450
HAMILTON.
Indies, on board the Jupiter 50, Commodore Wm. Parker, he there obtained command of the Scorpion sloop; and, on 22 Sept. 1790, he was advanced to Post-rank. Sir Chas. Hamilton’s succeeding appointments were — in April, 1793, to the Dido 28 — in July and Sept. 1794, to the St. Fiorenzo 36, and Romney 50 — in April, 1795, to the Melepomène 38 — in Nov. 1803, to the Illustrious 74 — in July, 1805, to the Sea Fencibles at Harwich — and in March, 1807, and Dec. 1809, to the Téméraire 98, and Tonnant 80. While in the first-named of those ships, he acquired, after cruizing in the North Sea, the official acknowledgments of Lord Hood for his meritorious conduct and steady perseverance in maintaining, under manifest difficulties, the station assigned him off Calvi,[1] during the operations of 1794 against Corsica, where he commanded the Dido and Aimable, in unison with 300 of the natives, in attack on the out-post of Girilata, which surrendered at the close of a siege of 10 days. During the nearly seven years and a half of his continuance in the Melpomène, Sir Chas. Hamilton captured upwards of 40 of the enemy’s vessels, including La Revanche of 18 guns and 167 men, L’Espiègle armed lugger of 3O men, and Le Zélé privateer of 16 guns and 69 men. He also, as second in command under Sir Andw. Mitchell, accompanied the expedition to the Helder in 1799, on which occasion he had charge of a division of about 80 sail of transports, the whole of which he conducted in safety to a place of debarkation, although encountered by many severe difficulties. He was then for seven weeks employed in the blockade of Amsterdam, where, owing to the insufficiency of water for so large a ship as the Melepomène, his officers and crew were all removed into schuyts and boats.[2] On his return to England he was presented with the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. In April, 1800, having assumed the command on the coast of Africa, Sir Chas. Hamilton, with only his own frigate, the Ruby 64, and Magnanime, of 48 guns, under his orders, contrived, by a bold front, and the stratagem of dressing the crews of several merchantmen in his charge with red shirts, for the purpose of imparting to the latter the appearance of transports, to obtain possession of the island of Gorée. He afterwards, in the same ship, captured the French letter-of-marque Auguste, of 10 guns and 50 men; and prior to the peace he acted for some time as Commissioner of the Naval Yard at Antigua. The Illustrious, Téméraire, and Tonnant were commanded by Sir Chas. Hamilton on the Home, West India, and North American stations. In 1809 he was nominated a Colonel of Marines; and from the period of his promotion to Flag-rank, 31 July, 1810, until his receipt of a Vice-Admiral’s commission bearing date 4 June, 1814, we find him officiating as Commander-in-Chief on the river Thames with his flag in the Thisbe 28. His last employment was that of Governor and Commander-in-Chief at Newfoundland, the duties of which office he filled from 13 May, 1818, until 5 July, 1824. During that period he had the gratification of receiving a very flattering address from the principal inhabitants of St. John’s. He became a full Admiral 22 July, 1830, and a K.C.B. 29 Jan. 1833.
Prior to the French revolutionary war Sir Chas. Hamilton held a seat in Parliament for the borough of St. German’s, co. Cornwall; and he was afterwards returned for Honiton in Devonshire, and Dungannon, co. Tyrone. He married, 19 April, 1803, Henrietta Martha, only daughter of the late Geo. Drummond, Esq., of Stanmore, co. Middlesex, the well-known banker, of Charing Cross, London. His only son, Chas. John Jas., is a Captain in the Scotch Fusileer Guards. Agents — Messrs. Stilwell.
HAMILTON. (Commander, 1841.)
Charles Henry Hamilton, born 7 Oct. 1808, is eldest surviving son of the present Lieut. A. B. P. P. Hamilton, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 15 Oct. 1822; passed his examination in 1829; and obtained his first commission 9 July, 1831. From 28 Aug. 1833 until the close of 1835, at which period he invalided, he served in North America and the West Indies on board the Cruizer 16, Capt. John M‘Causland; and he was afterwards appointed, on the Mediterranean station — 8 Dec. 1836, to the Dido 18, Capt. Lewis Davies — 5 April, 16 Aug. and 1 Nov. 1837, to the Caledonia and Princess Charlotte, flag-ships of Sir Robt. Stopford, and Bellerophon 80, Capts. Sam. Jackcson and Chas. John Austen — and, 21 Oct. 1839, to the Ganges 84, Capt. Barrington Reynolds, under whom he took part in the operations on the coast of Syria, and assisted at the blockade of Alexandria. Since the attainment of his present rank, 23 Nov. 1841, Commander Hamilton has been on half-pay. Agents — Messrs. Stilwell.
HAMILTON. (Commander, 1844.)
Cospatrick Baillie Hamilton, born 27 Feb. 1817, is youngest brother of Capt. W. A. B. Hamilton, R.N., Second-Secretary of the Admiralty.
This officer entered the Navy, from the Royal Naval College, 24 Dec. 1831; passed his examination in 1836; and, on attaining the rank of Lieutenant, 25 June, 1840, joined the Melville 72, Capt. Hon. Rich. Saunders Dundas, under whom, among other early operations of the China war, he assisted, 7 Jan. and 26 Feb. 1841, at the capture of Tycocktow and the forts at the Boca Tigris. He afterwards joined — 2 Oct. 1841, the Queen 110, fitting at Portsmouth for the flag of Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen, Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean — and 22 Feb. 1842, the Winchester 50, in which ship he officiated as Flag-Lieutenant to Hon. Josceline Percy, at the Cape of Good Hope, until advanced to his present rank 10 Feb. 1844. He obtained command, on 8 April in the latter year, of the Frolic 16, which sloop, after having been for three years employed on the Brazilian and Pacific stations, he brought home with a freight of more than 1,500,000 dollars, and paid off, in June, 1847.
HAMILTON, Bart, Kt., K.C.B., M.A. (Admiral, of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 30; h-p., 38.)
Sir Edward Hamilton, born 12 March, 1772, is younger brother of Admiral Sir Chas. Hamilton, Bart., K.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 21 May, 1779, as Midshipman, on board the Hector 74, then under the command of his father, Sir John Hamilton, with whom, in 1780, he partook of an action fought between the French fleet and a force under the late Admiral Cornwallis. With the exception of an attachment of a few months in 1781-2, to the Ramillies 74, Capt. Jas. Moutray, he continued to serve in the Hector until Jan. 1784. He re-embarked, in Oct. 1787, on board the Standard 64, Capt. Chamberlayne, and between April, 1788, and the date of his first commission, 9 June, 1793, was employed, with intervals, in the Calypso, commanded on the Jamaica station by Capt. Sir Wm. Mitchell, Melampus, Capt. Chas. Morice Pole, off Ushant, and Victory and Queen Charlotte, flag ships in the Channel of Lords Hood and Howe. Joining, then, the Dino 28, commanded by his brother, he soon had the good fortune, in a boat with only 8 men, to effect the capture of Le Vrai Patriote privateer, of 13 guns and a crew of 45 men, 13 of whom, after they had betaken themselves to the shore, he compelled to surrender. In the early part of 1794 after assisting at the reduction of Bastia, Mr. Hamilton commanded a party of British and Corsicans at the siege of Girilata, a strong post near Calvi, against which he erected batteries within point-blank shot, and kept up an incessant fire until the enemy yielded. In July following he became First of the Victory 100, bearing the successive flags of Lord Hood, Rear-Admiral Robt. Mann, and Sir John Jervis, with whom he continued to serve (participating intermediately in Admiral Hotham’s partial action of 13 July, 1795) until promoted to the command, 11 Feb. 1796, of the Comet fire-ship. After serving for 12 months
