A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hilton, John
HILTON, K.F.M. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 15; h-p., 33.)
John Hilton entered the Navy, 12 July, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Hecla sloop, Capt. Peter Turner Bover, part of the force employed in the ensuing expedition to the Helder. After further serving for a short time with the same officer as Midshipman in the Megaera fire-vessel, he joined Sir Andrew Mitchell, in Sept. 1800, on board the Windsor Castle 98, in which ship and in the Blenheim 98, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Manley Dixon, he did duty, in the Channel and North Sea, until Nov. 1802. Between April, 1803, and Dec. 1805, we find him employed off the coast of Ireland, and again in the Channel, on board the Thunderer 74, Capt. Wm. Bedford, and Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Lord Gardner; and participating, during that period, in the capture, by the Thunderer and other vessels, of the French frigate La Franchise, of 36 guns. In Feb. 1806 he became Acting-Lieutenant of the Topaze frigate, Capts. Wm. Luke and Anselm John Griffiths, attached to the force on the coast of Ireland, where he remained until the period of his official promotion, which took place 15 Aug. following. His subsequent appointments were – 15 Oct. 1806, to the Glory 98, Capt. Wm. Albany Otway, off Cadiz – 21 Oct. 1807 and 15 Feb. 1808, to the Sultan 74, and Chiffonne frigate, Capts. Edw. Griffith and John Wainwright, fitting at Woolwich and Portsmouth – and, 6 June, 1808, 16 Nov. 1811, and 7 June, 1813, to the Bustard 10, Ganymede 26, and Minstrel 20, Capts. John Duff Markland, John Brett Purvis, and Robt. Mitford, all on the Mediterranean station. On 24 July, 1810 [errata 1], he received four wounds while attempting to burn an armed felucca under Cape del Arme; and, on 23 Sept. 1811, he obtained the royal authority to accept and wear the insignia of a K.F.M., which his Sicilian Majesty had been pleased to confer on him “as a testimony of his royal approbation of the great courage and intrepidity displayed by him in various actions with the enemy’s vessels near Messina.” His promotion to the rank of Commander took place 15 June, 1814; since which period he has not been employed. Agents – Coplands and Burnett.