Christopher Hill (Royal Navy officer)
Christopher Hill | |
|---|---|
| Born | c.1716 |
| Died | 11 July 1778 |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/ | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1731–1778 |
| Rank | Rear-Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Princess Royal HMS Baltimore HMS Bridgewater HMS Lyme HMS Saltash HMS Dover HMS St Florentine HMS Augusta Nore Command HMS Barfleur |
| Battles/wars | |
Rear-Admiral Christopher Hill (died 1778) was a Royal Navy officer who became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
Initial service
Christopher Hill was born in around 1716. Nothing else is recorded of his personal life or family. He joined the Royal Navy on 17 October 1731, becoming a volunteer-per-order on the 80-gun ship of the line HMS Norfolk. He moved to the 44-gun frigate HMS Gosport as an able seaman on 3 February the following year, but returned to his position as a volunteer-per-order on Norfolk on 22 October. Hill became an able seaman on Norfolk on 17 December the same year, and moved in that position to the 60-gun ship of the line HMS Exeter on 2 July 1733. Hill then advanced to become a midshipman ordinary twenty-five days later, joining the 60-gun ship of the line HMS Swallow.[1]
Hill was promoted to midshipman and sent to join the 8-gun sloop HMS Saltash on 18 March 1734. He then transferred back to Norfolk on 16 August, spending the next two years there. On 5 August 1736 he moved into the 60-gun ship of the line HMS Canterbury, where he stayed for a further three years. He then transferred to the 80-gun ship of the line HMS Somerset on 6 February 1740. In Somerset Hill passed his examination for promotion to the rank of lieutenant on 6 March the same year.[1]
Actual promotion to lieutenant came to Hill only eleven days later when on 17 March he was appointed third lieutenant of the 54-gun ship of the line HMS Panther. He was promoted to become Panther's second lieutenant on 27 September the following year, but on 29 October was transferred to join the 20-gun frigate HMS Fox, becoming Fox's sole lieutenant. Hill served in the frigate for just over two years before he was appointed the first lieutenant of the 44-gun frigate HMS Torrington on 4 February 1743. He left Torrington on 10 January 1745, and was promoted to commander just over a year later on 29 January 1746.[1]
Command
Hill was promoted to captain on 5 December 1747 and appointed to command the 24-gun frigate HMS Bridgewater. In 1751 he moved to take command of the 20-gun frigate HMS Lyme.[2] Hill then became commanding officer of the 44-gun frigate HMS Dover in 1755.[3] With the Seven Years' War ongoing, in Dover he captured the French East Indiaman Pondichéry on 23 December 1756 after an engagement of two hours. The French vessel lost her second captain and eleven men killed, with eighteen wounded, while the British sustained no casualties. Pondichéry had been sailing from Canton when Dover intercepted her,[4] bringing her initially into Cork[5] before taking the prize to the Nore.[6] Hill went on to become commanding officer of the 64-gun ship of the line HMS Augusta, guard ship at Sheerness, and then became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1770.[7]
Despite having seen little action in his naval career Hill was a well thought of officer, especially because of his personal conduct. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 23 January 1778, but was killed six months later when he fell from his horse while riding from London to Croydon on 4 July.[8][2]
References
- ^ a b c Harrison (2019), p. 256.
- ^ a b Charnock (2011), p. 47.
- ^ Winfield (2007), p. 168.
- ^ Schomberg (1802), p. 29.
- ^ Welsh (1757), p. 95.
- ^ Martin (1759), p. 576.
- ^ Kimber & Kimber (1770).
- ^ Schomberg (1802), p. 243.
Sources
- Charnock, John (2011) [1798]. Biographia Navalis. Vol. 6. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-108-02636-9.
- Harrison, Cy (2019). Royal Navy Officers of the Seven Years War. Warwick, England: Helion. ISBN 978-1-912866-68-7.
- Kimber, Isaac; Kimber, Edward (1770). The London Magazine, Or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer. Vol. 39.
- Martin, Benjamin (1759). Miscellaneous Correspondence, Containing a Variety of Subjects, Relative to Natural and Civil History, Geography, Mathematics, Poetry, Memoirs of Monthly Occurences, Catalogues of New Books, &c. Vol. 2. W. Owen.
- Schomberg, Isaac (1802). Naval Chronology, Or an Historical Summary of Naval and Maritime Events from the Time of the Romans, to the Treaty of Peace 1802: With an Appendix. Vol. 5. London.
- Welsh, Andrew (1757). The Magazine of Magazines: Compiled from Original Pieces, with Extracts from the Most Celebrated Books, and Periodical Compositions, Published in Europe... The Whole Forming a Complete Literary and Historical Account of that Period. Vol. 13.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1844157006.