# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hough, John James

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​HOUGH. (Commander, 1827. f-p., 20; h-p., 28.)
John James Hough was born about Feb. 1785.
This officer entered the Navy, in Sept. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Mars 74, Capt. John Monckton, bearing the flag in the Channel of Hon. Geo. Cranfield Berkeley. He served next, from Jan. 1801 to Aug. 1805, part of the time as Midshipman, in the Anson 44, Capt. Wm. Edw. Cracraft, on the Mediterranean station; then joined, for short periods, the Saturn 74, Capt. Lord Amelius Beauclerk, Kent 74, Capt. Henry Garrett, and Hibernia 110, flag-ship of Earl St. Vincent, all engaged on Home service; and on 2 Oct. 1807 was nominated Acting-Lieutenant, after an unemployed interval of 17 months, of the Bellona 74, commanded at Halifax by Capt. John Erskine Douglas, to which ship he was confirmed by commission dated 19 Nov. following. His next appointments, until paid off in Aug. 1814, were, on the last mentioned, and on the Lisbon, West India, and Home stations – 18 Nov. 1808, to the Horatio, of 46 guns and 270 men, Capt. Geo. Scott – 27 Nov. 1810, to the Formidable 98, Capt. Jas. Nicoll Morris – 9 March, 1811, to the Barfleur 98, bearing the flag of Hon. G. C. Berkeley – 27 July, 1812, to the Asia 74, Capt. Geo. Scott – and, 5 Feb. 1814, to the Egmont 74, Capt. Joseph Bingham. Of the above ships the Horatio appears, when in company with the Latona 38, and Supérieure and Driver sloops, to have effected the capture, 10 Feb. 1809, off the Virgin Islands, of La Junon French frigate, of 46 guns and 323 men, after a close and sanguinary action of nearly three hours, a loss to herself of 7 men killed and 26 wounded, and to her antagonist of 130 killed and wounded. We also, on 21 Feb. 1810, find her making prize, at the close of a long chase, and of a running fight of one hour, of La Nécessité pierced for 40 guns, but not mounting more than 28, with a complement on board of 186 men, and laden with naval stores and provisions from Brest bound to the Isle of France. Mr. Hough, who on the latter occasion officiated as the Horatio’s First-Lieutenant, was in both instances the officer sent to take possession of the French ships, and he each time likewise conducted the prizes into port. He subsequently, on joining the Egmont, served in that ship under the flag of Rear-Admiral Chas. Vinicombe Penrose at the forcing of the passage of the Gironde, in the spring of 1814. His last naval appointments were to the command, 3 May, 1817, 1 March, 1824, and 21 March, 1826, of the Active, Basilisk, and Cracker cutters; in which vessels he effected the capture of several smugglers, twice conveyed large amounts of specie from London to Dublin, sailed on two occasions with squadrons of observation under the flag of H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence, and was employed as Senior officer in protecting the fisheries off Jersey. He attained his present rank 29 Sept. 1827.
In May, 1834, Commander Hough was nominated one of the six stipendiary magistrates appointed at Barbadoes under the Slavery Emancipation Act; and when he resigned that situation in Oct. 1838 he was presented with a sum for the purchase of a piece of plate, as a mark of the satisfaction he had afforded by the just and impartial manner in which he had administered its duties. He was afterwards employed in the Indian Navy, as Captain, from 7 April, 1840, until 29 July, 1846, of the Proserpine war-steamer. During the operations of 21 July, 1842, against Chin-Kiang-Foo, he was stationed on the Yang-tse-Kiang and blockaded an entrance to the Grand Canal. He married, 28 Aug. 1815, a daughter of Geo. Thos. Tracey, Esq., Purser and Paymaster R.N. ( 1795), and sister of Lieut. Benj. Wheatley Tracey, R.N. By that lady he has issue a son and three daughters. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
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