = Royal Navy |branch_label = |service_years = |service_years_label = |rank = Captain |rank_label = |service_number = |unit = |commands = {{HMS|Reliance|1793|6}} |battles = |battles_label = |awards = |memorials = |alma_mater = |spouse = |children = |relations = George Bass (brother-in-law) |other_work = |signature = |signature_size = |signature_alt = |website = |module = }}
Captain '''Henry Waterhouse''' (13 December 1770 – 27 July 1812) was an English naval officer of the Royal Navy who became an early settler in the Colony of New South Wales, Australia. He imported to Australia the continent's first Spanish merino sheep, whose wool became one of the colony's best exports.
==Early life== Henry Waterhouse was the eldest son born to William and Susanna Waterhouse (née. Brewer) at Westminster, London, England, on 13 December 1770.<ref name="parish">Parish Records of St. James Church, Westminster, 1723–1786. Family History Library, Salt Lake City. Micro Film reel #1042308</ref><ref name=ADB>{{cite book|publisher= Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |last = Parsons|first = Vivienne|year = 1967|url= https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/waterhouse-henry-2775/text3945 |title = Waterhouse, Henry (1770–1812)| chapter=Henry Waterhouse (1770–1812) |accessdate =10 November 2021}}</ref> William was a page to Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn. Henry was named after the Prince, who was also named as his godfather.<ref name="papers">{{cite web|url= http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/item/itemDetailPaged.aspx?itemID=446657|title= William Waterhouse – Letters written by Henry Waterhouse to his father, 1788–1801; and other papers, 1782–1803|accessdate=25 February 2009|publisher= State Library of New South Wales}}</ref>
In 1782, William secured his son a position in the Royal Navy with Captain James Luttrell, under whom Henry served on {{HMS|Portland|1770|6}}, {{HMS|Mediator|1782|6}} and {{HMS|Ganges|1782|6}}.<ref name=ADB/><ref name="papers"/>
==New South Wales== In 1786, Waterhouse joined {{HMS|Sirius|1786|6}} as a midshipman after Cumberland House recommended him to Governor Arthur Phillip. Waterhouse sailed to Australia with the First Fleet and helped establish the settlement at Sydney Cove.<ref name=ADB/> On 2 October 1788, ''Sirius'' was sent to pick up supplies from Cape of Good Hope, completing a circumnavigation on its return in March 1789. When the ship's third Lieutenant George Maxwell's behaviour became increasingly erratic and bizarre, he was discharged and Waterhouse was promoted to acting third Lieutenant.<ref name=ADB/>
Waterhouse was a member of the crew when ''Sirius'' was wrecked off Norfolk Island. He returned to Sydney Cove on {{HMS|Supply|1759|6}} to become an aide to Governor Phillip. Waterhouse was present at the whale feast with Indigenous people at Manly Cove; after Phillip was speared in the shoulder, Waterhouse snapped off the shaft and helped the Governor return to the boats.<ref name=ADB/> In 1791, Waterhouse returned to England with the rest of the crew of the ''Sirius'' on the ''Waaksamheyd''.
==French Revolution== With the rest of ''Sirius'' crew, Waterhouse was acquitted at court-martial for the loss of the ship and, with a letter of recommendation from Governor Phillip, Waterhouse's promotion to Lieutenant was confirmed July 1792.<ref name=ADB/> He was posted to {{HMS|Swallow|1781|6}} in 1792, was transferred to {{HMS|Bellerophon|1786|6}} in 1793 and served in the battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794.<ref name=ADB/>
==Return to New South Wales== In 1794, former Captain of ''Sirius'' John Hunter was appointed the new Governor of New South Wales. Hunter requested Waterhouse to be commander of one of the colony's new ships so on 25 July 1794, Waterhouse was promoted to commander of {{HMS|Reliance|1793|6}}. In February 1795, ''Reliance'' sailed with the new Governor aboard, arriving in Sydney on 7 September 1795.<ref name=ADB/>
Waterhouse sailed to the Cape Colony in 1796 to procure livestock for New South Wales and returned to Australia with the colony's first merino sheep. He subsequently made several voyages to Norfolk Island and in 1800 was the first person to chart the Antipodes Islands.<ref name=ADB/><ref name=Dunmore>{{cite book|last=Dunmore|first=John|title=Who's Who in Pacific Navigation|publisher=University of Hawai’i Press|year=1991|pages=264–5|doi=10.2307/j.ctvp7d58v.28|s2cid=242331973|url=https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvp7d58v.28.}}</ref>
==Later life== In 1800, Waterhouse returned to Britain and was promoted to Captain on 25 October that year. He lived most of the rest of his life near Rochester, Kent. Waterhouse died at his father's home in Smith Street, Westminster, and was buried on 5 August 1812 at St John the Evangelist.<ref name="parish"/> He is commemorated in the name of Waterhouse Island in north-eastern Tasmania.
==Family== Waterhouse was witness to his sister Elizabeth's (born 14 June 1768)<ref name="parish"/> marriage to his friend and associate, naval surgeon George Bass.<ref name="papers"/> Waterhouse never married but had an illegitimate daughter Maria Waterhouse (1791–1875), who was born in Sydney to convict Elizabeth Barnes (1767–1794).<ref name=ADB/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/waterhouse-maria-27853/text35605 |title= Waterhouse, Maria (1791–1875)|website=People Australia |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref> With the death of Barnes and his return to New South Wales, Waterhouse arranged for Maria to be sent to live with his father in London. She was taken to England by the Lieutenant Governor William Paterson and his wife.<ref name=ADB/>
==See also== *Journals of the First Fleet
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Waterhouse, Henry}} Category:1770 births Category:1812 deaths Category:Royal Navy captains Category:History of Australia (1788–1850) Category:English emigrants to colonial Australia Category:Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Category:Military personnel from Westminster Category:First Fleet