A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hillier, Curry William
HILLIER. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 22; h-p., 35.)
Curry William Hillier, born 6 Jan. 1778, is the son of a superannuated Warrant-officer who died at Devonport, 13 March, 1829, aged 89.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1790, as a Servant, on board the Alfred 74, Capts. Harvey and John Bazely, under the latter of whom he fought as Midshipman in Lord Howe’s action 1 June, 1794. While next attached, during a period of three years, to the Blenheim 98, successively commanded by Capts. Bazely, Thos. Lennox Frederick, and Wm. Bowen, we find him participating in one of Hotham’s engagements in 1795, sharing also in the victory gained by Sir John Jervis off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797, and witnessing the ensuing bombardment of Cadiz by Sir Horatio Nelson. After further figuring in many boat encounters with the enemy’s flotilla at the latter place, he removed, in Sept. 1797, to the Emerald 36, Capts. Lord Proby and Thos. Moutray Waller, on the Mediterranean station, where he was for a long time employed at the blockade of Alexandria and Malta, and where, on 3 Sept. 1798, he managed, in one of the ship’s boats, to rescue the Captain and 7 men belonging to the French cutter L’Animona from the fury of the Arabs, who put to death all the remainder of the crew, originally 60 in number. Once, while on detached service in the Crucifix, an armed tender, Mr. Hillier had the misfortune to be wrecked, on the Maltese coast. For his subsequent conduct as Master’s Mate of the Pompée 74, Capt. Chas. Stirling, in Sir Jas. Saumarez’ action oif Algeciras 6 July, 1801, on which occasion he received a severe wound,[1] he was eventually promoted to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the San Antonio 74, Capt. Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas, one of the prizes taken in the battle fought six days afterwards in the Gut of Gibraltar. Being confirmed, 8 Oct. following, into the Vanguard 74, he served for four years in that ship on the West India station under Capts. Sir Thos. Williams, Jas. Walker, Lord Wm. FitzRoy, Andrew Fitzherbert Evans, and Jas. Newman Newman – two years of the time as First-Lieutenant. He was consequently present at the capture, in 1803, of the French 74-gun ship Le Duquesne, and of La Créole, of 44 guns, with the French General Morgan and 530 troops on board; and he was for some time employed on shore at St. Marc’s, St. Domingo, where General de Henen and 1100 troops surrendered to him. On landing the latter at St. Nicolas Mole, he was sent with the General and a few prizes to Jamaica. On 4 June, 1806, Mr. Hillier was appointed to the Argo 44, Capt. Stephen Thos. Digby, in whose boats, during a servitude of nearly two years on the Coast of Africa, he was very constantly engaged. In May, 1808, on his arrival at Jamaica, he was under the necessity of going to the hospital at Port Royal, from which he was soon invalided and sent to England, where for a prolonged period of 10 weeks he was confined to the hospital at Deal. On his recovery, he was appointed, 21 Feb. 1809, First of the Royalist 18, Capts. John Maxwell and Geo. Downie; in the boats of which vessel, after attending the expedition to the Walcheren, he served off Calais, Boulogne, Estaples, Dieppe, and Havre, and proved instrumental to the capture of not fewer than 11 privateer luggers and a cutter. The manner in which he once, in Dec. 1811, destroyed a gun-boat, procured him the mention of Capt. Downie in two official letters. So extreme was the exertion undergone by Mr. Hillier while in the Royalist, that in the month of June, 1812, he was again obliged to be sent to the hospital. During the three years and a half he had been employed in her, she had had as many as six Second-Lieutenants, nearly all of whom had been obliged to leave from the same cause as was ultimately himself; and both her Captains, for service in which he participated, were promoted to Post-rank. His next and last appointments were to the command – 29 April and 30 Dec. 1813, of the El Corso and Defiance, lying (the latter as a prison-ship) at Graveaend and Chatham. His advancement to the rank he at present holds took place 7 June, 1814.
Commander Hillier’s health during the war became so shattered, that he has never since ceased to feel the effects of what he then underwent. During the whole term of his career afloat, he was never off duty, except when actually compelled to do so by illness. He was left a widower 19 June, 1844. Agents – Collier and Snee.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1801, p. 931.