Collection GB 0064 HOO - Hood, Samuel, Admiral, 1st Viscount Hood, (1724-1816)

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0064 HOO

Title

Hood, Samuel, Admiral, 1st Viscount Hood, (1724-1816)

Date(s)

  • [1760-1815] (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

4ft; 122cm

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

Samuel Hood, elder brother of Viscount Bridport (q.v.) entered the Navy in 1741 and was made a lieutenant in 1746. His first command was in the Mediterranean in 1754. In 1757 he was at the blockade of Brest and was successful in a noteworthy single-ship action. Between 1760 and 1763 he served in the Mediterranean. He was employed during the peace and in 1767 was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North America, in the ROMNEY. From 1771 to 1776 he commanded the ROYAL WILLIAM, guardship at Portsmouth, and in 1778 was appointed Resident Commissioner at Portsmouth Dockyard. In the following year he was created a baronet and in 1780 promoted to rear-admiral, when he went in the BARFLEUR, with reinforcements to Rodney in the West Indies. Here he too part in the taking of St. Eustatius and the manoeuvering off Martinique. When Rodney sailed for England, Hood went to North America to reinforce Admiral Graves (q.v.) and commanded the rear squadron at the battle of Chesapeake in 1781. Early in 1782 Hood worsted De Grasse at Frigate Bay at St. Kitts, and soon afterwards took an important part in the battle of the Saints, the Ville de Paris surrendering to the BARFLEUR. As a result in 1782 Hood was raised to the Irish Peerage and was Member of Parliament for Westminster, 1785 to 1788 and 1790 to 1796 and for Reigate, 1789 to 1790. Between 1787 and 1788 he was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, having been promoted to vice-admiral, and from 1788 to 1795 he served at the Board of Admiralty. At the beginning of the Revolutionary Wars, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, where he commanded the forces which took Toulon In August 1793. However, he had to withdraw to Corsica in December. In late 1794 he returned to England. He was promoted to admiral and in 1796 was appointed Governor of Greenwich Hospital, which post he held until his death. He was raised to the British peerage in 1796. See David Hanoi ed. , 'Letters of Lord Hood, 1781-82' (Navy Records Society, 1895).

Archival history

GB 0064 HOO [1760-1815] Collection 4ft; 122cm Hood , Samuel , 1724-1816 , 1st Viscount Hood , Admiral

Samuel Hood, elder brother of Viscount Bridport (q.v.) entered the Navy in 1741 and was made a lieutenant in 1746. His first command was in the Mediterranean in 1754. In 1757 he was at the blockade of Brest and was successful in a noteworthy single-ship action. Between 1760 and 1763 he served in the Mediterranean. He was employed during the peace and in 1767 was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North America, in the ROMNEY. From 1771 to 1776 he commanded the ROYAL WILLIAM, guardship at Portsmouth, and in 1778 was appointed Resident Commissioner at Portsmouth Dockyard. In the following year he was created a baronet and in 1780 promoted to rear-admiral, when he went in the BARFLEUR, with reinforcements to Rodney in the West Indies. Here he too part in the taking of St. Eustatius and the manoeuvering off Martinique. When Rodney sailed for England, Hood went to North America to reinforce Admiral Graves (q.v.) and commanded the rear squadron at the battle of Chesapeake in 1781. Early in 1782 Hood worsted De Grasse at Frigate Bay at St. Kitts, and soon afterwards took an important part in the battle of the Saints, the Ville de Paris surrendering to the BARFLEUR. As a result in 1782 Hood was raised to the Irish Peerage and was Member of Parliament for Westminster, 1785 to 1788 and 1790 to 1796 and for Reigate, 1789 to 1790. Between 1787 and 1788 he was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, having been promoted to vice-admiral, and from 1788 to 1795 he served at the Board of Admiralty. At the beginning of the Revolutionary Wars, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, where he commanded the forces which took Toulon In August 1793. However, he had to withdraw to Corsica in December. In late 1794 he returned to England. He was promoted to admiral and in 1796 was appointed Governor of Greenwich Hospital, which post he held until his death. He was raised to the British peerage in 1796. See David Hanoi ed. , 'Letters of Lord Hood, 1781-82' (Navy Records Society, 1895).

The papers were deposited on loan by Viscount Hood in 1950 and were supplemented by a smaller group in 1954.

Papers of Adml Samuel Hood consisting of twenty-one official letterbooks, 1767 to 1794, and some five hundred loose letters, 1771 to 1815. Among Hood's correspondents were George III, 1778, 1782; Sir George Rodney (1719-1792), 1781 to 1782; Prince William Henry, 1786 to 1787; Lord Howe (q.v.), 1787; Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville (q.v.), 1794; and Lord Nelson (q.v.), 1794. There are also a collection of charts of the Mediterranean, drawn between 1760 and 1761, and some papers relating to diplomatic affairs, 1793 to 1794, and to Hood's appointment as Governor of Greenwich Hospital. In the collection of Hood family papers presented by Commander Mackinnon in 1952 and Mrs Mackinnon in 1968, there are some private letters from Hood to Lord Bridport (q.v.), 1779 to 1802, and one from Hood to his sister after the battle of the Saints.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Please contact the Archive for further information.

English

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

Edited by Sarah Drewery, Jul 2011.

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

2010-11-17 Nelson , Horatio , 1758-1805 , 1st Viscount Nelson of the Nile and Burnham Thorpe , Vice-Admiral Dundas , Robert Saunders , 1771-1851 , 2nd Viscount Melville , Scots statesman Howe , Richard , 1726-1799 , Earl Howe , Admiral of the Fleet William Henry , 1743-1805 , Prince , Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Rodney , George Brydges , 1719-1792 , 1st Baron Rodney , Admiral George III , 1738-1820 , King of Great Britain and Ireland Hood , Samuel , 1724-1816 , 1st Viscount Hood , Admiral International relations Hood , Alexander , 1726-1814 , Viscount Bridport , naval officer and politician Greenwich Hospital Mediterranean Sea Seas

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

The papers were deposited on loan by Viscount Hood in 1950 and were supplemented by a smaller group in 1954.

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Papers of Adml Samuel Hood consisting of twenty-one official letterbooks, 1767 to 1794, and some five hundred loose letters, 1771 to 1815. Among Hood's correspondents were George III, 1778, 1782; Sir George Rodney (1719-1792), 1781 to 1782; Prince William Henry, 1786 to 1787; Lord Howe (q.v.), 1787; Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville (q.v.), 1794; and Lord Nelson (q.v.), 1794. There are also a collection of charts of the Mediterranean, drawn between 1760 and 1761, and some papers relating to diplomatic affairs, 1793 to 1794, and to Hood's appointment as Governor of Greenwich Hospital. In the collection of Hood family papers presented by Commander Mackinnon in 1952 and Mrs Mackinnon in 1968, there are some private letters from Hood to Lord Bridport (q.v.), 1779 to 1802, and one from Hood to his sister after the battle of the Saints.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Conditions governing reproduction

Please contact the Archive for further information.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue online at the: National Maritime Museum website .

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Subject access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

National Maritime Museum

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area