James Hillyar
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir James Hillyar KCB
KCH
(29 October 1769 – 10 July 1843) was a prominent British Royal Navy
officer of the early nineteenth century, who is best known for his service in the frigate HMS Phoebe
during the Napoleonic Wars
and the War of 1812
. While in command of Phoebe, Hillyar was present at the Invasion of Ile de France
in 1810, was heavily engaged at the Battle of Tamatave
in 1811 and captured the USS Essex
off Valparaíso
in Chile
in 1814. In addition, Hillyar was engaged in numerous other operations, his first battle occurring in 1781 off Boston
. He remained in the Navy until his death in 1843, and was active at sea during the 1830s, commanding fleets in the North Sea
and off Portugal
. He was knighted twice and two of his sons later became full admirals, Charles Farrell Hillyar and Henry Shank Hillyar.
, Hampshire
. He entered the Navy at just ten years old, serving aboard the frigate
HMS Chatham
during the American War of Independence. Chatham was employed on the blockade of Boston
during the war, and 1781 fought a fierce action against the French frigate Magicienne, capturing the French ship, which was commissioned into the Royal Navy. Chatham was decommissioned in 1783 at the end of the war but Hillyar remained in service, principally on the North American Station, for the next ten years.
In 1793, at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
, Hillyar was attached to HMS Britannia
, the flagship of Lord Hotham
in the Mediterranean. The following year he moved to Lord Hood
's flagship HMS Victory
and participated in the Siege of Toulon
and the capture of Corsica
, for which services he was promoted to lieutenant aboard HMS Aquilon under Captain Robert Stopford with the Channel Fleet
. In Aquilon he was present at the Glorious First of June
and subsequently moved with Stopford into the frigate HMS Phaeton, in which he remained until 1799, participating in Cornwallis' Retreat in 1794. In 1800, Stopford moved to the ship of the line
HMS Excellent
and Hillyar moved with him again, later taking command of the armed storeship HMS Niger. In Niger he attacked Spanish shipping off Barcelona
and later operated as part of a boat squadron in Egypt
during the British invasion of 1801.
In 1803, after the Peace of Amiens, Hillyar served in the Mediterranean in Niger, refusing herelovian promotion as it may have left him in reserve on half-pay, which would have left his family destitute. Horatio Nelson discovered this and especially recommended Hillyar for service to Lord St Vincent
at the Admiralty
. As a result, Hillyar was promoted and permitted to retain Niger, with increased armament, in the Mediterranean. In 1805 he married Mary Taylor, daughter of a Maltese naval storekeeper. In 1807 he joined the fleet preparing for operations in the Baltic Sea
and in 1809 commanded the 98-gun HMS St George
as flag captain for Eliab Harvey
. The same year he was given another frigate for independent service, HMS Phoebe
. Hillyar commanded Phoebe in the Indian Ocean
and East Indies
during 1810 and 1811, and was present at the Invasion of Ile de France
and the subsequent invasion of Java. On 20 May 1811, he was one of the captains engaged at the Battle of Tamatave
, when a French frigate squadron was defeated and two ships captured.
In 1813, Hillyar was ordered to operate in the Pacific Ocean
against the American whaling fleets and fur trading posts. Off Chile
, he discovered the American frigate USS Essex
raiding British merchant ships and tracked her to the harbour of Valparaíso
. Trapping Essex in the harbour, Hillyar waited six weeks for Essex to come out, thwarting all of the efforts of the American captain, David Porter
to escape him. Eventually, on 28 March 1814, Porter attempted to break out of the harbour but was driven into a nearby bay and defeated in a short engagement. Hillyar brought Essex and her prizes back to Britain.
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Hillyar remained in the navy, and in 1830 was part of Edward Codrington
's squadron in HMS Revenge
and in 1832 was commander of the British squadron observing the French Siege of Antwerp
. He later moved to the first rate HMS Caledonia
and served off Portugal. In 1837 he was promoted to rear-admiral. Hillyar had been knighted in 1834, as a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order. In 1840 he was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, advancing from the Companionship of the Order of the Bath he had received in 1815. He died in 1843 at his home in Tor House, Torpoint
, Cornwall
and was buried in Anthony churchyard. He was survived by his three sons, two of whom, Charles Farrell Hillyar
and Henry Shank Hillyar, later became admirals in Royal Navy.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
KCH
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(29 October 1769 – 10 July 1843) was a prominent British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer of the early nineteenth century, who is best known for his service in the frigate HMS Phoebe
HMS Phoebe (1795)
HMS Phoebe was a 36-gun fifth rate of the British Royal Navy. She had a career of almost twenty years and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. While in command of Phoebe, Hillyar was present at the Invasion of Ile de France
Invasion of Île de France
The Invasion of Île de France was a complicated but successful amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean, launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the operation, a substantial British military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie on Île de France...
in 1810, was heavily engaged at the Battle of Tamatave
Battle of Tamatave
The Battle of Tamatave was fought off Tamatave in Madagascar between British and French frigate squadrons during the Napoleonic Wars...
in 1811 and captured the USS Essex
USS Essex (1799)
The first USS Essex of the United States Navy was a 36-gun or 32-gun sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812, during which she was captured by the British in 1814 and served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June...
off Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in 1814. In addition, Hillyar was engaged in numerous other operations, his first battle occurring in 1781 off Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He remained in the Navy until his death in 1843, and was active at sea during the 1830s, commanding fleets in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
and off Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. He was knighted twice and two of his sons later became full admirals, Charles Farrell Hillyar and Henry Shank Hillyar.
Life
Hillyar was born in 1769, son of naval surgeon James Hillyar, at PortseaPortsea
Portsea is an area of the English city of Portsmouth, located on Portsea Island, within the ceremonial county of Hampshire.The area was originally known as the Common and lay between the town of Portsmouth and the nearby Dockyard. The Common started to be developed at the end of the seventeenth...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. He entered the Navy at just ten years old, serving aboard the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Chatham
HMS Chatham (1758)
HMS Chatham was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Portsmouth Dockyard to the draught specified by the 1745 Establishment as amended in 1752, and launched on 25 April 1758....
during the American War of Independence. Chatham was employed on the blockade of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
during the war, and 1781 fought a fierce action against the French frigate Magicienne, capturing the French ship, which was commissioned into the Royal Navy. Chatham was decommissioned in 1783 at the end of the war but Hillyar remained in service, principally on the North American Station, for the next ten years.
In 1793, at the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, Hillyar was attached to HMS Britannia
HMS Britannia (1762)
HMS Britannia was a 100-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was ordered on 25 April 1751 from Portsmouth Dockyard to the draught specified in the 1745 Establishment. Her keel was laid down on 1 July 1751 and she was launched on 19 October 1762. The cost of building and fitting...
, the flagship of Lord Hotham
William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham
Admiral William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the son of Sir Beaumont Hotham , a lineal descendant of Sir John Hotham....
in the Mediterranean. The following year he moved to Lord Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
's flagship HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
and participated in the Siege of Toulon
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
and the capture of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, for which services he was promoted to lieutenant aboard HMS Aquilon under Captain Robert Stopford with the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
. In Aquilon he was present at the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
and subsequently moved with Stopford into the frigate HMS Phaeton, in which he remained until 1799, participating in Cornwallis' Retreat in 1794. In 1800, Stopford moved to the ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
HMS Excellent
HMS Excellent (1787)
HMS Excellent was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Harwich on 27 November 1787. She was the captaincy of John Gell before he was appointed an Admiral.Excellent took part in the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1797....
and Hillyar moved with him again, later taking command of the armed storeship HMS Niger. In Niger he attacked Spanish shipping off Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and later operated as part of a boat squadron in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
during the British invasion of 1801.
In 1803, after the Peace of Amiens, Hillyar served in the Mediterranean in Niger, refusing herelovian promotion as it may have left him in reserve on half-pay, which would have left his family destitute. Horatio Nelson discovered this and especially recommended Hillyar for service to Lord St Vincent
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
at the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. As a result, Hillyar was promoted and permitted to retain Niger, with increased armament, in the Mediterranean. In 1805 he married Mary Taylor, daughter of a Maltese naval storekeeper. In 1807 he joined the fleet preparing for operations in the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
and in 1809 commanded the 98-gun HMS St George
HMS St George (1785)
HMS St George was a 98-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 October 1785 at Portsmouth. In 1793 she captured one of the richest prizes ever. She then participated in the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands in 1795 and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801...
as flag captain for Eliab Harvey
Eliab Harvey
Admiral Sir Eliab Harvey, GCB was an eccentric and hot-tempered officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars who was as distinguished for his gambling and dueling as for his military record...
. The same year he was given another frigate for independent service, HMS Phoebe
HMS Phoebe (1795)
HMS Phoebe was a 36-gun fifth rate of the British Royal Navy. She had a career of almost twenty years and fought in the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812...
. Hillyar commanded Phoebe in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
during 1810 and 1811, and was present at the Invasion of Ile de France
Invasion of Île de France
The Invasion of Île de France was a complicated but successful amphibious operation in the Indian Ocean, launched in November 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. During the operation, a substantial British military force was landed by the Royal Navy at Grand Baie on Île de France...
and the subsequent invasion of Java. On 20 May 1811, he was one of the captains engaged at the Battle of Tamatave
Battle of Tamatave
The Battle of Tamatave was fought off Tamatave in Madagascar between British and French frigate squadrons during the Napoleonic Wars...
, when a French frigate squadron was defeated and two ships captured.
In 1813, Hillyar was ordered to operate in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
against the American whaling fleets and fur trading posts. Off Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, he discovered the American frigate USS Essex
USS Essex (1799)
The first USS Essex of the United States Navy was a 36-gun or 32-gun sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812, during which she was captured by the British in 1814 and served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June...
raiding British merchant ships and tracked her to the harbour of Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. Trapping Essex in the harbour, Hillyar waited six weeks for Essex to come out, thwarting all of the efforts of the American captain, David Porter
David Porter (naval officer)
David Porter was an officer in the United States Navy in a rank of commodore and later the commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy.-Life:...
to escape him. Eventually, on 28 March 1814, Porter attempted to break out of the harbour but was driven into a nearby bay and defeated in a short engagement. Hillyar brought Essex and her prizes back to Britain.
At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Hillyar remained in the navy, and in 1830 was part of Edward Codrington
Edward Codrington
Admiral Sir Edward Codrington GCB RN was a British admiral, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Navarino.-Early life and career:...
's squadron in HMS Revenge
HMS Revenge (1805)
HMS Revenge was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 13 April 1805. She was designed by Sir John Henslow as one of the large class 74s, and was the only ship built to her draught...
and in 1832 was commander of the British squadron observing the French Siege of Antwerp
Siege of Antwerp (1832)
The siege of the citadel of Antwerp took place after fighting in the Belgian Revolution ended. It occurred from 15 November to 23 December 1832 and faced off Dutch troops occupying Antwerp's citadel against France's Armée du Nord...
. He later moved to the first rate HMS Caledonia
HMS Caledonia (1808)
HMS Caledonia was a 120-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 June 1808 at Plymouth. She was Admiral Pellew's flagship in the Mediterranean....
and served off Portugal. In 1837 he was promoted to rear-admiral. Hillyar had been knighted in 1834, as a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order. In 1840 he was also made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath, advancing from the Companionship of the Order of the Bath he had received in 1815. He died in 1843 at his home in Tor House, Torpoint
Torpoint
Torpoint is a civil parish and town on the Rame Peninsula in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated opposite the city of Plymouth across the Hamoaze which is the tidal estuary of the River Tamar....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and was buried in Anthony churchyard. He was survived by his three sons, two of whom, Charles Farrell Hillyar
Charles Hillyar
Admiral Sir Charles Farrell Hillyar KCB was a Royal Navy admiral who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.-Naval career:...
and Henry Shank Hillyar, later became admirals in Royal Navy.