A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hackett, John

1732146A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Hackett, JohnWilliam Richard O'Byrne

HACKETT. (Captain, 1838. h-p., 16; h-p., 32.)

John Hackett entered the Navy, 16 Dec. 1799, as A.B., on board the Raisonnable 64, Capts. Chas. Boyles, John Dilkes, and Wm. Hotham, in which ship, after participating, as Midshipman, in the battle of Copenhagen, 2 April, 1801, he cruized on the Downs station until Jan. 1805. On next joining, in May, 1806, the Argo 44, Capt. Stephen Thos. Digby, he proceeded to the coast of Africa, and thence to the West Indies, where, in March, 1808, having removed to the Cerberus 32, Capt. Wm. Selby, he witnessed the capture of the islands of Marie-galante and Desirade. Soon after his return to England Mr. Hackett, on 26 Sept. in the latter year, was promoted, from a Master’s Mateship in the Semiramis 36, Capt. Wm. Granger, to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Ned Elven brig, Capt. Rich. Jas. Lawrence O’Connor, with whom he served, in the North Sea and Baltic, until March, 1809. Obtaining a similar appointment, 1 May following, in the Renard sloop, Capt. Hew Steuart, he had an opportunity of attending the ensuing expedition to the Walcheren; but it was not until 11 May, 1811, that, after a re-employment, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Charger brig, and Caesar 80, commanded in the Channel and off Lisbon by Lieut. Jas. Askey and Capt. Wm. Granger, as also in the Barfleur 98, flag-ship of Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley, he succeeded in procuring his first Admiralty commission. He then served for a very brief period in the Diadem 64, Capt. John Phillimore, and was next appointed, 18 Aug. 1812, and 16 Jan. 1814, to the Success troop-ship, Capt. Thos. Barclay, and Epervier of 18 guns and 117 men, Capt. Rich. Walter Wales, employed on the North America and West India station. The latter vessel, on 29 April, 1814, had the misfortune, after a desperate engagement of an hour, in which, besides being fearfully damaged, she sustained a loss of 23 men killed and wounded, to be taken by the U.S. sloop Peacock of 22 guns and 185 picked seamen, 2 only of whom were hurt.[1] Among the Epervier’s wounded on the occasion was Mr. Hackett, who, about the middle of the action, had his left arm shattered, and received a severe splinter-wound in the hip, but whose gallantry would hardly suffer him to be carried below. He was ultimately, at the expiration of a short servitude in the Gloucester 74, Capts. Joshua Sydney Horton and Henry Stuart, promoted to the rank of Commander by commission bearing date 2 Sept. 1828. His last appointment was, 4 Nov. 1833, to the Jaseur 16, which sloop he paid off, on her return from the Mediterranean, in the spring of 1837. His services, as connected, during a portion of that period, with the civil war in Spain, were rewarded with the first class of the order of Charles III. He attained his present rank 28 June, 1838.

Capt. Hackett is in the receipt of a pension for his wounds of 182l. 10s. Agents – Messrs. Chard.


  1. The Epervier had previously, on 23 Feb., effected the capture of the American privateer Alfred of 16 guns and 108 men.