Henry Priestman
Priestman's monument in Westminster Abbey
Born	c.1647
Died	20 August 1712 (aged 64–65)
Allegiance	Kingdom of England
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1672–1699
Rank	Captain
Commands held	HMS Antelope HMS Richmond HMS Lark HMS Swan HMS Reserve HMS Bonaventure Commander-in-Chief of ships in the Straits HMS Hampton Court

Captain 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.

Naval career

Priestman joined the Royal Navy in 1672 and his first command was the fourth-rate HMS Antelope. In August 1673 he was promoted to the command of the sixth-rate HMS Richmond. In a time of relative peace he saw no action and went to the Mediterranean in 1675 in command of the sixth-rate HMS Lark. In January 1678 he was appointed to the fifth-rate HMS Swan, and later in the year returned to HMS Antelope. In 1681, he commanded the fourth-rate HMS Reserve, and in May 1683 was appointed to the fourth-rate HMS Bonaventure. Soon after he was appointed Commodore and Commander-in-Chief of ships in the Straits. In 1688, he was placed in command of the third-rate HMS Hampton Court and after the Glorious Revolution, to which he was sympathetic, he became Comptroller of the Storekeeper's Accounts in 1689.^[1]

Priestman was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for New Shoreham in 1695 and held the seat until 1698.^[2] He joined the Board of Admiralty led by the Earl of Pembroke in June 1690^[3] and was advanced to First Naval Lord in January 1691.^[4] Priestman left the Admiralty Board in May 1699, following the departure from office of his friend, the Earl of Orford, who was highly criticised for financial abuse.^[5] Priestman died on 20 August 1712, aged 65; there is a monument to him in Westminster Abbey by the sculptor Francis Bird.^[6]^[7]

References

Sources

Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Offices of State. Lavenham: T. Dalton Ltd. ISBN 0900963948.

Parliament of England Preceded bySir Edward Hungerford John Perry Member of Parliament for New Shoreham 1695–1698 With: John Perry Succeeded byJohn Perry Charles Sergison Military offices Preceded byEdward Russell Senior Naval Lord 1691–1694 Succeeded byEarl of Orford

v t e First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
Senior Naval Lords (1689–1771)	Arthur Herbert Sir John Chicheley Edward Russell Henry Priestman Earl of Orford Sir George Rooke Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Matthew Aylmer Sir George Byng Sir John Jennings Sir John Norris Sir Charles Wager Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Harry Powlett Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Vere Beauclerk Lord Anson Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen John Forbes Earl Howe Sir Charles Saunders Augustus Keppel Sir Peircy Brett Sir Francis Holburne
First Naval Lords (1771–1904)	Augustus Hervey Sir Hugh Palliser Robert Man George Darby Sir Robert Harland Sir Hugh Pigot John Leveson-Gower Lord Hood Sir Charles Middleton James Gambier Sir Thomas Troubridge James Gambier John Markham James Gambier Sir Richard Bickerton William Domett Sir Joseph Yorke Sir Graham Moore Sir William Johnstone Hope Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
First Sea Lords (1904–present)	Sir John Fisher Sir Arthur Wilson Sir Francis Bridgeman Prince Louis of Battenberg The Lord Fisher Sir Henry Jackson Sir John Jellicoe Sir Rosslyn Wemyss The Earl Beatty Sir Charles Madden, Bt Sir Frederick Field The Lord Chatfield Sir Roger Backhouse Sir Dudley Pound The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope Sir John Cunningham The Lord Fraser of North Cape Sir Rhoderick McGrigor The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Sir Charles Lambe Sir Caspar John Sir David Luce Sir Varyl Begg Sir Michael Le Fanu Sir Peter Hill-Norton Sir Michael Pollock Sir Edward Ashmore Sir Terence Lewin Sir Henry Leach Sir John Fieldhouse Sir William Staveley Sir Julian Oswald Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir Jock Slater Sir Michael Boyce Sir Nigel Essenhigh Sir Alan West Sir Jonathon Band Sir Mark Stanhope Sir George Zambellas Sir Philip Jones Sir Antony Radakin Sir Ben Key