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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Winthrop, Hay Erskine Shipley

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2011238A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Winthrop, Hay Erskine ShipleyWilliam Richard O'Byrne

WINTHROP. (Commander, 1846.)

Hay Erskine Shipley Winthrop is eldest son of the late Robt. Winthrop, Esq., Vice-Admiral of the Blue.[1]

This officer entered the Navy (from the Royal Naval College) 24 Dec. 1830; passed his examination in 1834; obtained his first commission 26 March, 1839; and was subsequently appointed – 18 June, 1839, – as Additional-Lieutenant, to the Princess Charlotte 104, flag-ship of Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford, in the Mediterranean – 9 Aug. following, to the Castor 36, Capt. Edw. Collier, under whom he assisted, in 1840, in the attacks upon Caiffa,[2] Jaffa, and Tsour, and at the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre – 18 Aug. 1841, again as Additional, to the Illustrious 72, fitting for the flag of Sir Chas. Adam – 18 Oct. 1841, to the Winchester 50, Capt. Thos. Wren Carter, and 24 Feb. 1842, to the command of the Spitfire steamer, both on the North America and West India station – 25 April, 1843, as Senior, to the Cormorant steam-vessel, Capt. Geo. Thos. Gordon, in the Pacific – 19 Oct. 1843, in a similar capacity, to the Ardent steam-sloop, on the coast of Africa – and 6 May, 1845, to the Rodney 92, Capt. Edw. Collier, attached to the Channel squadron. A few weeks after he had left the Rodney he was promoted to the rank of Commander 9 Nov. 1846.

He married, 16 Feb. 1847, Anne, second daughter of the late John Hives, Esq., of Gledhow Grove, co. York. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.


  1. Vice-Admiral Winthrop was born about 1762, in America and entered the Navy in 1779. He fought as Midshipman in the Formidable 98, flag-ship of Sir Geo. Brydges Rodney, in the action of 12 April, 1782; attained the rank of Lieutenant 3 Nov. 1790; commanded a detachment of seamen at the reduction of Martinique in March, 1794; was promoted to the rank of Commander 6 Oct. 1795; served as such in the Albacore sloop at the capture of Ste. Lucie in May, 1796; was wrecked in a heavy gale on the Morant Keys, while acting as Captain in the Undaunted frigate 27 Aug. following; and on 16 Dec. in the same year was advanced to Post-rank. He was subsequently employed in the Circe 32, Stag 32, Ardent 64, and Sybille 38. In the Circe he accompanied an expedition sent under Sir Home Popham and Major-General Coote, to destroy the locks and sluice gates of the Burges Canal; commanded a small squadron, too, on the coast of Holland, and was present at the capture of the Helder and the surrender of the Dutch squadron, under Rear-Admiral Storey. In the Stag he was again (after having taken part in Sir John Borlase Warren’s expedition to Ferrol) wrecked in Vigo Bay, 6 Sept. 1801; and in the Ardent he drove the French frigate Bayonnaise, of 32 guns and 200 men, on shore on the coast of Spain, 28 Nov. 1803, and was for some time stationed off Boulogne. From 1808 until the corps was disbanded, in 1810, he commanded the Dover district of Sea Fencibles. He became a Rear-Admiral 12 Aug. 1819, and a Vice-Admiral 22 July, 1830. He died at Dover 9 May, 1832.
  2. At the taking of Caiffa, he aided in planting the Ottoman flag on the ramparts of the town.