A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hankey, Frederick Thomas Barnard
HANKEY. (Commander, 1846. f-p., 17; h-p., 4.)
Frederick Thomas Barnard Hankey, born 3 April, 1813, is third son of John Barnard Hankey, Esq., of Fetcham Park, co. Surrey, by the Hon. Elizabeth De Blaquiere, daughter of John, first Lord De Blaquiere. He is brother of Lieut. Henry Barnard Hankey, R.N.; nephew of General Lord De Blaquiere; and a connexion of Sir Hugh Dillon Massy, Bart.
This officer entered the Navy, in March, 1826, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ganges 84, Capt. Sam. Hood Inglefield, bearing the flag in South America of Rear-Admiral Robt. Waller Otway; became Midshipman, in the autumn of 1829, of the Winchester 52, flag-ship in the West Indies of Sir Edw. Griffith Colpoys; and from Aug. 1831 until the receipt of his first commission, bearing date 11 April, 1833, was employed in the Mediterranean, the last twelve months as Mate, on board the Alfred 60, Capt. Robt. Maunsell, and St. Vincent 120, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Henry Hotham. He continued to serve for some months, on the latter station and off Oporto, in the Belvidera 42, Capt. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas, and was afterwards appointed – 9 June, 1834, to the Orestes 18, Capts. Henry John Codrington, Julius Jas. Farmer Newell, and Wm. Holt, which sloop, also attached to the force in the Mediterranean, he fitted, during a violent gale, with a temporary rudder, and by that means enabled her to proceed 200 miles under close-reefed sails – 2 Feb. 1839, as First, to the Acorn 16, Capt. John Adams, with whom he served for three years on the coast of Africa – and 7 Stay, 1844, in a similar capacity, to the Collingwood 80, flag-ship in the Pacific of Sir Geo. Fras. Seymour. During the period of his continuance in the Acorn, Mr. Hankey was instrumental to the liberation of about 1500 negroes, and the condemnation of about 3300 tons of shipping. On one occasion he was strongly recommended to Rear-Admiral Fred. Warren, the Acting-Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth, for his conduct in having intrepidly boarded, with a party of volunteers, during a passage made by the Acorn to England, and in the midst of a heavy gale, a schooner which had been utterly abandoned, and to which, having lost her own, he fitted a new rudder. He subsequently, on 6 July, 1841, after a running-fight, assisted in capturing the Gabriel a notorious piratical vessel, well armed, and equally well defended. His previous services as interpreter during a negociation carried on between his Captain and the Governor-General of Mozambique, had obtained Mr. Hankey a very complimentary letter from the-latter personage, as well as a flattering appeal in his behalf to the British and Portuguese Governments. He ultimately left the Acorn in consequence of fever contracted on board a slave-vessel of which he had been placed in charge. He was promoted to his present rank, while serving in the Collingwood, 26 June, 1846; and is now on half-pay.
Commander Haukey, we must not omit to record, had distinguished himself when a Lieutenant in the Orestes, by voluntarily going ashore for assistance in the jolly-boat, during a tempest which had dismasted that vessel in the Mole of Malaga. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.