A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hart, Francis
HART. (Commander, 1830.)
Francis Hart died in March, 1845.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 June, 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Niobe 40, Capts. John Wentworth Loring and Wm. -Augustus Montagu, in which frigate he served on the coasts of Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and France, also in the West Indies, and off Greenland and the Western Islands, until Dec. 1813; participating during that period, as Midshipman, in an attack made, 15 Nov. 1810, by Capt. Chas. Grant of the Diana, upon the two French frigates Amazone and Eliza, protected by the fire of several strong batteries near Cherbourg, as likewise in the subsequent destruction of one of the same ships, near Barfleur, 25 March, 1811. Joining, next, the San Josef 110, bearing the successive flags of Rear-Admirals Edw. Jas. Foote and Sir Rich. King, he witnessed, on proceeding to the Mediterranean, the two partial actions with the Toulon fleet of 5 Nov. 1813 and 13 Feb. 1814. Towards the close of the latter year he sailed for the East Indies in the Cornwallis 74, bearing the flag of Sir Geo. Burlton, from which ship, commanded latterly by Capt. Robt. O’Brien, he removed, 9 April, 1816, as Acting-Lieutenant, to the Leda 36, Commodore Geo. Sayer. He was officially promoted 20 Jan. 1818, and subsequently appointed – 6 Oct. and 3 Dec. following, to the Minden 74, flagship of Sir Rich. King, and Conway 26, Capt. Edw. Barnard, also in the East Indies – 3 Dec. 1821, to the Semiramis frigate, bearing the flag at Cork of Lord Colville – 22 Sept. 1825, to the Volage 28, Capts. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas and Michael Seymour, on the South American station – and, 22 Aug. 1829, to the Alligator 28, Capt. Chas. Philip Yorke, in the Mediterranean. He attained the rank of Commander 26 Nov. 1830, but was not afterwards employed. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.