A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hindmarsh, John
HINDMARSH, K.H. (Captain, 1831. f-p., 22; h-p., 32.)
John Hindmarsh entered the Navy, in May, 1793, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Bellerophon 74, Capts. Thos. Pasley, Wm. Hope, Lord Cranstoun, John Loring, and Henry D’Esterre Darby, in which ship he was employed for the long period of seven years, and was consequently present in Lord Howe’s action of 1 June, 1794, in Cornwallis’ retreat of 16 and 17 June, 1795, and at the battle of the Nile, besides sharing, as Midshipman, in most of Nelson’s boat-operations off Cadiz in 1797, and contributing, in 1799, to the capture of the forts at Naples and Gaeta. During the action off the Nile he was for some time the only person left on the Bellerophon’s quarter-deck, and being so at the moment her opponent, L’Orient, caught fire, he ordered the cable to be cut and the spritsail to be set, a measure which, in the opinion of Capt. Darby (who returned to the quarterdeck from the Surgeon’s hands immediately afterwards), saved the ship from destruction. For his conduct on that glorious day Mr. Hindmarsh had the honour of eliciting the public thanks of Lord Nelson, to whom, as subsequently to Earl St. Vincent, and to all the Nile Captains, he was personally presented by Capt. Darby. Although, on the occasion, he received so severe a contusion as ultimately to lose the sight of an eye (a misfortune for which he never obtained any pension), yet, to his honour be it recorded, nothing could induce him to leave his station. Accompanying Capt. Darby, in May, 1800, into the Spencer 74, he had an opportunity, in July, 1801, of sharing both in the action off Algeciras, and in the victory gained by Sir Jas. Saumarez in the Gut of Gibraltar; where he also came into frequent boat-contact with the Spaniards, and was once in particular engaged in repelling a serious attack made by their flotilla upon H.M.S. Northumberland, of 74 guns. The Spencer being paid off in Sept. 1802, on her return from a voyage to the West Indies, Mr. Hindmarsh next, in April, 1803, joined the Victory 100, bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of Lord Nelson, through whose influence he was promoted, on 1 of the following Aug., to a Lieutenancy in the Phoebe 36, Capt. Hon. Thos. Bladen Capel. During a servitude of more than two years in that frigate, he commanded her boats at the capture of many of the enemy’s vessels, and in one instance, having successfully stormed some batteries in the neighbourhood of Toulon, he brought out a ship which had been lying under their protection. After participating in the battle of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805, he contributed, at its close, to the preservation of two of the prizes, the Smiftsure and the Bahama, and was subsequently placed in charge, first of the Fougueux, and then of the Bahama. On leaving the Phoebe he was appointed, in Nov. 1805, Senior of the Beagle 18, Capts. Geo. Digby and Fras. Newcombe, under whom he was for a long time employed on the coast of France, and proved instrumental to the capture of many very heavy privateers. During the operations connected with the destruction of the French squadron in Aix Roads, in April, 1809, the Beagle, with a degree of gallantry that procured her general admiration, took up a position between H.M. ships and the enemy, and remained on the quarters of the Aquilon 74, and Ville de Varsovie 80, until they successively struck their colours. She then followed the Océan 120, up the river Charente, and, having moored across the stern of that ship, continued in hot action with her for a period of five hours, when the turning of the tide compelled her to desist. After assisting at the reduction of Flushing, Mr. Hindmarsh was nominated First-Lieutenant of the Nisus 38, Capt. Philip Beaver, and ordered to the Isle of France, where he arrived in time to aid in its subjugation, and to command a large detachment of boats sent to take possession of its coast batteries. He next, in Sept. 1811, beheld the fall of Java, and in May, 1813, he invalided home. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place 15 June, 1814, but it was not until 8 March, 1830, that he succeeded in obtaining another appointment. He was then placed in command of the Scylla 18, fitting for the Mediterranean, from which station, on advancement to Post-rank 3 Sept. 1831, he returned home. On 21 April, 1836, Capt. Hindmarsh (who had been allowed, previously to joining the Scylla, to study at the Royal Naval College) was next appointed to the Buffalo 6, for the purpose of founding the colony of South Australia – a settlement of which he became the first Governor. He left the Buffalo in June, 1837, and has not since held any employment afloat.
On 4 May, 1836, Capt. Hindmarsh had the honour of being invested with the insignia of a K.H. His nomination to the Lieutenant-Governorship of Heligoland, which he still retains, was effected on 28 Sept. 1840. Capt. Hindmarsh’s only son, John, now a Barrister, was formerly in the Navy, having entered the College in 1833 (where he continued two years and carried off the first medal) and been subsequently employed for six months with Capt. Thos. Brown in the Caledonia 120. One of his daughters, Mary, is married to G. M. Stephen, Esq., son of Judge Stephen, and brother of Sir Alfred Stephen, Chief Justice of New South Wales; and another, Jane, is the wife of A. M. Mundy, Esq., Colonial Secretary for South Australia, nephew of Admiral Sir Geo. Mundy, G.C.B., brother of E. M. Mundy, Esq., M.P., of Shipley Hall, co. Derby, and brother-in-law of the Duchess of Newcastle.