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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hore, James Stopford

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1758272A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Hore, James StopfordWilliam Richard O'Byrne

HORE. (Commander, 1828. f-p., 18; h-p., 21.)

James Stopford Hore, born in April, 1795, is brother of Commander S. B. and of Lieut. H. C. Hore, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy, 10 Feb. 1808, as Midshipman, on board the Melpomène 38, Capt., afterwards Sir Peter, Parker, and was present in a desperate action in the Belt, in which that frigate beat off a flotilla of 19 Danish gun-boats by whom she had been attacked. Among the numerous cuting-out affairs in which he bore a part, during his continuance in the Melpomène, was the brimant capture, 7 July, 1809, of the six Russian gun-vessels mentioned in our history of the services of Capt. Chas. Allen, Between Oct. in the latter year and May, 1810, he cruized on the Irish station in the Rota 38, Capt. Philip Somerville; and he was then re-employed for upwards of four years with Sir Peter Parker in the Menelaus 38. On proceeding in that ship to the Mediterranean, after having assisted in her at the reduction of the Isle of France, and been there employed in one of the blockading boats, Mr. Hore again contributed to the cutting-out of many of the enemy’s vessels, one of them a brig pierced for 14 guns, and conducted four prizes in safety into port. In May, 1812, he was on board the Menelaus when she pursued a frigate and brig close in with the batteries of Toulon, and then effected a masterly retreat from the French fleet, by passing through their line ahead of one 74, and astern of another. On being ordered to America, with the rating of Master’s Mate, he frequently went on shore with armed parties of seamen and marines for the purpose of dislodging the enemy and destroying their stores, and on every occasion he evinced the greatest zeal and gallantry – qualities which were in particular displayed on 30 Aug. 1814, when a detachment of the British, 134 in number, having landed at Bellair, near Baltimore, succeeded in gallantly routing an overwhelming number of the Americans, whose resistance, however, occasioned the former a loss of 14 killed, including Sir Peter Parker, and 27 wounded. About the close of 1814, Mr. Hore became Acting-Lieutenant of the Thais 20, Capt. Henry Weir, by whom he was soon afterwards, when off Madeira, sent home in charge of a French ship for adjudication, with discretionary power to liberate her or not, as might prove expedient from the state of hostilities at the time with France. On reaching Lisbon, deeming it unwise to risk a longer detention, he accordingly released the prize, and returned himself to England on board L’Aigle frigate. He was officially promoted on his arrival by commission dated 7 March, 1815, and was afterwards appointed – in April, 1818, to the Phaeton 38, Capt. Wm. Henry Dillon, whom he accompanied to the East Indies – 25 Dec. 1819, to the Tamar 26, Capts. Arthur Stow, Sir Wm. Saltonstall Wiseman, John Theed, and Thos. Herbert, on the Jamaica station, where he obtained the honourable official mention of the last-mentioned officer for his conduct in the ship’s boats in effecting the capture and destruction of four piratical vessels – and 2 Sept. 1824, to the Owen Glendower 42, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Hood Hanway Christian at the Cape of Good Hope. He was promoted, on being paid off, to the rank of Commander 28 Aug. 1828; but has not been since afloat. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.