Henry Priestman (Royal Navy officer)

Henry Priestman (ca. 1647 - 20 August 1712) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1695 to 1698.

Priestman joined the Royal Navy in 1672 and his first command was as second lieutenant on HMS Antelope. In August 1673 he was promoted to the command of HMS Richmond. In a time of relative peace he saw no action and went to the Mediterranean in 1675 in command of HMS Lark. In January 1678 he was appointed to HMS Swan, and later in the year returned to HMS Antelope. In 1681, he commanded HMS Reserve, and in May 1683 was appointed to HMS Bonaventure. Soon after he was appointed Commodore and Commander-in-Chief of ships in the Straits but was prevented by sickness from taking part in the only opportunity for action that was presented to him during his career. In 1688, he was placed in command of HMS Hampton Court and after the Glorious Revolution to which he was sympathetic he became Comptroller of the Storekeeper's accounts in 1689. In 1690 he was nominated a Commissioner for executing the office of Lord High Admiral'^[1]

Priestman was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for New Shoreham in 1695 and held the seat until 1698.^[2]

Priestman left office as a commissioner in June 1699, following the departure from office of his friend the Earl of Orford who was highly criticised for financial abuse.^[1] He may have been appointed as Governor of Greenwich Hospital in 1710 in place of Sir William Gifford.^[3]

Priestman died aged 65, and was buried in Westminster Abbey where there is a monument.^[1]

References

1. John Charnock Biographia Navalis
2. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2)
3. Story of Shoreham