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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hamilton, Augustus Barrington Price Powell

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1736023A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Hamilton, Augustus Barrington Price PowellWilliam Richard O'Byrne

HAMILTON. (Lieut., 1802. f-p., 8; h-p., 43.)

Augustus Barrington Price Powell Hamilton, born 22 May, 1781, is second son of the late Chas. Powell Hamilton, Esq., Admiral of the Red, who died 12 March, 1825; brother of Hamilton Chas. Jas. Hamilton, Esq., Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Brazil; and great-grandson of James, fourth Duke of Hamilton.

This officer entered the Navy, 4 April, 1796, as Midshipman, on board the Prince 98, commanded by his father in the Channel. On next joining the London 98, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral John Colpoys, he was an eye-witness in that ship of the mutiny at Spithead in 1797; after which event he became successively attached to the Melpomène and Phaeton frigates, Capts. Sir Chas. Hamilton and Jas. Nicoll Morris. In the boats of the latter ship, after escorting the Earl of Elgin as Ambassador to Constantinople, Mr. Hamilton assisted, under the orders of Lieut. Fras. Beaufort, in cutting out, 28 Oct. 1800, after an obstinate engagement, the Spanish polacre-rigged ship San Josef, carrying 14 brass guns, 34 seamen, and 22 soldiers, moored under the protection of 5 guns in the fortress of Fuengirola, near Malaga. The enemy in this very spirited affair sustained a loss of 19 men wounded, and the British of 1 killed and 4 wounded, including among the latter Mr. Hamilton himself, who, although shot through the thigh in the onset, gallantly boarded with the rest, and was highly spoken of for his conduct.[1] Between the date of his quitting the Phaeton, 2 Feb. 1802, and his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, which took place 8 Oct. following, he appears to have been next occupied for short periods in the Latona 38, Capt. Frank Sotheron, Resistance 36, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse, and Royal Charlotte yacht, Capt. Sir Harry Neale. He then joined the Révolutionnaire frigate, Capt. Loch, and was afterwards, between April and Aug. 1804, employed in the Mediterranean on board the Victory 104, flag-ship of Lord Nelson, and Amazon 38, Capt. Wm. Parker. He has not, we believe, been since afloat.

Lieut. Hamilton married, 2 April, 1805, Maria Catherine, daughter of the late John Hyde, Esq., and grand-daughter of Lord Francis Seymour, by whom he has had issue eight sons and three daughters. His eldest surviving son, Charles Henry, is a Commander R.N.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1800, p. 1280.