A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hargood, William
HARGOOD. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 16; h-p., 18.)
William Hargood, born 22 June, 1801, is nephew of the late Admiral Sir Wm. Hargood, G.C.B., G.C.H.,[1]
and is descended in the male line from the ancient and noble family of Harcourt, the last of whose Earls died in 1830, at which period the title became extinct. Capt. Hargood’s father, a gentleman in the law, was an elder brother of the Admiral.
This officer entered the Navy, 19 June, 1813, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Fylla 22, Capt. Wm. Shepheard, bearing the flag of his uncle on the Jersey and Guernsey station, where he accompanied the Admiral into the Alonzo sloop, and continued until June, 1814. During the next three years we find him employed as a student at the Royal Naval College. On leaving that institution he re-embarked, as a Volunteer, on board the Blossom 24, Capts.,Fred. Hickey and Fred. Edw. Vernon, and sailed for South America, where he appears to have been employed, the last 20 months as Midshipman, until Sept. 1820. He then joined the Sybille 44, of which ship, bearing the flag in the West Indies of Sir Chas. Rowley, he was created a Lieutenant 5 Oct. 1822. Being paid off in June, 1823, Mr. Hargood was next appointed – 6 Dec. following, to the Tweed 28, Capt. Fred. Hunn, with whom he was once more ordered to South America – 27 Oct. 1825 (after seven months of half-pay), to the Hyperion 42, Capt. Wm. Jas. Mingaye, lying at Newhaven for the purposes of the Coast Blockade – and, 5 Dec. 1826, again to the Sybille, bearing the broad pendant of Sir Fras. Augustus Collier on the coast of Africa, where, on one occasion, while officer of the watch, he received so severe a contusion of the fore-finger of the left hand as to render its immediate amputation necessary. He remained in the Sybille until promoted to the rank of Commander 15 Jan. 1828; after which he procured an appointment, 20 July, 1832, to the Scout 18. In that sloop he proceeded to the North Sea, whence, in the following year, after having been intermediately employed in imposing an embargo on the ships belonging to the subjects of the King of the Netherlands, he was ordered to the Mediterranean. Exchanging, in Dec. 1833, into the Scylla 16, Capt. Hargood soon afterwards returned to England, and on 8 March, 1834, was paid off. He has not been since afloat. His present rank was conferred on him 10 Jan. 1837.
Capt. Hargood married, 1 Oct. 1828, Catherine, eldest daughter of Henry Harison, Esq., of Seaford, co. Sussex, by whom he has issue two sons and two daughters. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.
- ↑ Sir Wm. Hargood bore a part, when a Lieutenant of the Magnificent 74, in Sir Geo. Rodney’s action with the Comte de Grasse 12 April, 1782. He commanded the Hyaena 24, when that vessel was captured by the French in May, 1793; and between 1794 and his attainment of Flag-rank 31 July, 1810, he successively officiated as Captain of the Iris frigate, Leopard 60, Nassau and Intrepid 64’s, Belleisle 80 (part of the victorious fleet in the action off Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805), and Northumberland 74. In April, 1808, he was appointed a Colonel of Marines. From the close of 1810 until made a Vice-Admiral in 1814, we find him discharging the duties of Admiral Superintendent at Portsmouth, and of Commander-in-Chief on the Jersey and Guernsey station; in which latter capacity he was subsequently employed at Plymouth from April, 1833, until April, 1836. He was created a K.C.B. in 1815, and in 1831 a G.C.B. and G.C.H. He died at Bath, an Admiral of the White, 12 Dec. 1839.