A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hayes, George
HAYES. (Captain, 1829. f-p., 33; h-p., 30.)
George Hayes, born 13 May, 1769, is grand-nephew of the late Adam Hayes, Esq., Master Shipwright of Deptford Dockyard; brother of the late Rear-Admiral John Hayes, C.B.; and uncle of Capt. C. O. and Commander J. M. Hayes, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 17 April, 1784, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Thisbe 28, Capt. Geo. Robinson, on the Newfoundland station, whence he returned in March, 1786. He was next, between 1787 and the early part of 1793, employed in the Channel with Capts. Rowley Bulteel and John Salisbury, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Acting-Lieutenant, in the Termagant 18, Narcissus 20, and Andromeda 32; in the boats belonging to which frigates he appears to have arduously cruized, and not unsuccessfully, for the protection of the Revenue. On leaving the Andromeda he was for a short time borne on the books of the Cambridge, guard-ship at Plymouth, for the purpose of inspecting the building of the Experiment lugger. On 25 May, 1793, Mr. Hayes was made Lieutenant into the Adventure 44, Capt. Edw. Buller, from which ship we find him removing to the command, in the following June, of the above-named Experiment. In that vessel, one of 10 guns, he accompanied Sir John Borlase Warren on his expedition of 1795 to Quiberon Bay in support of the Royalist cause. After a subsequent attendance of some time on William Pitt, off Walmer Castle, and experiencing several skirmishes with the enemy’s gun-boats in the Channel, Mr. Hayes proceeded, off Toulon, with despatches for Sir John Jervis, by whom he was sent with others for Sir Gilbert Elliot, the Viceroy of Corsica. On his passage to that island he had the gallantry to beat off a French brig of 12 guns, together with two gun-boats, mounting each 1 gun – an exploit whose importance procured him a very flattering testimonial from the Viceroy. When afterwards on his way to England, again in charge of despatches, the Experiment had the misfortune, on 2 Oct. 1796, to be captured by a Spanish fleet in a calm off the Cape de Gata. On being exchanged, in Jan. 1797, for the Captain of the Mahonesa, a frigate which had been recently taken by Capt. Rich. Bowen of the Terpsichore, Mr. Hayes, whose pecuniary loss by the above catastrophe had been great, joined the Lively 32, Capt. Lord Garlies, under whom, on 14 of the next Feb., he fought in the action off Cape St. Vincent. His subsequent appointments were to the command, on the Home station – 10 April, 1798, of the Redbridge schooner – 11 Dec. 1800 and 6 Feb. 1803, of the George cutter and Aggressor gun-brig, which vessels he respectively left in Oct. 1801 and Dec. 1803 – 19 Nov. 1805, of the Daring gun-brig, part of the force employed in the expedition to the Walcheren, where he exhibited a conspicuous degree of courage and conduct, and obtained a vigorous letter of recommendation from Capt. Philip Carteret, who commanded the gun-boats, to Commodore Owen, not only for his distinguished share in the siege of Flushing, but also for the means he had been of saving the Reynard and Cracker brigs-of-war from destruction, after they had grounded within point-blank shot of the enemy – 11 Dec. 1810, for eight months of the Braave, prison-ship at Plymouth – and, 5 Jan. 1813, of the Whiting schooner. Obtaining a second promotal commission 15 June, 1814, Capt. Hayes was next, from 1817 to 1824, employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Water Guard; the very arduous and harassing duties attached to which office he discharged with so much zeal, activity, and ability, that upon being superseded, he received from the Comptroller General a spontaneous offer of recommending his merits to the notice of the Admiralty. His last appointment was, 4 Dec. 1826, to the Wolf 18, the command of which sloop he retained, on the Mediterranean station, until Feb. 1830. He then went on half-pay, having been advanced to his present rank on 2 of the preceding Dec.
During the term of his servitude as Lieutenant, Capt. Hayes was employed for six months in the Sea Fencibles at Exmouth; for five months with a boat’s crew at the Isle of Wight for the purpose of detecting deserters from the fleet; and for a year and five months at Torpoint, in command of a party of Marines for the apprehension of deserters and the entering of men for the Service. He married, 4 March, 1802, Phoebe, relict of Lieut. Chas. Henry Haswell, R.N., daughter of Capt. Wm. Starr, of Dover, and daughter-in-law of the late Admiral Robt. Haswell. By that lady he has issue two sons (one, the present First-Lieutenant Geo. Jas. Hayes, R.M.) and two daughters. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.