Octavius Vernon Harcourt

Octavius Henry Cyril Vernon Harcourt (1793–1863) was a British naval officer. He was the eighth son of Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt, Archbishop of York, and was born Octavius Henry Cyril Vernon at Rose Castle, Cumberland on 25 December 1793. On 15 January 1831, succeeding to the properties of William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt, the father's cousin, the family assumed the additional surname of Harcourt.

Naval career

He entered the Royal Navy in August 1806 as midshipman on board the Tigre of 74 guns, and in her in the following year witnessed the surrender of Alexandria, and was employed in boat service up the Nile. After assisting at the Siege of Toulon, he was transferred into the Malta of 80 guns, and co-operated with the troops on the south-east coast of Spain, and served in the batteries at the siege of Tarragona. Becoming a lieutenant 11 January 1814, he joined the Mulgrave of 74 guns, and landing with the seamen and marines near Piombo captured a Martello tower and brought out a convoy which was anchored under its protection.

In the Amelia of 38 guns in 1814 he served at the blockade of Elba. He was on half-pay from 1816 until 2 Feb. 1818, when he was appointed to the Sir Francis Drake, the flagship at Newfoundland, where on 3 Feb. 1820 he obtained the command of the Drake sloop, and for a short time in the same year of the Carnation of 18 guns. From 1824 to 1827 he served in the West Indies. He was promoted to be captain 7 July 1827. His last appointment was to the North Star of 28 guns, in which vessel he surveyed the coast of Central America and California, 1834–6.

Charitable works

He was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1849, and was appointed a vice-admiral on half-pay 4 June 1861. He built at his own expense and endowed a church at Healey, near Masham in North Yorkshire, another church at Brent Tor, Devonshire, and restored the parish church of Masham. In 1858 he erected in Masham six almshouses which he endowed with £1,775 three per cent Consols.

Marriage and death

He married, 22 Feb. 1838, Anne Holwell, second daughter of William Gater, and widow of William Danby of Swinton Park. She died on 26 June 1879, devising her Yorkshire estates to George, fifth son of Sir Robert Affleck, bart.

He died at Swinton Park, Yorkshire, 14 Aug. 1863.

References

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Harcourt, Octavius Henry Cyril Vernon". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. 

Persondata
Name	Harcourt, Octavius Henry Cyril Vernon
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Date of birth	1793
Place of birth
Date of death	1863
Place of death