Ormsby Henry Alevander Commander Indian Navy

Henry Alexander Ormsby served in the Indian Navy. According to Charles Rathbone Low in his "A History of the Indian Navy (1613-1863)", Ormsby absconded from the Navy at the age of 19, between 1826-1830 and for three years went to live with some Arabs in their tents. For this he was struck off the navy list but because of his services to geographical science and surveying he was reinstated and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1839 his vessel made the quickest passage from Bombay to Suez yet recorded. He served in the China war, 1840-1842. He married Anne Jane Lye in 1843. He retired from the navy in 1848. The National Archives hold a copy of his will dating to 1857.