A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hills, George
HILLS. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 23; h-p., 32.)
George Hills, born 8 Nov. 1777, is only surviving son of Lieut. Wm. Hills, R.N., of Buckland, co. Kent, who perished when in command of H.M. cutter Mutine, in a heavy gale of wind, in Dec. of the same year; grandson of the late Admiral John Barker; and nephew of Capt. John Hills, R.N., who lost his life from yellow fever, at Jamaica, in 1794, while commanding the Hermione 32.
This officer entered the Navy, 13 June, 1792, as Captain’s Servant (under the auspices of his uncle, Capt. John Hills), on board the Bulldog 16, Capt. Geo. Hope, on the Mediterranean station. Accompanying the same Captain, in Aug. 1793, into L’Eclair 18, commanded next by Capt. Geo. Henry Towry, he served in that vessel at the ensuing occupation of Toulon; after which we find him (until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 17 July, 1798) employed for a few months in the Leviathan 74, Capt. Lord Hugh Seymour, and for four years, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Ranger 18, commanded on the Home station by Capts. Jas. Hardy and Chas. Campbell. He then joined L’Atalante 18, Capts. Digby Dent and Anselm John Griffiths, and was afterwards appointed, on the Channel, Irish, and Halifax stations – 6 May, 1799 to the Amethyst 36, Capts. John Cooke, Henry Rich. Glynn, Alex. Campbell, John Wm. Spranger, and Thos. Alexander – in the autumn of 1804 to the Dryad 36, Capts. John Giffard and Adam Drummond – 7 Dec. 1807, to the Swiftsure 74 bearing the flag of Sir John Borlase Warren – and, 28 Jan. 1808, to the Atalante 18, Capt. John Evans. During an attachment of more than five years to the Amethyst, Mr. Hills (besides assisting at the debarkation of the troops in the expedition of 1800 to Ferrol, and being employed in the conveyance of royal and diplomatic personages) contributed to the capture of three privateers, carrying 34 guns and 270 men, and was present at the taking 28 Jan. and 9 April, 1801, of the French 36-gun frigate La Dédaigneuse, and national corvette Le Général Brune, of 14 guns. He also, on the night of 29 Aug. 1800, fought in the boats of a squadron, 20 in number, commanded by Lieut. Henry Burke, at the cutting-out, close to the batteries in Vigo Bay, of La Guêpe privateer, of 18 guns and 161 men, which vessel, 25 of whose people were killed and 40 wounded, was in 15 minutes boarded and carried, with a loss to the British of 3 seamen and 1 marine killed, 3 Lieutenants, 12 seamen, and 5 marines wounded, and 1 seaman missing. When in the Dryad, in 1806-7, Mr. Hills was for six weeks employed, in company with H.M.S. Diana, in a fruitless quest of two French frigates among the ice-bergs on the coast of Greenland and in Davis’ Strait. He was ultimately advanced, 20 April, 1808, to the command of the Columbine sloop, on the North American station, whence he returned home and was paid off in March, 1810. He attained Post-rank 7 June, 1814, and was last employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Preventive Water-Guard, from Dec. 1820 to Nov. 1825. He accepted the half-pay of retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Hills married, 10 March, 1815, Diana, third daughter of the late Thos. Hammersley, Esq., by whom he has issue eight children. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.