A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ellicombe, Hugh Middelton
ELLICOMBE. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 18; h-p., 8.)
Hugh Middelton Ellicombe was born 5 Oct. 1807.
This officer entered the Navy, 17 Feb. 1821, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Impregnable 104, Capt. Chas. Dashwood, flag-ship at Plymouth of Sir Alex. Cochrane. In the early part of 1823 he proceeded to the West Indies as Midshipman of the Forte 44, Capt. Sir Thos. John Cochrane; and, from Sept. in the following year, until 1827, when he passed his examination, he served, latterly at the Cape of Good Hope, on board the Dartmouth 46, Capt. Hon. Jas. Ashley Maude, Nightingale 8, Lieut.-Commander. Wm. Hewgill Kitchen, and Helicon 10. During the next seven years we find him successively joining, as Mate, on various stations, the Samarang 28, Capt. David Dunn, Cordelia 10, Capt. Courtenay Edm. Wm. Boyle, Curlew 10, Capts. Geo. Woolcombe and Henry Dundas Trotter, Maidstone 42, Commodore Chas. Marsh Schomberg, and Donegal 78, Britannia 120, and San Josef 110, flag-ships of Sir Pulteney Malcolm and Sir Wm. Hargood. Obtaining a commission 15 Nov. 1834, Mr. Ellicombe was next appointed, 22 May, 1835, to the Ringdove 16, Capt. Wm. Fred. Lapidge, under whom he appears to have been very actively employed on the north coast of Spain, particularly at the siege of Bilbao, in Nov. and Dec. 1836, and for his services on that occasion to have been presented by the Queen Regent, in common with the other officers engaged, with the “Cross of Bilbao” and the order of Isabella la Catolica. His subsequent appointments were – 26 Aug. 1837, to the Pique 36, Capt. Edw. Boxer, employed on Particular Service – 13 May, 1840, and 23 Jan. 1841, to the Rodney 92, and, as First-Lieutenant, to the Gorgon steam-vessel, Capts. Robt. Maunsell and Wm. Honyman Henderson, both on the Mediterranean station, where, in the former ship, he served at the blockade of Alexandria – and, 10 Sept. 1841, to the Niagara 20, Capt. Williams Sandom, on the lakes of Canada. He left the latter vessel on his advancement to the rank of Commander, 23 Nov. 1841, and, since 17 Nov. 1846, has been in command of the Rolla 10, on the coast of Africa.