A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hamilton, William Price
HAMILTON. (Captain, 1836. f-p., 16; h-p., 21.)
William Price Hamilton died 21 May, 1847, at Belair, near Plymouth, in the 46th year of his age. This officer entered the Navy, 2 Aug. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Scipion 74, Capts. Philip . Chas. Butler Bateman and Jas. Johnstone, bearing the flag of Hon. Robt. Stopford, whom he accompanied to the Cape of Good Hope. Being there lent to the Harpy 18, Capt. Henderson Bain, he joined in the operations of 1811 against the island of Java, where he appears to have been very actively employed in the erection of batteries. On returning, as Midshipman, in Jan. 1812, to the Scipion, he proceeded in that ship with Capt. Hen. Heathcote to the Mediterranean, and was for some time engaged at the blockade of Toulon. In Jan. 1816, after a voyage to the Brazils in the Centaur 74, Capt. Thos. Gordon Caulfeild, and a second visit to the Cape, Mr. Hamilton was received on board the Granicus 36, Capt. Wm. Furlong Wise, by whom, for his conduct when stationed in the fore-top of that ship at the ensuing battle of Algiers, he was recommended in a very strong manner to Hon. Sir Hen. Blackwood, on that officer assuming the chief command in the East Indies. From Oct. 1817, in the course of which month he passed his examination, until July, 1819, he was next employed as Admiralty-Midshipman, on the Irish and South American stations, in the Pandora 18, Capts. Hon. Fred. Noel and Geo. Matthew Jones, and Favorite 26, Capt. Hercules Robinson. He then removed to the Leander 50,. bearing the flag in the East Indies of Sir H. Blackwood, who promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant 20 Aug. 1820, and on 3 March following made him his Signal officer. In July, 1821, he was appointed by the same Admiral First-Lieutenant of the Topaze 46, Capt. Chas. Richardson, and ordered to China, where, in the course of the same year, owing to an unprovoked and barbarous attack made by the natives on an unarmed part of the crew who were peaceably employed on shore, he was imperatively called upon to adopt measures which proved fatal to several of the assailants. He afterwards went back to the Leander and continued to officiate as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir H. Blackwood until nominated, in Oct. 1822, to the acting-command of the Heron 18 – an appointment, however, which was not confirmed. On his return to England Mr. Hamilton, in Nov. 1823, was brought to a court-martial for having occasioned the death of the persons above alluded to; but so honourably was he acquitted, and so highly complimented for his zealous, meritorious, and officer-like conduct, that the Admiralty, on receipt of the sentence, forwarded him by return of post a Commander’s commission, bearing date 13 of the same month. Capt. Hamilton’s next and last appointment was to the command, 31 Oct. 1832, of the Comus 18, attached to the force in North America and the West Indies. While on that station he was more than once selected by Sir Geo. Cockburn, the Commander-in-Chief, to conduct secret and confidential services of a more than ordinarily arduous nature; of all of which he most creditably acquitted himself. On the ultimate passage home of the Comus, via Tampico, we find her Captain, during a short stay at that place, affording effective protection to the British merchants and their property. So favourable was the Port-Admiral’s account of the efficiency and discipline of his ship on her being paid off at Portsmouth in Aug. 1836, that Capt. Hamilton was presented with a Post-commission 28 Oct. following.
He married, in Nov. 1831, Harriet, only daughter of the late R. H. Faulconer, Esq., formerly of Lewes, co. Sussex, by whom he has left issue. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.