A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hibbs, Robert John
HIBBS. (Lieutenant, 1796. f-p., 25; h-p., 34.)
Robert John Hibbs entered the Navy, 22 Nov. 1788, as a Volunteer, on board the Porcupine 24, Capts. Brabazon, Geo. Martin, and Edw. Buller. With the exception of an attachment of three months, towards the close of 1790, to the Nassau 64, Capt. Andw. Sutherland, he continued to serve, in the above vessel, on the Channel and Irish stations, until 1793, when, accompanying Capt. Buller into the Adventure 44, he proceeded with him to Quebec and Halifax, and was afterwards nearly captured by a French squadron while in escort home of a valuable fleet of merchantmen. On his ultimate arrival with the same officer at the Cape of Good Hope as Acting-Lieutenant of the Crescent 35, Mr. Hibbs there joined in succession the Monarch 74, bearing the flag of Sir Geo. Keith Elphinstone (under whom he witnessed the surrender of the Dutch squadron in Saldanha Bay), Moselle sloop, Capt. Chas. Brisbane, and Stately 64, Capts. Billy Douglas, Patrick Campbell, and John Osborne – of which latter ship he was confirmed a Lieutenant 29 Dec. 1796. He continued to serve on the Cape station, in L’Oiseau 36, Capt. Sam. Hood Linzee, and Jupiter 50, Capt. Geo. Losack, until the end of the French revolutionary war. He then returned home in the Diomede 50, and, after serving for some time in that ship on the Jersey and Guernsey station under the flag of Sir Jas. Saumarez, was further employed, between 1803 and 1809, in the Malta 84, Capt. Edw. Buller, Ajax 74, Capt. Lord Viscount Garlies, San Josef 110, flag-ship of Sir Chas. Cotton, La Flêche sloop, Capt. Thos. White, and Defiance and Bulwark 74’s, Capts. Chas. Ekins and Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming – off Cadiz and Ferrol, in the Channel, off Cherbourg ond Madeira, and in the Mediterranean. Until Dec. 1813, Lieut. Hibbs next held an Admiralty appointment at Greenock. He has since been on half-pay.
This officer, who is the Senior of his rank in the Navy, was admitted to the out-pension of Greenwich Hospital 11 Feb. 1830. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.