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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hyde, George

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1763558A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Hyde, GeorgeWilliam Richard O'Byrne

HYDE. (Lieutenant, 1815.)

George Hyde entered the Navy, 27 July, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Queen 98, Capts. John Knight and Fras. Pender, bearing the flag afterwards of Lord Collingwood in the Mediterranean and off Cadiz. He came home in 1807 in the Juno frigate, Capt. Hon. Granville Proby, but remained unemployed from that period until Sept. 1810, when he was ordered to the West Indies. On his return from the latter station, where he had been intermediately employed as Midshipman, in the Dragon 74, flag-ship of Sir Fras. Laforey, and Star sloop, Capt. Fras. Kearny White, he joined in Oct. 1811 the Belle Poule 38, Capt. Jas. Brisbane, whom he ultimately followed into the Pembroke 74. He was again, in Dec. 1812, placed under the orders of Capt. White, in the Thistle 12, in which vessel he cruized off the coast of North America until Oct. 1813. He then marched with Capt. Edw. Collier from Halifax to Kingston, in Upper Canada, and on his arrival was appointed to the Charwell 14, Capt. Alex. Dobbs. In Aug. 1814, having assisted in transporting the gig belonging to the latter vessel from Queenstown to Frenchman’s Creek, a distance of 20 miles, and thence, with the addition of five batteaux, through the woods to Lake Erie, a further distance of eight miles, he served with a detachment of 75 seamen and marines at the capture of the Somers and Ohio, two out of three fine American schooners, whose aggregate force amounted to 92 lbs. weight of metal and 105 men, while the British were perfectly destitute of artillery. The enemy on the occasion had 1 man killed and 7 womided; the assailants 2 killed and 4 wounded. For his gallant conduct in the attack, and the skill he displayed in afterwards navigating one of the prizes through shoals and rapids, and under a constant and heavy fire, into the river Niagara, Mr. Hyde obtained the particular mention of Capt. Dobbs.[1] About the same period, however, he was unfortunately taken prisoner, and he was in consequence detained in the United States until March 1815. After he had again served for three months in the Charwell, commanded by Capt. Edw. Rowley on Lake Ontario, he returned to England on board a transport, and on 20 Sept. 1815 was promoted (from the Queen Charlotte 100, Capt. Edm. Boger) to the rank of Lieutenant. With the exception of a servitude of some time in the Tyne 26, commanded by his former Captain, White, on the Halifax station, Mr.Hyde has since been on half-pay. He is married and has issue.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1814, p. 2036.