Henry Peake


Sir Henry Peake was a shipbuilder and designer to the Royal Navy who rose to be Surveyor of the Navy.

Life

He was born in 1753 in Portsmouth. He joined the Royal Navy in May 1762 aged only 9, as an apprentice ship's carpenter. "Henry Peake" who is noted as Master Boat Builder at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1762 clearly cannot be the same person and this is probably his father. The Royal Navy list his works from 1779 when he became Master Shipwright at Sheerness Dockyard.
In June 1806 he replaced Sir John Henslow as Surveyor of the Navy, working alongside Sir William Rule. Hos position as Surveyor of the Navy was filled by Ropert Seppings in 1813 but he did not officially retire until 1822.
He was knighted by the Prince Regent on 25 June 1814. Peake died in 1825.

Family

He was married to Sarah Ladd. They had several sons who became eminent Royal Navy officers:
  • Admiral Thomas Ladd Peake
  • Commander William Peake killed on HMS Peacock
  • James Peake
  • Commander Henry Frederick Peake

    Ships built

  • HMS Polyphemus 64-gun ship of the line launched at Sheerness
  • HMS Europa 50-gun ship of the line launched at Woolwich
  • HMS Vanguard 74-gun ship of the line launched at Deptford
  • HMS Grampus 50-gun ship of the line launched at Portsmouth
  • HMS Colossus 74-gun ship of the line launched at Deptford
  • Royal Sovereign unarmed yacht launched at Deptford
  • HMS Hebe 32-gun frigate launched at Deptford
  • HMS Arrow 14-gun schooner launched at Deptford
  • HMS Minerva 32-gun frigate launched at Deptford

    Ships designed

Note: dates in brackets represent date of design not launch)
  • HMS Brunswick 74-gun ship of the line launched in 1790
  • HMS Bermuda 10-gun sloop
  • Cherokee-class brig-sloop a series of over one hundred 10-gun sloop
  • HMS Rapid 16-gun sloop
  • Pygmy-class schooner 10-gun schooner
  • Vesuvius-class sloop 10-gun sloop equipped as a bomb vessel
  • HMS Terror Vesuvius class bomb ship
  • HMS Erebus 10 gun Hecla-class bomb vessel launched in 1826
  • Fury-class sloop 12-gun sloop equipped as a bomb vessel
  • HMS Waterloo 80-gun ship of the line launched in 1818