A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hire, Frederick
HIRE. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p., 36; h-p., 6.)
Frederick Hire was born 15 Jan. 1796, and died in 1846. He was brother of the present Lieut. Henry Hire, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, in Jan. 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board L’Aigle 36, Capt. Geo. Wolfe. He was present, in the course of the same year, in Admiral Hon. Wm. Cornwallis’ pursuit of the French fleet into Brest, and also in an action off Vigo, in which the British frigate captured one and defeated the rest of a flotilla of nine gun-boats by whom she had been attacked. In March, 1808, he enacted a Midshipman’s part, and was wounded in a very gallant engagement fought by L’Aigle with two Frenoh frigates and the enemy’s batteries on Ile de Groix, where, besides having 3 of her guns split and dismounted, a bower-anchor cut in two, and her mainmast and bowsprit irreparably injured the former ship had two-and-twenty of her people more or less severely hurt. One of her antagonists was compelled to take shelter under a fort; and the other to run on shore on Pointe des Chats. In April, 1809, immediately prior to the destruction of the shipping in Aix Roads, Mr. Hire served in the boats under Lieut. Rich. Devonshire at the destruction of the works on the Boyart Rock, a hazardous achievement, which elicited the thanks of Lord Gambier; and he subsequently, on becoming attached to the Walcheren armament, assisted in forcing the passage between Flushing and Cadsand; on which occasion L’Aigle, in consequence of a shell bursting in her after-gun-room, sustained a loss of 5 men wounded, and had her stem-frame greatly damaged. Continuing in the same ship until Nov. 1810, our officer had an opportunity, during a cruize to the westward, of contributing to the capture of Le Phoenix privateer, of 18 guns and 120 men. In Feb. 1811 he joined the Prince Frederick 64, Capt. Peter Fisher, lying at Plymouth, where he remained until the ensuing Oct.; between which period and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 11 Feb. 1815, he presents himself to our notice as employed on the Channel, Mediterranean, and Irish stations, chiefly as Master’s Mate, in the Pelorus 18, Capts. Joshua Ricketts Rowley, Hon. Robt. Cavendish Spencer, Robt. Gambier, Lord Algernon Percy, Chas. Hole, and John Gourly; and as assisting at the capture, during that period, of a convoy off Rochefort in Jan. 1811, and of Genoa and its dependencies in April, 1814. From 8 May to 31 Dec. 1815, Mr. Hire was again employed under the orders of Capt. Gambier on board the Myrmidon 20, which vessel, being part of the squadron present at the surrender of Napoleon Buonaparte, was charged with the conveyance to England of a portion of the unfortunate Emperor’s suite. His subsequent appointments were – for a short time in 1818, to the Water Guard – 4 July, 1823, to the same service – 10 Feb. 1824, to the Coast Blockade, in which he continued, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Ramillies 74 and Hyperion 42, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye, until its abolition in March, 1831 – on 16 of the latter month, to the Coast Guard – 23 March, 1835, to the command of the Adelaide Revenue cutter – and, 17 March, 1838, again to the Coast Guard, in which service he died.
Lieut. Hire married a daughter of the late Capt. Wm. Stephens, R.N., by whom he has left issue. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.