A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hill, John (a)
HILL. (Lieut., 1810. f-p., 26; h-p., 23.)
John Hill (a) entered the Navy, 6 March, 1798, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Europa 50, Capt. Jas. Stevenson, under whom he attained the rating of Midshipman 1 Jan. 1799, and continued to serve, in the same ship, and in L’Egyptienne 50, and L’Africaine 38, on the Channel and Mediterranean stations, until Feb. 1802. Attending, during that period, the expedition of 1801 to Egypt, he served in a launch with a carronade, and had two men wounded, while engaged, on 8 March, in covering the debarkation of the troops; and he was afterwards for six months employed on shore with the army. In May, 1803, he re-embarked on board the Leyden 64, Capt. John Seater, lying in the river Thames, whence, however, he soon sailed for the West Indies, with Capt. John Ayscough, in the Camel store-ship. In the course of 1804-5 Mr. Hill there accompanied the same Captain in the Reynard, Shark, and Goelan sloops; in the first and last mentioned of which we find him frequently coming into contact with the enemy’s privateers. From the Goelan, which during the last two years and four months had been commanded by Capts. Arth. Lysaght, Benj. Clement, and Fred. Hoffman, he removed, in June, 1808, to the Hebe frigate, Capt. John Fyffe. On 4 April, 1809, he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Pelican 18, Capt. Edw. Henry A’Court, also attached to the force in the West Indies, where, being confirmed to that vessel by commission dated 4 May, 1810, he continued to serve for a further period of 17 months. During nearly the whole of 1811 Mr. Hill was employed off North Cape in the Trinculo sloop, Capt. Alex. Rennie. His subsequent appointments were, to the command – 26 Aug. 1812, of the Landrail 10, in which vessel he performed a service of some importance connected with the restoration of Louis XVIII. – in June, 1814, of the Pioneer 10, on the Newfoundland and Downs stations – 18 May, 1816, after a few months of half-pay, of the Surly 10, employed, until paid off in Sept. 1818, on Home duty – 2 March, 1829, of the Rinaldo Falmouth packet, which he put out of commission 19 Aug. 1834 – and, 20 Aug. 1839, of the Crane, another packet, also on the Falmouth station. On 11 of the following Sept., while fitting at Woolwich, Lieut. Hill had the honour, owing to the absence on leave of the Captain-Superintendent, of receiving their Majesties the Queen and Queen Dowager, the King and Queen of the Belgians, and the Duke of Saxe Coburg, and conveying them on board the Lightning steamer, on the occasion of the departure of the latter personage from this country. He had likewise, a few days .previously, received the King and Queen of the Belgians on their arrival in the Véloce French steamer. He has been on half-pay since May, 1842. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.