Second surviving son of the late William Boteler, Esq., F.S.A., of Eastry, co. Kent, by his second wife, Mary, daughter of Captain John Harvey, who commanded the Brunswick 74, and was mortally wounded on the glorious 1st of June, 1794. Mr. Henry Boteler entered the navy in Oct. 1804, as midshipman on board the Agamemnon 64, commanded by his maternal uncle, Captain (now Vice-Admiral Sir John) Harvey, under whom he served in that ship and the Canada 74, principally employed on the Cadiz and West India stations, until the latter ship was paid off, at Chatham, in Jan. 1808. During his first cruise, he witnessed the capture of four Spanish merchantmen, laden with sugar, cochineal, indigo, coffee, &c., and having on board specie to a very considerable amount. In the following year, he was present at the capture of two Spanish line-of-battle ships, by the fleet under Sir Robert Calder.