A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hutchinson, Edward
HUTCHINSON. (Retired Captain, 1840. f-p., 26; h-p., 39.)
Edward Hutchinson was born 16 March, 1771. This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1782, as a Servant, on board the Nin.iiLK, Lieut.-Commander Gabriel Bray, on the Home station, where, and in the East Indies, he continued to corve until March, 1793, chiefly as Midshipman and Mate, in the Cleopatra 32, Capt. Henry Harvey, Speedwell 14, Lieut.-Commander Rich. Willis, and Bdsy 14, Scout 16, and Swan and Atalanta 18’s, all commanded by Capt. John Elphinstone. He then joined the Berwick 74, Capts. Sir John Collins, Wm. Shield, Geo. Campbell, Geo. Henry Towry, Chas. Tyler, and Wm. Smyth, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, on which station, after a brief servitude in the Britannia 100, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Wm. Hotham, he was successively appointed Acting-Lieutenant, at the commencement of 1795, of the St. George 98, flag-ship of Sir Hyde Parker, and Inconstant 36, Capts. Thos. Fras. Fremantle and Geo. Oakes. On 13 March in the latter year, the day preceding Admiral Hotham’s first partial action with the French fleet, the Inconstant particularly distinguished herself by the gallant manner in which she attacked, raked, and harassed one of the enemy’s line-of-battle ships, the Ça Ira, of 80 guns. Mr. Hutchinson, who on the occasion performed the duties of Senior Lieutenant, did not obtain his first commission from the Admiralty until 30 Dec. 1796. He was, however, on 14 Oct. 1797, a few weeks after he had left the Inconstant,[1] promoted to the rank of Commander. He was lastly, from 1 June, 1803, until 5 Nov. 1814, and from 26 June, 1815, until 20 Feb. 1816, employed as Agent for Prisoners-of-War at Chatham and Plymouth. He accepted his present rank 10 Sept. 1840. Agent – J. Hinxman.
- ↑ The Inconstant took, 20 April, 1796, the corvette L’Unité, of 84 guns and S18 men. The enemy had made an attempt to set her on fire, but by the exertions of Lieut. Hutchinson it was soon extinguished. Vide Gaz, 1796, p. 528.