Paul Henry Ourry

Captain Paul Henry Ourry (1719–1783) was a Royal Navy officer and British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1763 to 1775. Early life Ourry was the second son of Louis Ourry, a Huguenot of Blois and his wife Anne Louise Beauvais, daughter of Louis Beauvais and was born on 3 October 1719. Naval career Ourry joined the Royal Navy and was Lieutenant in 1742 serving on HMS Elizabeth from 1742 to 1744 and saw action at the Battle of Toulon. From 1746 to 1748 he served on HMS Salisbury. He married Charity Treby, daughter of George Treby MP former secretary at war on 26 August 1749. From 1751 to 1752 he served on HMS Monmouth and from 1752 to 1756 on HMS Deptford He was promoted to Master and Commander in 1756 and awarded command of the fireship , then at anchor at Port Mahon. War with France broke out in May 1756, while Ourry was en route to Port Mahon to assume command of his vessel. The French seized Proserpine before Ourry arrived, and he was forced to return to England and petition the Navy Board for an alternative command. After some delays Ourry was appointed to command the newly built sixth-rate frigate HMS Success from early 1757. However, family matters had since arisen that required him to seek a leave of absence for travel to Halifax, West Yorkshire. The Navy was reluctant to grant the request, and Ourry only obtained leave after the intervention of John Clevland, the Secretary to the Admiralty and a friend of Ourry's family. A subsequent request for additional leave was flatly refused with advice from Admiralty that "his service is wanted and is so pressing that the Lords will not permit any other action that can occasion a moments delay."