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John Hayes (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Rear-Admiral John Hayes, CB
(1767 or 1775 – 7 April 1838) was a prominent British Royal Navy
officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hayes was best known for his skill at seamanship and his interest in the design and construction of naval vessels, beginning with his childhood education at Deptford Dockyard where his uncle Adam was a master shipbuilder. During his naval service he participated in the first and the last significant frigate actions of the French Revolutionary
and Napoleonic Wars
, from the inconclusive engagement between Embuscade
and HMS Boston
in 1793 and the capture of USS President
in 1815. After the war's end, Hayes was appointed as superintendent of HMNB Devonport
and later was commander in chief off West Africa
.
HMS Orion
under Sir Hyde Parker. In 1790 he moved to the frigate HMS Pearl under Captain George Courtenay and followed Courtenay to HMS Boston
in 1793 after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
. Within months, Boston was engaged in action with the French frigate Embuscade
at the Action of 31 July 1793
. Embuscade had been anchored in New York City
harbour, and Courtenay sent an offer of battle in to Captain Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart
, who sailed out to meet him. In the ensuing engagement, Courtenay was killed and Boston badly damaged. The ship was eventually forced to flee before Embuscade, escaping into the Atlantic.
Despite the inconclusive end to the engagement, Hayes was promoted on his return to Britain and joined HMS Dido
under Captain Sir Charles Hamilton, moving with Hamilton to HMS San Fiorenzo
in the Mediterranean shortly afterwards. In 1799, while serving in the West Indies, Hayes was promoted to commander and in 1802 became a post captain. For the next seven years he remained in reserve, before taking command of the ship of the line HMS Alfred
in 1809, assisting in the evacuation of troops from Galicia, Spain following the Battle of Corunna
. Later in the year he served in the Walcheren Expedition in HMS Achille
and then moved to HMS Freija in the West Indies in December 1809, almost immediately participating in the Action of 18 December 1809 and the invasion of Guadeloupe
.
In 1812, Hayes moved to command HMS Magnificent
off Brest
, and in her gained fame for keeping his ship steady during a gale while anchored in the Basque Roads
. The wind was so fierce that Magnificent lost both anchors and was almost driven onto rocks. Only an extremely skilful act of seamanship from Hayes saved Magnificent and her crew from the rocks, and Hayes was afterwards known as the "Magnificent Hayes". In response to a string of British defeats by powerful American frigates at the start of the War of 1812
, Hayes suggested that several old ships of the line be razee
d to create 56-gun ships. The idea was accepted and Hayes given command of one of the new ships, HMS Majestic
. Although the new ships did not meet any American frigates directly, Majestic did encounter the Terpsichore at the Action of 2 February 1814, and defeated her in a lengthy engagement, the French ship sinking soon afterwards. The following year, Hayes was present at the Capture of USS President
, but Majestic was not closely engaged.
After the end of the war, Hayes was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath and in 1819 was appointed superintendent of HMNB Devonport
, remaining at the post for some years and taking an active role in the design and development of new ships, publishing a number of well received pamphlets on the subject. In 1829 he was given command of HMS Ganges
at Portsmouth
and the following year moved to HMS Dryad
as Commodore of the West Africa station. In 1832 he returned to Europe and in 1837 was promoted to rear-admiral. He died the following year at Southsea, Hampshire and was buried in Farlington. Little is known of his family life, but he had a number of sons, two of whom later became admirals in the Royal Navy, Courtenay Osborn Hayes and John Montagu Hayes.
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...
(1767 or 1775 – 7 April 1838) 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 late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hayes was best known for his skill at seamanship and his interest in the design and construction of naval vessels, beginning with his childhood education at Deptford Dockyard where his uncle Adam was a master shipbuilder. During his naval service he participated in the first and the last significant frigate actions of the French Revolutionary
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...
and 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...
, from the inconclusive engagement between Embuscade
French frigate Embuscade (1790)
-French service:In 1792, she escorted convoys to and from Martinique, and ferried Edmond-Charles Genêt to the USA. On 31 July 1793, she encountered and fought Boston at the Action of 31 July 1793....
and HMS Boston
HMS Boston (1762)
HMS Boston was a 32-gun Richmond-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1762 and serveded 1778 during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary War.- References :...
in 1793 and the capture of USS President
USS President (1800)
USS President was a nominally rated 44-gun wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She was named by George Washington to reflect a principle of the United States Constitution. Forman Cheeseman was in charge of her construction, and she was launched in April 1800 from a...
in 1815. After the war's end, Hayes was appointed as superintendent of HMNB Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
and later was commander in chief off West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
Life
John Hayes was born in uncertain circumstances, either in 1767 or 1775. Although it is known that his uncle was Adam Hayes, master shipbuilder at Deptford Dockyard. Adam Hayes ensured that his nephew was entered on the books of various ships from the age of seven: this legal loophole allowed John Hayes to develop necessary seniority without actually serving at sea. Instead, John Hayes was educated at the dockyard until 1787, when he was sent to the ship of the lineShip 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 Orion
HMS Orion (1787)
HMS Orion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford on 1 June 1787 to the design of the , by William Bately...
under Sir Hyde Parker. In 1790 he moved to the frigate HMS Pearl under Captain George Courtenay and followed Courtenay to HMS Boston
HMS Boston (1762)
HMS Boston was a 32-gun Richmond-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1762 and serveded 1778 during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary War.- References :...
in 1793 after 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...
. Within months, Boston was engaged in action with the French frigate Embuscade
French frigate Embuscade (1790)
-French service:In 1792, she escorted convoys to and from Martinique, and ferried Edmond-Charles Genêt to the USA. On 31 July 1793, she encountered and fought Boston at the Action of 31 July 1793....
at the Action of 31 July 1793
Action of 31 July 1793
The Action of 31 July 1793 was an inconclusive engagement between a British Royal Navy frigate and French frigate off the New Jersey coastline in the first year of the French Revolutionary Wars...
. Embuscade had been anchored in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
harbour, and Courtenay sent an offer of battle in to Captain Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart
Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart
Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart was a French privateer, navy officer and admiral. He was related to the noted Admiral Maxime de Bompart.He took part in the American War of Independence as a young officer....
, who sailed out to meet him. In the ensuing engagement, Courtenay was killed and Boston badly damaged. The ship was eventually forced to flee before Embuscade, escaping into the Atlantic.
Despite the inconclusive end to the engagement, Hayes was promoted on his return to Britain and joined HMS Dido
HMS Dido (1784)
HMS Dido was one of the twenty-seven Enterprise class of 28-gunsixth-rate frigates in service with the Royal Navy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Dido was commissioned in September 1787 under the command of Captain Charles Sandys...
under Captain Sir Charles Hamilton, moving with Hamilton to HMS San Fiorenzo
HMS St Fiorenzo (1794)
HMS St Fiorenzo was a 38-gun fifth rate of the Royal Navy. She had previously served with the French Navy as the Minerve, before the British captured her during the French Revolutionary Wars. She went on to serve under a number of the most distinguished naval commanders of her age, in theatres...
in the Mediterranean shortly afterwards. In 1799, while serving in the West Indies, Hayes was promoted to commander and in 1802 became a post captain. For the next seven years he remained in reserve, before taking command of the ship of the line HMS Alfred
HMS Alfred (1778)
HMS Alfred was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 22 October 1778 at Chatham.She fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in 1780.Alfred was broken up in 1814....
in 1809, assisting in the evacuation of troops from Galicia, Spain following the Battle of Corunna
Battle of Corunna
The Battle of Corunna refers to a battle of the Peninsular War. On January 16, 1809, a French army under Marshal Soult attacked the British under Sir John Moore...
. Later in the year he served in the Walcheren Expedition in HMS Achille
HMS Achille (1798)
HMS Achille was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. She was built by Cleverley Bros., a private shipyard at Gravesend, and launched on 16 April 1798. Her design was based on the lines of the captured French ship...
and then moved to HMS Freija in the West Indies in December 1809, almost immediately participating in the Action of 18 December 1809 and the invasion of Guadeloupe
Invasion of Guadeloupe (1810)
The Invasion of Guadeloupe was a British amphibious operation fought between 28 January and 6 February 1810 over control of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe during the Napoleonic Wars. The island was the final remaining French colony in the Americas, following the systematic invasion and capture...
.
In 1812, Hayes moved to command HMS Magnificent
HMS Magnificent (1806)
HMS Magnificent was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 30 August 1806 at Blackwall Yard.She was hulked in 1825, and eventually sold out of the service in 1843....
off Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, and in her gained fame for keeping his ship steady during a gale while anchored in the Basque Roads
Basque Roads
Basque Roads is a sheltered bay on the Biscay shore of the Charente-Maritime département of France, bounded by the Île d'Oléron to the west and the Île de Ré to the north...
. The wind was so fierce that Magnificent lost both anchors and was almost driven onto rocks. Only an extremely skilful act of seamanship from Hayes saved Magnificent and her crew from the rocks, and Hayes was afterwards known as the "Magnificent Hayes". In response to a string of British defeats by powerful American frigates at the start of 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...
, Hayes suggested that several old ships of the line be razee
Razee
A razee or razée is a sailing ship that has been cut down to reduce the number of decks. The word is derived from the French vaisseau rasé, meaning a razed ship.-Sixteenth century:...
d to create 56-gun ships. The idea was accepted and Hayes given command of one of the new ships, HMS Majestic
HMS Majestic (1785)
HMS Majestic was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line launched on 11 December 1785 at Deptford. She fought at the Battle of the Nile, where she engaged the French ships Tonnant and Heureux, helping to force their surrenders...
. Although the new ships did not meet any American frigates directly, Majestic did encounter the Terpsichore at the Action of 2 February 1814, and defeated her in a lengthy engagement, the French ship sinking soon afterwards. The following year, Hayes was present at the Capture of USS President
Capture of USS President
The Capture of USS President was the result of a naval action fought at the end of the Anglo-American War of 1812. The frigate President tried to break out of New York Harbor, but was intercepted by a British squadron of four frigates and was forced to surrender.-Prelude:At the time of the battle...
, but Majestic was not closely engaged.
After the end of the war, Hayes was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath and in 1819 was appointed superintendent of HMNB Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
, remaining at the post for some years and taking an active role in the design and development of new ships, publishing a number of well received pamphlets on the subject. In 1829 he was given command of HMS Ganges
HMS Ganges (1821)
HMS Ganges was an 84-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 November 1821 at Bombay Dockyard, constructed from teak...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and the following year moved to HMS Dryad
HMS Dryad (1795)
HMS Dryad was a fifth-rate sailing frigate of the Royal Navy that served for 64 years, at first during the Napoleonic Wars and then in the suppression of slavery. She fought in a notable single-ship action in 1805 when she captured the Proserpine, an action that would later earn her crew the Naval...
as Commodore of the West Africa station. In 1832 he returned to Europe and in 1837 was promoted to rear-admiral. He died the following year at Southsea, Hampshire and was buried in Farlington. Little is known of his family life, but he had a number of sons, two of whom later became admirals in the Royal Navy, Courtenay Osborn Hayes and John Montagu Hayes.