A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hoare, Edward Wallis

1751096A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Hoare, Edward WallisWilliam Richard O'Byrne

HOARE. (Captain, 1810. f-p., 21; h-p., 36.)

Edward Wallis Hoare, born 4 May, 1779, in the city of Cork, is son of the late Sir Edw. Hoare, Bart., of Annabelle, M.P. for Carlow, and a Captain of Dragoons, by Clotilda, second daughter and coheir of Wm. Wallis, Esq., of Ballycrenan Castle. He is brother of the present Sir Joseph Wallis Hoare, Bart., and uncle of Commander Wm. O’B. Hoare, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1790, as Fst.-cl. Vol. (under the auspices of Sir John Colpoys), on board the Squirrel 24, Capt. Wm. O’Brien Drury, employed at first on the Irish station, and then off the coast of Africa, where, in 1793 or 4, he took part, as Midshipman, in an engagement with a Portuguese fort on the island of Pines. In May of the latter year he removed to the Ruby 64, Capt. Sir Rich. Hussey Bickerton; and on next joining Sir John Colpoys in the London 98 (of which ship he was confirmed a Lieutenant 4 Aug. 1796), he shared, 23 June, 1795, in Lord Bridport’s action with the French fleet off the Ile de Groix. During the famous mutiny at Spithead in 1797, Mr. Hoare, who was at the time Signal-Lieutenant of the London, was condemned to death by the delegates. In Dec. of the same year, a few months after he had been transferred to the Nymphe 36, Capt. Percy Eraser, he had the misfortune to be wounded and taken captive by the enemy, in an attempt to obtain possession of a cutter on the coast of France. While filling next, from April, 1798, to Sept. 1802, the post of Senior Lieutenant on board the Northumberland 74, Capt. Geo. Martin, he served at the reduction of Malta – was present, during its blockade, at the surrender of the French 74-gun ship Le Généreux and frigate La Diane – and attended the expedition of 1801 to Egypt, where he assisted at the landing of the troops. In June, 1803, Mr. Hoare rejoined Capt. Martin as his First-Lieutenant in the Colossus 74; and on 25 Oct. 1804, while officiating in a similar capacity on board the Glory 98, flag-ship of Hon. Wm. Cornwallis, he was at length advanced to the rank of Commander. His succeeding appointments appear to have been, 29 July, 1806, 19 May, 1807, and 18 Aug. 1809, to the Goshawk 16, Amsterdam 20, and Hesper 18; in which vessels we find him continuously employed on the African, Irish, and East India stations, until nominated, 5 March, 1810, Acting-Captain of the Blanche frigate. In the following summer he was further invested with the acting-command of the Cornwallis 50, and Russel 74; which latter ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral W. O’B. Drury, was employed in the earlier portion of the operations that preceded the fall of the Isle of France. Capt. Hoare, whose promotion to Post-rank was confirmed 16 Oct. 1810, next, on 31 Jan. 1811, joined the Minden 74. In the ensuing spring he was despatched from Madras to the coast of Java, with two companies of troops on board, in order to await the arrival of the expedition then fitting out at the different ports of £idia for the attack of that island. After performing much arduous service in the Strait of Sunda, he landed on the 5th of June, and, with not more than 200 seamen and soldiers, succeeded in utterly routing a chosen body of the enemy’s troops, 500 strong, whose close and desperate mode of fighting occasioned the gallant British a loss of 2 men killed and 23 wounded. The enemy had upwards of 50 killed and 100 wounded.[1] Capt. Hoare has been on half-pay since 13 Aug. 1812.

He married, in June, 1803, Mary, third daughter of Col. Robt. Uniacke Fitzgerald, M.P. for co. Cork, by whom he has issue two daughters, one of whom is married to Lieut. Thos. Burton Maynard, B.N., and the other to Capt. J. B. L. Hay, R.N. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 2406.