Vice-Admiral Henry Hill (23 May 1772 – 7 June 1849) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer.

Early life

He was born in St Boniface parish, Bonchurch, the second son of Col. William Hill, who served as ''aide-de-camp'' to Count de Lipp in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

, and Elizabeth Popham (1744–1809), great-granddaughter of MP Alexander Popham.. His younger brother was Archdeacon Ven.

Justly Hill The Ven. Justly Hill (bapt. 16 December 1781 – 18 March 1853) was the Archdeacon of Buckingham from 1825 until 1853. He was born at St Boniface parish, Bonchurch, Isle of Wight,''1851 England Census'' the youngest son of Col. William ...

Career

Hill entered the

10 November 1787 as a volunteer on board , commanded by Sir

Richard John Strachan Sir Richard John Strachan, 6th Baronet GCB (27 October 1760 – 3 February 1828) was a British officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of admiral. Sir Dicky, as his friends r ...

. In August of 1791 he was transferred as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

to . On his return to England in the autumn of 1793 Hill joined , commanded by Sir John Jervis. He was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 17 December 1793. In 1794 he participated in the capture of Fort Royal,

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in th ...

. He was promoted to the rank of

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on 24 July 1796. In the spring of 1798 he was appointed to the Sea-Fencibles in the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

, England. From 27 June 1799 until 1 January 1801 he commanded in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and also . After various other appointments, he later commanded , successfully

blockading A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are l ...

the French ports on their coast and destroying much of their coastal trade. After further appointments he was promoted to rear-admiral on 22 July 1830 and further promoted to vice-admiral on 23 November 1841. Reportedly "In every ship commanded by the Vice-Admiral when afloat he won the approbation of the Admiralty. On he was particularly fortunate in eliciting that of H.R.H. the Lord High Admiral ( William IV)". On 26 February 1845 he was granted the Good Service pension.

Family

He married, first, Anne, daughter of the late Reverend James Worsley, of

Gatcombe Gatcombe is a village in the civil parish of Chillerton and Gatcombe, on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located about two and a half miles south of Newport, in the centre of the island. The parish, which includes Chillerton, had a population ...

, England; and secondly, Caroline, daughter of the late Joseph Bettesworth, Esquire, of

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

, England. He had four daughters and six sons. The eldest being a captain and later a governor of the Gold Coast,

Henry Worsley Hill The English sailor and administrator Henry Worsley Hill (21 May 1799 – 14 October 1868) was a Captain in the Royal Navy and Governor of the Gold Coast. He was the eldest son of Vice-Admiral Henry Hill (1775–1849) and Ann Worsley (1779–1805). ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hill, Henry (Vice-Admiral Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars 1775 births 1849 deaths