Général Brune, of 14 guns. He also, on the night of 29 Aug. 1800, fought in the boats of a squadron, 20 in number, commanded by Lieut. Henry Burke, at the cutting-out, close to the batteries in Vigo Bay, of La Guêpe privateer, of 18 guns and 161 men, which vessel, 25 of whose people were killed and 40 wounded, was in 15 minutes boarded and carried, with a loss to the British of 3 seamen and 1 marine killed, 3 Lieutenants, 12 seamen, and 5 marines wounded, and 1 seaman missing. When in the Dryad, in 1806-7, Mr. Hills was for six weeks employed, in company with H.M.S. Diana, in a fruitless quest of two French frigates among the ice-bergs on the coast of Greenland and in Davis’ Strait. He was ultimately advanced, 20 April, 1808, to the command of the Columbine sloop, on the North American station, whence he returned home and was paid off in March, 1810. He attained Post-rank 7 June, 1814, and was last employed as an Inspecting Commander in the Preventive Water-Guard, from Dec. 1820 to Nov. 1825. He accepted the half-pay of retirement 1 Oct. 1846.
Capt. Hills married, 10 March, 1815, Diana, third daughter of the late Thos. Hammersley, Esq., by whom he has issue eight children. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
HILLS. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 36; h-p., 3.)
John Hills entered the Navy, 6 Feb. 1808, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Northumberland 74, Capt. Wm. Hargood; and during the two following years was often under the fire of the enemy’s batteries in the Adriatic. From Aug. 1310 until Dec. 1814 he was employed in the Channel, off the north coast of Spain, and on the Brazilian station, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, in the Iris 36, Capts. Thos. Geo. Shortland and Hood Hanway Christian. While on the Spanish coast he was frequently entrusted with the hazardous duty of landing arms for the use of the Guerillas. He figured also as a volunteer in two cutting-out expeditions, and, besides otherwise coming into contact with the enemy, assisted in the bombardment and capture of Bermeo and Castro. On leaving the Iris Mr. Hills, who had passed his examination 7 June, 1814, successively joined the Namur 74, Capt. Geo. M‘Kinley, and Forth 44, Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton, in which latter ship he escorted the Duchesse d’Angoulême from Portsmouth to Dieppe, and on the occasion of her arrival and departure was each time selected to attend her at the side of the vessel. Between Sept. 1815 and Dec. 1817 we find him serving on board the Désirée and Active frigates, commanded in the West Indies by Capt. Philip Carteret, and Queen Charlotte 100, flag-ship of Sir Edw. Thornbrough at Portsmouth. After a subsequent servitude of six years in the Coast Blockade as Admiralty Midshipman and Mate of the Severn frigate, and Ramillies 74, both under the command of Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch, Mr. Hills at length obtained a commission dated 21 Jan. 1824. Rejoining the Coast Blockade, however, in the following April, he continued in it until its abolition in March, 1831, from which period until advanced to the rank of Commander, 23 Nov. 1841, he officiated as a Chief Officer in the Coast Guard. Since 15 May, 1844, he has been again employed in that service.
During the term of his original servitude in the Coast Blockade and Coast Guard, Commander Hills was five times engaged in conflict with smugglers. In one of them his arm was broken, and in some of the others he had the misfortune to receive permanent injury.
HILLS. (Lieutenant, 1806.)
Thomas Hills entered the Navy, in Dec. 1794, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Victory 100, Capt. John Knight, in which ship he was present under the flag of Rear-Admiral Robt. Mann in Hotham’s action of 13 July, 1795, and under that of Sir John Jervis in the battle fought off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797. He continued to serve with the last-mentioned officer as Midshipman of the Ville de Paris 110, on the Mediterranean and Channel stations, until Jan. 1801, between which period and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 7 Nov. 1806, he was further, it appears, employed on board the Eurydice 24, Capts. Walter Bathurst and Chas. Malcolm, Seahorse and Amphitrite frigates, both commanded by Capt. Hon. Courtenay Boyle, Bellona 74, Capts. Chas. Dudley Pater and John Erskine Douglas, and Hibernia 110, bearing the flag of Earl St. Vincent. He made a voyage in the Eurydice to the East Indies, and on his return to the Mediterranean in the Seahorse he served in the boats at the destruction of a convoy in Hyères Bay in 1804. From 28 Nov. 1806 until 27 May, 1811, Lieut. Hills was employed on board the Philomel sloop, Capts. Geo. Crawley, Geo. Downie, Geo. Davies, Spelman Swaine, and Gardiner Henry Guion, under the first named of whom, besides witnessing the surrender, in 1809, of the island of Ithaca, he assisted, on 31 Oct. in that year, in covering the boats of a squadron during a desperate and successful attack made by them on a convoy in the Bay of Rosas. In Sept. 1811 he was appointed to the Leyden 64, armée en flûte, Capts. Edw. Chetham and John Davie, also in the Mediterranean, where he remained until Dec. 1814. He afterwards assumed command, in Feb. 1818 and June, 1820, of the Industry Revenue-cutter, and Pigmy schooner, on the Home station; and, since 8 March, 1837, he has been in charge (with a brief interval between 9 Oct. and 13 Dec. 1841) of the Semaphore Station at Holder Hill, Mildhurst.
Lieut. Hills is married and has issue.
HILLYAR. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Charles Farrell Hillyar is son of the late Rear-Admiral Sir Jas. Hillyar, K.C.B., K.C.H.;[1] brother of Lieut. H. S. Hillyar, R.N.; and nephew of Capt. Wm. Hillyar, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 18 March, 1831; passed his examination 17 March, 1837; served for some time in South America as Mate of the President 50, Capt. Wm. Broughton; and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 24 March, 1842. He was then employed for several months at Portsmouth on board the Caledonia 120, flag-ship of Sir David Milne; and from 12 May, 1843, until paid off at the commencement of 1847, he officiated as a Lieutenant of the Tyne 26, Capt. Wm. Nugent Glascock, on the Mediterranean station. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
HILLYAR. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Henry Shank Hillyar is brother of Lieut. C. F. Hillyar, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 24 Dec. 1831; passed his examination 14 May, 1838; and was employed, as Mate, during the latter part of the hostilities in China, on board the Cornwallis 72, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker. He attained his present rank 23 Dec. 1842; and since 18 March, 1843, has been serving in the Wolf 18, Capt. Arthur Vyner, and Wolverene 16, Capts. Wm. John Cavendish Clif-
- ↑ Sir James Hillyar was created a Lieutenant 8 March, 1794, and a Commander 16 April, 1800. He soon afterwards distinguished himself, when in command of the Niger troop-ship, by his gallantry, in cutting out, with the boats of that vessel and the Minotaur 74, two Spanish corvettes, lying in the road of Barcelona; and in 1801 he bore a conspicuous part in the operations of the Egyptian campaign. On the recommendation of Lord Nelson, and in consideration of his services, he was advanced to Post-rank 29 Feb. 1804. When subsequently in command of the Phoebe frigate, he contributed to the reduction of the Isle of France in Dec. 1810; participated, off Madagascar, in an action fought 20 May, 1811, between a British squadron under Commodore Charles Marsh Schomberg, and a French force under Commodore François Roquebert; co-operated next in the capture of the island of Java; and on 28 May, 1814, succeeded, in company with the Cherub sloop, in making prize of the American frigate Essex, of 46 guns and 265 men. In acknowledgment ot the importance of his professional career Capt. Hillyar was nominated a C.B. 4 June, 1816; a K.C.H. 1 Jan. 1834; and a K.C.B. 4 July, 1840. He acquired Flag rank 10 Jan. 1837; and died a Rear-Admiral of the White, at Tor House. Torpoint, 10 July, 1843, aged 73.
