Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Seymour, Hugh
SEYMOUR, Lord HUGH (1759–1801), vice-admiral, fifth son of Francis Seymour Conway, first marquis of Hertford [q. v.] of that creation, was born on 29 April 1759. He entered the navy in 1770 under the care of Captain John Leveson-Gower [q. v.], on board the Pearl on the Newfoundland station. Afterwards he served in the West Indies and in the Mediterranean, and was promoted to be lieutenant on 10 Aug. 1776. He was made commander on 18 June 1778, and captain on 8 Feb. 1779. In 1780 he commanded the Ambuscade in the Channel; and in 1782 the Latona, which was attached to the fleet under Howe at the relief of Gibraltar. After the peace, he, with his younger brother, George, and ‘Jack’ Payne [see Payne, John Willett], took a house in Conduit Street, where, leading an irregular and convivial life, he was admitted to the intimacy of the Prince of Wales; from this fate he was in great measure rescued by his marriage on 3 April 1785 to the Lady Anne Horatia Waldegrave, daughter of the Duchess of Gloucester by her first marriage to James, second earl Waldegrave [q. v.] During the Spanish armament of 1790 he commanded the Canada, and while in her received an accidental blow on the head from the lead, as soundings were being taken. He had in consequence to live for a time in retirement in the country. By February 1793 he was able to undertake active service, and was appointed to the Leviathan, in which he accompanied Lord Hood to the Mediterranean. After the occupation of Toulon he was sent home with despatches, but returned at once and resumed command of the Leviathan, which was shortly afterwards sent home to join the fleet under Lord Howe. He had thus a distinguished part in the actions of 28 and 29 May and 1 June 1794. On the death of his father he dropped the name of Conway, by which he had till then been known, and for the future appeared in the list of captains as Seymour.
Early in 1795 he was moved into the Sanspareil, and on his promotion to flag rank, 1 June 1795, he hoisted his flag on board the same ship, in which he took part in the action off Lorient on 23 June. In March 1795 he was appointed one of the lords of the admiralty, and so he continued till 1798, without, however, taking any active share in the work of the board, as he was at sea, with his flag still in the Sanspareil, for almost the whole time. On 14 Feb. 1799 he became a vice-admiral, and during the spring commanded a detached squadron off Brest. In the summer he was appointed commander-in-chief at Jamaica, where, with his flag in the Prince of Wales, he arrived in August. With the exception of the capture of Surinam in the August of 1800, his command was uneventful, and on 11 Sept. 1801 he died, while cruising for his health off Jamaica. His body was sent to England. His portrait by Hoppner, which belonged to his grandson, Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, lord Alcester [q. v.], was engraved. By his wife, the Lady Horatia, he had issue four daughters and three sons, the eldest of whom was Sir George Francis Seymour [q. v.]
[Naval Chronicle, ii. 358, vi. 462; Ralfe's Nav. Biogr. ii. 126; James's Naval History; Lists of Sea Officers; Foster's Peerage, s.n. ‘Hertford.’]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.245
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 324 | i | 9 f.e. | Seymour, Lord Hugh: for at Jamaica read while cruising for his health off Jamaica. |