A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hitchins, Joseph
HITCHINS. (Retired Commander, 1836. f-p., 16; h-p., 34.)
Joseph Hitchins entered the Navy, in Aug. 1797, as Midshipman, on board the Royal George 100, Capt. John Draper, bearing the flag off Cadiz of Sir John Orde. In June, 1799, he joined La Loire frigate, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman; and after a servitude of nearly two years and a half with that officer in the Channel he removed, in Nov. 1801, to the Theseus 74, Capt. John Bligh, and sailed for the West Indies, where, on 4 Nov. 1803, he was promoted to a Lieutenancy in the Aeolus frigate, Capt. Andrew Fitzherbert Evans. His subsequent appointments were – 3 July, 1804, to the Veteran 64, Capts. J. N. Newman and A. F. Evans, also in the West Indies – 29 July, 1806, and 6 Feb. 1807, to the Blonde 38 and Leyden 64, Capts. Volant Vashon Ballard and Wm. Cumberland, on the Home station – 21 March, 1807, to the Surveillante 38, Capt. Sir Geo. Ralph Collier, with whom he accompanied the expedition to Copenhagen and then made a voyage to the Brazils – in Oct. 1809 and May, 1810, to the Echo 18, Capt. Robt. Keen, and Fylla 20, Capts. Hon. Edw. Rodney and Henry Prescott, both in the Channel – and, 29 Sept. 1812, to the Duncan 74, Capts. Robt. Lambert, Smith, and Thos. Ussher. He left the latter ship on her return home from the Mediterranean in Aug. 1814; and on 4 May, 1836, accepted the rank of Retired Commander. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.