Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby, was a Royal Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
12 Facts About Phipps Hornby
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At Lissa a British squadron under William Hoste overwhelmed a French force more than twice their own strength, Volage combating a much larger ship alone for several minutes and taking numerous casualties, including Phipps Hornby, who was wounded.
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Later in life, Phipps Hornby accepted a succession of home and seagoing positions to ensure the promotion prospects for his son in the Navy as well as to support his close allies in Parliament under the Earl of Derby, to whom he was related.
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Phipps Hornby received education at Sunbury-on-Thames and joined the Navy as a midshipman in 1797 aged 12.
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Phipps Hornby was granted his first independent command in 1806, the small armed vessel HMS Duchess of Bedfordshire and in her fought off two large Spanish privateers.
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Phipps Hornby was wounded in March 1811 during the Battle of Lissa, at which his ship fought a much larger French vessel and despite losing all but one gun, remained in combat throughout.
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Phipps Hornby was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 4 June 1815 and the following year paid off Spartan and entered semi-retirement.
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In 1832, Phipps Hornby returned to service to promote his son's career through preferment, initially becoming superintendent of Plymouth Naval Hospital and in 1838 moving to become superintendent of the Woolwich Dockyard.
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In 1852 Phipps Hornby returned to Europe to serve as a Second Naval Lord under the Duke of Northumberland and remained in post until his final retirement in 1853, shortly after the fall of Lord Derby's government.
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In retirement Phipps Hornby continued to receive honours, eventually being promoted full admiral in 1858 and becoming a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1861.
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Phipps Hornby died a widower at his estate in the village of Little Green near Petersfield in Hampshire in March 1867.
12.
In 1814, Phipps Hornby married Sophia Maria Burgoyne, daughter of General John Burgoyne.