A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hillyar, William
HILLYAR. (Captain, 1836. f-p., 26; h-p., 26.)
William Hillyar, born 3 June, 1788, is son of Jas. Hillyar, Esq., Surgeon R.N.; brother of the late Rear-Admiral Sir Jas. HiUyar, K.C.B., K.C.H., and of the present Dr. Robt. Purkis Hillyar, K.H., K.T.S., Inspector of Hospitals and Fleets, who served as Surgeon of the Roebuck and Apollo in the expeditions of 1801 and 1807 to Egypt, and was Surgeon of the Albion 74, at the battle of Navarin; and uncle of Lieuts. C. F. and H. S. Hillyar, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in Dec. 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Phaeton 38, Capts. Hon. Robt. Stopford and Jas. N. Morris, of which frigate his brother, the late Sir Jas. Hillyar, was then Second-Lieutenant. During the five following years he presents himself to our notice as being very actively employed – a great part of the time as Midshipman – off the coast of France, also in cruizing to the westward, and ultimately in the Mediterranean, where he co-operated for several months with the Austrian army on the northern shores of Italy, and beheld the surrender of Genoa. Towards the close of 1800 he joined the Niger troop-ship, under the orders of his brother, with whom he continued uninterruptedly to serve, chiefly on the Mediterranean station, until Jan. 1808. On the 18th of Aug. 1803, while at the blockade of Genoa, Mr. Hillyar was sent with a prize felucca and a small boat, under the command of Lieut. Jones, to effect the capture of a large Greek ship steering for that port. Determined, apparently, to reach their destination, and availing themselves of a light breeze which had sprung up and retarded the advance of the British, the enemy maintained a stern and fierce resistance. Lieut. Jones, at the commencement of the conflict, was mortally wounded, but, although they were at first repulsed, the crew of the felucca, now led by Mr. Hillyar, returned to the charge, and in a few minutes gained possession of the ship’s deck, the Greeks being compelled either to run below or jump overboard. To evince his estimation of this exploit. Lord Nelson, on the 27th of the same month, promoted Mr. Hillyar to the vacancy created by the death of Lieut. Jones, and as he had but just accomplished his 15th year, his Lordship further obtained an Order in Council to confirm this mark of extraordinary favour. Of the Niger, which ship was afterwards employed for a long time, as an Active frigate, at the blockade of Toulon and Cadiz, our officer eventually became First-Lieutenant. His appointments on leaving her were – 18 March and 18 Nov. 1808, to the Woolwich armée en flûte, and Hind 28, Capts. Eras. Beaufort and John Rich. Lumley, also in the Mediterranean, where he officiated for 20 months as Senior Lieutenant of the last-mentioned vessel – and 16 Aug. 1810 and 8 May, 1811, to the Christian VII. 80, and Caledonia 120, bearing each the flag, off the Scheldt and again in the Mediterranean, of the late Lord Exmouth, under whom, besides witnessing the partial actions of 5 Nov. 1813 and 13 Feb. 1814, with the Toulon fleet, he was again, in April, 1814, present at the fall of Genoa – we believe as First-Lieutenant. Being advanced to the rank of Commander by commission dated 27 Aug. 1814, Capt. Hillyar was subsequently appointed in that capacity – 6 July, 1824, to the Coast Guard at Merazion, where he remained three years – and, 14 March, 1834, to the Revenge 78, Capt. Wm. Elliott, in which ship, successively employed on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations, he remained until posted 20 Jan. 1836. During the preceding year he had been ordered to observe and report upon the sailing-trials between H.M. ships Vernon, Barham, and Columbine, and so completely did the report he made win the approbation of the Sea Lords of the Admiralty, that in the June following his promotion he was nominated Secretary (in the Bellerophon 80) to Hon. Sir Chas. Paget, for the purpose of making all the observations and reports required in a series of experimental cruizes then about to take place. He left the Bellerophon in Dec. 1836; and was lastly employed, from 15 May, 1840, until he resigned 7 Aug. 1841, on board the Southampton 50, as Flag-Captain to Sir Edw. Durnford King, Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope.
Capt. Hillyar is married and has issue. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.