Robert Hughes (Royal Navy officer, died 1729)

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For other people named Robert Hughes, see Robert Hughes (disambiguation).

Robert Hughes
Died14 March 1729
London, England
Buried
St Paul's, Deptford, England
AllegianceKingdom of Great Britain
Service / branchRoyal Navy
Years of servicec.1692–1729
RankRear-Admiral
Commands
Battles / wars
Children2
RelationsSir Richard Hughes (nephew)
Sir Robert Calder (grandson)

ships of the line during the Nine Years' War before being promoted to captain in 1697. His first command was HMS Flamborough in which he captured several privateers off Dunkirk at the start of the War of the Spanish Succession, before taking command of HMS Winchester
.

Hughes commanded a

Straits of Gibraltar in 1703, and in the following decade commanded several ships of the line in the Mediterranean Sea and English Channel. Promoted to rear-admiral in 1727, Hughes was third in command of the Baltic Fleet
that later in the year induced Russia not to go to war with Sweden. He died in 1729, having had no further active service.

Early career

Robert Hughes was born in the late seventeenth century. He was the brother of

lieutenant on 19 December 1692.[2] The following year he was appointed second lieutenant of the 70-gun ship of the line HMS Suffolk. Hughes' early career is not well recorded, but by 1695 he was serving as the first lieutenant of the 100-gun ship of the line HMS Queen, which was the flagship of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell. Sometime after this Hughes was promoted to commander before, on 28 June 1697, being advanced in rank to captain.[3]

Command

At the same time as his promotion to captain Hughes was given command of the 24-gun sixth-rate HMS Flamborough; he continued in the ship after the end of the Nine Years' War later in the year. The following year, the ship sailed as escort to a convoy travelling through the White Sea, before in 1699 serving off the coast of Ireland. Flamborough then saw service guarding the Great Yarmouth fisheries in 1701, with the War of the Spanish Succession beginning in the same year.[4][5] At this point Flamborough was sent to serve as a cruiser in the North Sea.[5] Hughes captured several small but successful privateers around Dunkirk in 1702, demonstrating "great activity and diligence" according to biographer John Charnock.[6]

Sir Thomas Hardy, whose flagship Hughes commanded between 1711 and 1715

Towards the end of the year Hughes was transferred to command the 50-gun ship of the line

Straits of Gibraltar. Hughes was highly successful in this task, capturing or destroying two enemy frigates and a settee. He continued off Gibraltar until 1709.[6]

Hughes was at this point moved with Winchester to serve in the English Channel again, and on 27 November captured a privateer from Flushing.[8] In 1711 Hughes was given command of the 70-gun ship of the line HMS Kent, serving in the Channel as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy.[9] Kent captured the privateer La Revanche on 23 February the following year.[10]

Hughes was moved to command the 60-gun ship of the line

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Wager's Baltic Fleet.[6]

Flag rank

Hughes was promoted to rear-admiral on 21 April 1727.

laid up its navy and abandoned designs on Sweden. Hughes and the rest of the fleet subsequently returned to England not having had to fire a single shot in anger.[11] The fleet arrived home in early January 1728; Hughes saw no further active service before on 14 March 1729 he died in London from an infection in his leg.[2][12][13] He was buried, as much of his family were, in St Paul's, Deptford.[14]

Personal life

Hughes married a woman named Lydia, with whom he had two daughters who became his co-heiresses.[14] One daughter, Alice, married Sir James Calder, 3rd Baronet. She had four sons, including Admiral Sir Robert Calder.[15] His other daughter, Katherine, married John Sayer and had a son, Vice-Admiral James Sayer.[14]

Notes and citations

Notes

  1. rear-admiral of the red 19 July 1728.[2]

Citations

  1. ^ Harrison (2019), p. 271.
  2. ^ a b c Syrett & DiNardo (1994), p. 233.
  3. ^ Charnock (2011), p. 165.
  4. ^ Winfield (2009), p. 639.
  5. ^ a b Charnock (2011), pp. 165–166.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Charnock (2011), p. 166.
  7. ^ Winfield (2009), p. 578.
  8. ^ a b c Winfield (2009), p. 469.
  9. ^ Winfield (2009), p. 308.
  10. ^ Winfield (2007), p. 137.
  11. ^ Clowes (1898), p. 47.
  12. ^ Charnock (2011), p. 167.
  13. ^ "London". Newcastle Weekly Courant. 8 March 1729. p. 2.
  14. ^ a b c Dugdale (1853), p. 538.
  15. ^ Annual Biography (1820), p. 2.

References

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