in the year 1660. He was promoted to the Montague, a third rate of fifty eight guns, in 1664; and re-commiffioned for the fame fhip the following year. No further notice being taken of him, it is most probable he either died foon afterwards, or retired.

FISHER, Thomas,-commanded the Guernsey in the year 1660, but was never appointed to any other fhip.

FLATCHER, John,-was appointed captain of the Eagle in 1660, and in 1667 of the Little Gift. A circumstance which, under the prefent regulations of the navy would appear extraordinary, occurs in the Memoirs of this gentleman. After having ferved as commander of the Eagle and Little Gift; in the year 1669 he ferved as lieutenant of the Forefight of forty-eight guns; and in the year 1672 was again appointed a commander, as captain of the French Victory. In the naval lift is the following note against his name, " Loft his fhip and flew from trial." But no intelligence can be collected from hiftory, when, or in what manner, the fhip was lost.

GILPIN, Barnard,-after having commanded the Bredah in 1660, the Matthias in 1662, the Hector in 1663, the Kent and Dreadnought in 1664, was drowned in the month of April 1665; but the particular circumstances attending this misfortune we are not informed of.

GREEN, Richard, we know nothing more of this gentleman than that he commanded the Sorlings, by commiffion from the duke of York, in the year 1660.

HANNAM, or HANHAM, Willoughby,-commanded the Kent, of forty-fix guns, in the year 1660; in the year 1664 he was promoted to the Rainbow, a third rate of fifty-fix guns. In the first engagement with the Dutch in the following year, he commanded the Refolution of fiftyeight guns, where he neglected not the opportunity afforded him by fortune of fignalizing himfelf exceedingly, it being afferted by fome that he facrificed his fhip (which was burnt in this action) by generously interpofing between the rear-admiral of the blue (Kempthorne) and a Dutch firefhip, which was preparing to board him. Others fay that the vice-admiral of Zealand finding the Refolution completely difabled, ordered a firefhip to board her: this was performed with fuccefs, notwithstanding every effort of her gallant commander to extricate himself, and all the

exertion

exertion that could poffibly be made by fir Edward Spragge, vice-admiral of the blue, for the fame purpose. The officers and crew were faved; and captain Hannam was foon afterwards appointed to the Mary, a fhip of the fame force and rate. In 1668 he was appointed to the Old James, a fecond rate of feventy guns. In 1672 he commanded the St. George, and was foon removed into the Triumph, a fhip of feventy-two guns; in which fhip he fatally but glorioufly terminated a life, many years of which he had devoted to the fervice of his country, being killed on the 28th of May 1672, in the action, off Solebay, with the Dutch fleet under the command of De Ruyter.

HARRISON, Mark,-was appointed captain of the Elias, by the duke of York, in 1660; of the Rainbow in 1663, the Centurion in 1665, the Unicorn in the following year, and in the year 1672 was re-appointed to the Rainbow; after which time no farther notice is taken of him.

HAYWARD, John, fen.-commanded the Plymouth at the time of the reftoration; and in the fame year was made commander of the Dover by the duke of York. In 1664 he was appointed to the Referve, and the following year to the Dunkirk. In June 1666 he was appointed, by prince Rupert and the duke of Albemarle, to fucceed captain Coppin, of the St. George, who was killed in action. In 1667 he was promoted, by the duke of York, to the command of the Baltimore. In 1668 he commanded the York of fifty-fix guns. In the following year he was removed into the Forefight, a fourth rate. From this time he does not appear to have been employed till the breaking out of the fecond Dutch war, when he was appointed captain of the Old James, a fecond rate. The following year he commanded the Sovereign; from which fhip he was very foon afterwards removed, by prince Rupert, into the Royal Charles, a firft rate. In this command he fell, in the action with the Dutch fleet which took place in the month of August, 1673, finishing gallantly, and covered with wounds, a long life nobly exerted in the fervice of his country.

HIGGINSON, Samuel.-Nothing further is faid of this gentleman, than that he commanded the Eagle at the time of the restoration.

HODGES,

HODGES, Richard,-was, in the year 1660, appointed captain of the Guernsey by the duke of York. In the year 1662 he commanded the Weftergate; and in 1664 was promoted to the Swallow, a fourth rate of forty-fix guns. In the duke of York's Memoirs are inftructions to this gentleman, as commodore of a small fquadron fent to Elfinore, in the year 1662, to convoy a fleet of merchant fhips from that place to Harwich. It is most likely he died foon afterwards, no further mention being made of him.

HOLMES, Sir Robert,-commanded the Bramble at the time of the reftoration, and was, in the course of the fame year, fucceffively appointed to the Truclove and the Henrietta. In the year 1661, he was promoted to the Charles, and fent, as commodore of a fimall fquadron confifting of four frigates, to the coaft of Africa to make reprifals on the Dutch, who refufed to make good their treaty they had entered into with the English; and had, in other inftances, been guilty of great enormities, particularly in that part of the world, where they had, contrary to all the laws of nations, and exifting treaties, poffeffed themselves of Cape Corfe Caftle by force. Major* Holmes, as he was then called, had, on this occafion, the fingular honour of being permitted to wear the union flag at his main-top-malt headt, which is now the diftinguifhing mark of the commander-in-chief of the fleet. Having atchieved all that was poffible with his very limited force, and difpoffeffed the Dutch from feveral of their forts, he returned home; and was, in the next year, (1662) appointed to command the Referve, a fourth rate of forty-eight guns. In the year 1663 he was removed into the Jerfey of the fame rate, carrying fifty guns, and fent, a fecond time, to the coaft of África for the exprefs purpofe of reducing Cape Corfe Cafile. Having, in his paffage, poffe fed himfelf of fufficient authentic documents of the hoftile and treacherous intentions of the Dutch, he refolved, with the greatest patrio

The diftinctions now in ufe among land officers only, being then indifcriminately applied both to them, and naval commanders. + As foon as he was clear of the Channel.

tifm, (inafmuch as he rifked incurring popular cenfure by exceeding his orders) to punish their infamous conduct. With this intention, having arrived the latter end of January at the Cape de Verde, he proceeded to attack the ifland of Goree, which, though ftrongly fortified and refolutely defended, he took in the courfe of a few hours. Elevated by this fo much merited fuccefs, he next attacked the fort of St. George Del Mina, the strongest fort in that part of the world poffeffed by the Dutch. Here his former good fortune failed him, though without the fmalleft neglect, or defect, on the part of fir Robert, or his people, either in point of courage, or prudence. In recompenfe, however, for his failure in this, inftance, Fortune aided him almoft to a iniracle in his next, which was the reduction of Cape Corfe Caftle. Having atchieved this exploit he failed for North America, where, in conjunction with fir Robert Carr, he reduced the island of New York. After his return home * he was, in the year 1665, appointed to command the Revenge, a third rate of fifty-eight guns; and in the following year was made captain of the Defiance, a new fhip of fixty-four guns. King Charles, attended by the duke of York, prince Rupert, and a number of perfons of very high diftinction being prefent at the time of launching this thip, on the 27th of March, conferred on her intended commander the honour of knighthood. After having diftinguifhed himfelf very confpicuoufly during the first action with the Dutch, he was promoted to be rear-admiral of the red fquadron as foon as the fleet returned into port to be refitted. On this occafion he hoifted his flag on board the Henry, a fecond rate of feventy-two guns, and after having acquitted himself in the fecond fight, which took place on the 25th of July, with his ufual gallantry, he was detached, by the commanders-in-chief,

*It appears by a note in Campbell's Lives of the Admirals, that fir Robert was, on his return home, put under an arreft and confined, 'till his conduct, as to whether he had, or had not, infringed the laws of nations, had been properly inveftigated. It is farther faid, that he had not, through his feveral expeditions to the coaft of Guinea, acted ander commiffion from the crown, but as commander of a privateering expedition fitted out by the English African company, at that ime patronifed by the duke of York.

prince Rupert, and the duke of Albemarle, who, on this occafion, put five fourth-rates, four fifth-rates, five firefhips, and feven bomb-ketches, under his command, to deftroy a large fleet of merchantmen *lying between the iflands of Ulie and Schelling. The moft brilliant fuccefs crowned this enterprize. The two men of war, and all the merchantmen, ten or twelve only excepted †, being burnt. The following day, fir Robert effected a landing with eleven companies of foldiers, which he had been furnished with for this expedition, on the island of Schelling; and having burnt the town of Bandaris, and carried off a very confiderable booty, he reimbarked his troops, with the lofs of only twelve men, killed and wounded, in the whole expedition after taking and destroying of the enemy's property, to the amount of eleven or twelve hundred thoufand pounds. He failed, foon afterwards, for the Streights, fo that he may be faid to have paffed the remainder of the Dutch war in a kind of inactivity. Returning from thence, with a fleet of merchantmen under his convoy, in the month of September, 1667, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Portsmouth fquadron, with permiffion to wear the union flag at his main-topmaft head. This appointment was, probably, of the same nature as that which is now called the port admiral. On this occafion he hoifted his flag on board the Defiance

The fmalleft of which was two hundred tons burthen. The fleet confifted of 170 fail, guarded by two men of war.

+ Thefe efcaped by hawling up into a narrow creek, under the protection of a Guineaman of twenty-four guns, where their fituation protected them fo favourably, that our boats could not get a them.

We cannot do a greater piece of juftice, as well to the memory of fir Robert, the commander, as the captains under him, than by in ferting the remark, published in the Gazette, on this great and memorable exploit.

"On our fide we can only observe in it a wife and prudent counfel, feafonably taken and moft vigorously executed; the whole, by the bleffing of God, attended with admirable fuccefs, without any confiderable lofs in the attempt; the feveral officers and commanders on the occafion bringing home a juft reward of glory and reputation, and the common feamen and foldiers their pockets well-filled with ducats and other rich spoil, which was found in great plenty."Gazette, No. 79

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