Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

Robert Hughes (died 14 March 1729) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer. Having joined the navy in the late seventeenth century, he served as a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in several

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

during the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...

before being promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in 1697. His first command was HMS ''Flamborough'' in which he captured several

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

s off

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

at the start of the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

, before taking command of HMS ''Winchester''. Hughes commanded a squadron guarding the

Straits of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...

in 1703, and in the following decade commanded several ships of the line in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

and

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

. Promoted to rear-admiral in 1727, Hughes was third in command of the

Baltic Fleet The Baltic Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea. Established 18 May 1703, under Tsar Peter the Great as part of the Imperial Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet is the oldest Russian fleet. In 1918, the fleet w ...

that later in the year induced Russia not to go to war with Sweden. He died in 1729, having had no further active service.

Naval service

Early career

Robert Hughes was born in the late seventeenth century. He was the brother of

officer

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Richard Hughes, and as such was the uncle of Captain Sir Richard Hughes, 1st Baronet. Hughes also joined the navy and, with the

ongoing, was promoted to

on 19 December 1692. The following year he was appointed second lieutenant of the 70-gun

ship of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactics in the Age of Sail, naval tactic known as the line of battl ...

HMS ''Suffolk''. Hughes' early career is not well recorded, but by 1695 he was serving as the

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

of the 100-gun ship of the line HMS ''Queen'', which was the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Sir Cloudesley Shovell. Sometime after this Hughes was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

before, on 28 June 1697, being advanced in rank to captain.

Command

At the same time as his promotion to captain Hughes was given command of the 24-gun

sixth-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a sixth-rate was the designation for small warships mounting between 20 and 28 carriage-mounted guns on a single deck, sometimes with smaller guns on the upper works an ...

HMS ''Flamborough''; he continued in the ship after the end of the Nine Years' War later in the year. The following year, the ship sailed as escort to a convoy travelling through the

White Sea The White Sea (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; ) is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the nort ...

, before in 1699 serving off the coast of Ireland. ''Flamborough'' then saw service guarding the

Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...

fisheries in 1701, with the

beginning in the same year. At this point ''Flamborough'' was sent to serve as a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

. Hughes captured several small but successful

s around

in 1702, demonstrating "great activity and diligence" according to biographer John Charnock. Towards the end of the year Hughes was transferred to command the 50-gun ship of the line HMS ''Winchester'', which in 1703 joined the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

commanded by Shovell. By September, still in the Mediterranean, Hughes had moved to command the 32-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

HMS ''Poole'', but, the fleet then returning to England, in 1704 he re-joined ''Winchester''. The ship joined

William Whetstone's squadron in the

, continuing there into 1705. The following year Hughes and ''Winchester'' joined the Mediterranean Fleet, commanded by Shovell and

Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

Sir John Leake. Leake appointed Hughes to serve as a

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

within the fleet, giving him command of a small squadron to guard the entrance to the

. Hughes was highly successful in this task, capturing or destroying two enemy frigates and a

settee A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, chesterfield, or davenport, is a cushioned piece of furniture that can seat multiple people. It is commonly found in the form of a bench with upholstered armrests and is often fitted with springs and ...

. He continued off Gibraltar until 1709. Hughes was at this point moved with ''Winchester'' to serve in the English Channel again, and on 27 November captured a privateer from

Flushing Flushing may refer to: Places Netherlands * Flushing, Netherlands, an English name for the city of Vlissingen, Netherlands United Kingdom * Flushing, Cornwall, a village in Cornwall, England * The Flushing, a building in Suffolk, England ...

. In 1711 Hughes was given command of the 70-gun ship of the line HMS ''Kent'', serving in the Channel as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Hardy. ''Kent'' captured the privateer ''La Revanche'' on 23 February the following year. Hughes was moved to command the 60-gun ship of the line HMS ''Plymouth'' in 1715, joining Admiral Sir John Norris's Mediterranean Fleet. He continued there until 1717 when he was translated into the 80-gun ship of the line HMS ''Devonshire''. Hughes' subsequent service is unknown until 1726 when he was given command of the 70-gun ship of the line HMS ''Hampton Court'', part of

Vice-Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...

Sir Charles Wager Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Charles Wager (24 February 1666 – 24 May 1743) was an English Royal Navy officer and politician who served as First Lord of the Admiralty from 1733 to 1742. Despite heroic active service and steadfast adminis ...

Flag rank

Hughes was promoted to rear-admiral on 21 April 1727. He continued serving in ''Hampton Court'', this time as her

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command. Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways: * ...

rather than captain. Immediately after his promotion Hughes joined a fleet under the command of Norris, serving as third in command. The fleet contained twelve ships of the line, and was expected to travel to the Baltic to induce Russia not to attack Sweden. The fleet reached

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

on 12 May and made such an impression on Russia that it laid up its navy and abandoned designs on Sweden. Hughes and the rest of the fleet subsequently returned to England not having had to fire a single shot in anger. The fleet arrived home in early January 1728; Hughes saw no further active service before on 14 March 1729 he died in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

from an infection in his leg. He was buried, as much of his family were, in St Paul's, Deptford.

Personal life

Hughes married a woman named Lydia, with whom he had two daughters who became his co-heiresses. One daughter, Alice, married Sir James Calder, 3rd Baronet. She had four sons, including Admiral Sir Robert Calder. His other daughter, Katherine, married John Sayer and had a son, Vice-Admiral James Sayer.

Notes and citations

Notes

Citations

References

* * * * * * * * {{refend 1729 deaths Royal Navy rear admirals British naval commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession