A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hookey, James
HOOKEY. (Lieut., 1828. f-p., 17; h-p., 16.)
James Hookey, born 31 Dec. 1798, at Portsea, is son of Wm. Hookey, Esq., late Timber Master of H.M. Dockyard at Deptford.
This officer entered the Navy, 17 Feb. 1814, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Newcastle 60, Capts. Lord Geo. Stuart, Sam. Roberts, and Henry Meynell, in which ship we find him employed, on the North America and West India stations, half the time as Midshipman, until Jan. 1816. From the following Aug. until Sept. 1817 he served on Lake Erie in the Confiance, Capt. Dan. Pring. He was next, during the summer-months of 1818, engaged on Home duty, in the Weymouth 12, Master-Commander Turner; after which he was borne, between May, 1819, and Jan. 1823, on the books of the Swan 6, Lieut.-Commanders Thos. Dilnot Stewart and Benj. Aplin. In 1822 he elicited the thanks of Capt. John Toup Nicolas, the Senior officer, and of the Mayor of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for his conduct in command of the boats of that vessel during a severe dispute which had there broken out between the keelmen and the shipmasters and shipowners. After a servitude of three years on the Home and Mediterranean stations on board the Tribune 42, Capt. Gardiner Henry Guion, Mr. Hookey, in Feb. 1826, joined the Prince Regent 120, bearing the flag at the Nore of Sir Robt. Moorsom. Early in the following year he became Admiralty Midshipman of the Barham 50, bearing the flag of Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming in the West Indies, where (having passed his examination in March, 1822) he was constituted, 14 Sept. 1828, First-Lieutenant of the Slaney 20, Capt. Joseph O’Brien. He invalided home in May, 1829, but, returning to the same station in the next Dec, was further appointed to the Magnificent receiving-ship at Port Royal, Jamaica, Capts. Smith and Gill. On 21 March, 1831, he was transferred to the command of the Kangaroo schooner. He came home and was paid off in Aug. 1833, and has not been since afloat.
Lieut. Hookey was presented, in 1827, by the “Society for the Encouragement of Arts, &c.,” with a large silver medal for his invention of an improved log-ship. He married, 15 Jan. 1839, Mary, third daughter of John M‘Coy, Esq., of the Royal Artillery, and sister of Capt. John M‘Coy, of the same corps. Agents – Pettet and Newton.