| Taken at Christmas time in 1888 and presented to close friends as a gift, this photograph depicts Henry A. Moriarty and his wife second Harriet E. Moriarty (Avent) both of whom are identified on the reverse in their own hands. This gentleman wears what appears to be the Naval General Service Medal with the clasp "Syria", the Baltic Medal for the Crimean War and the Turkish Crimean War Medal. Most prominent is the Knight Commander's badge (military) for the Order of the Bath. This man this almost certainly Henry Augustus Moriarty (b. 1806) the son of Commander James Moriarty, R.N., by his wife Catherine Webbwho took part in both the 1857 trans-Atlantic cable laying attempt as Master of the HMS Agememnon and in the Great Eastern's 1865 attempt. I have uncovered the following information about Henry A. Moriarty's naval career: Promoted to Master and appointed to the HMS Vesuvius - 6 September, 1844 Appointed Master of HMS Devastation - 6 March, 1846 Appointed Master of steam frigate HMS Dragon - 5 August, 1850 Appointed Master HMS Retribution - 9 August, 1850 Master and Pilot, HMS Duke of Wellington (131 guns) - February, 1853 Master-Commander, HMS Lightning, 3 guns, paddle wheel steamer (tender to the Duke of Wellington) - January, 1856 Master, HMS Agememnon - April, 1857 Staff Commander, HMS Fox, 2 screw storeship - before February, 1865 Staff Commander, resumed command of Fox after duty with the Great Eastern - August, 1865 Captain & CB, appointed Assistant Master Attendant of Portsmouth dockyard - December, 1867 Captain Henry A. Moriarty died on 18 August, 1906 He had been on a £80 per year Greenwich Hospital Penison prior to his death. In the late 1840s Moriarty took part in the suppression of the West African slave trade. Moriarty's service during the Crimean War (Baltic) consisted of holding the rank of Master on the HMS Duke of Wellington where he was employed in taking soundings of the channels prior to the reduction of Bomarsund for which he received a Mention in Despatches. Cabinet Photograph Henry Wayland - Photographer Rembrandt House, Blackheath, England December 1888 |
