A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hewson, George
HEWSON. (Captain, 1817. f-p., 22; h-p., 37.)
George Hewson, born 26 July, 1776, is second son of the late Rev. Fras. Hewson, M.A., of Woodford, near Listowel, co. Kerry, by Margaret, daughter of Lancelot Sandes, Esq., of Kilcavan, Queen’s co. He is brother of John Fras. Hewson, Esq., of Ennismore, a Deputy-Lieutenant for Kerry, and of the present Lieut. Maurice Hewson, R.N.; first-cousin of the Right Hon. Maurice Fitzgerald, the Knight of Kerry; and second-cousin of Lord Monteagle.
This officer entered the Navy, in Feb. 1788,, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Racehorse 18, Capts. Thos. Foley and Mackay, under whom he served for four years on the Home station, latterly as Midshipman. In Nov. 1792 he became attached to the Kingfisher 18, Capt. Thos. Graves, lying at Portsmouth; and on 19 March, 1793, he rejoined Capt. Foley, on board the St. George 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral John Gell, and fitting for the Mediterranean, on his passage whither he witnessed the capture of Le Général Dumourier privateer, and her prize the St. Iago, a galleon, with treasure on board to the value of a million sterling.. On the occupation of Toulon by Lord Hood, Mr. Hewson was employed on shore with a party of seamen at Fort Mulgrave; after which we find him uniting in the operations of 1794 against Corsica, and – immediately on passing his examination, which, he did before Nelson – appointed (through the instrumentality of Sir Hyde Parker, who had succeeded Rear-Admiral Gell) to the Britannia 100,. bearing the flag of Admiral Hotham; from which ship, subsequently to that officer’s first partial action with the French fleet, he was promoted, 16 March, 1795, to the rank of Lieutenant, and placed on board Le Censeur 74, Capt. Thos. Boys, one of the prizes taken on that occasion. His next appointments were – 18 April, 1795, to the Inconstant 36, Capt. Thos. Fras. Fremantle, also in the Mediterranean, where he assisted at the capture, 20 April, 1796, of the French 28-gun frigate Unité in Oct. 1797, to the Impétueux 74, Capt. John Willet Payne, in the Channel – 1 March, 1799, as First, to the Boadicea 38, Capts. Rich. Goodwin Keats and Chas. Rowley, by whom, as he had been by Capt. Payne, he was frequently employed on boat expeditions, on one of which occasions, we are informed, he contributed to the destruction of a convoy in the passage du Raz, and on another was; officially noticed for his conduct at the cutting-out of a lugger of 6 guns from under the batteries of St. Matthew – 13 June and 19 Oct. 1803, also as First, to the Ruby and Gelykheid 64’s, Capts. Hon. Fras. Farington Gardner and Isaac Wolley, both on the Home station – 28 Feb. 1805, as Second, to the Royal Sovereign 100, Capts. Mark Robinson and John Conn, flag-ship for some time of Sir Rich. Hussey Bickerton on the east coast of Spain – 11 Oct. 1805, to the Dreadnought 98, Capt. Conn, under whom he fought at Trafalgar, virtually we believe as First-Lieutenant, but was left unpromoted, owing to the circumstances of his position not being known at the Admiralty, and to his inability to enter into an explanation – and, 17 June, 1806, again as Senior, to the Superb 74, commanded by his friend Capt. Keats. Being at length, after having attended the expedition to Copenhagen, presented with a second promotal commission bearing date 13 Oct. 1807, he further joined, in the capacity of Commander – 15 July, 1809, La Fléche 14, in which vessel be assisted at the reduction of Flushing, and, on its evacuation by the British, covered their retreat – 22 Oct. 1810 (having lost La Flêche off the mouth of the river Elbe on 24 of the previous May) the Coquette 18, employed at Portsmouth and Leith until Jan. 1812 – and 7 June, 1814, the Griffon 14, in the Downs, where he served until his health obliged him to invalid in May, 1816. Capt. Hewson attained Post-rank 1 Jan. 1817; and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
He married, in 1808, Grace, daughter of W. Marshall, Esq., of Great Grimsby, co. Lincoln, second-cousin of the Duke of St. Albans, and first-cousin of Sir J. M. Brackenbury, late Consul at Cadiz, and of Colonel Sir Edw. Brackenbury, K.T.S. By that lady he has issue three sons, all in the medical profession, and one daughter.