# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hellard, Samuel

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​HELLARD. (Capt., 1839. f-p., 33; h-p., 16.)
Samuel Hellard entered the Navy, 7 Sept. 1798, as a Volunteer, on board the Director 64, Capt. Wm. Bligh, from which ship, on his return from a voyage to St. Helena, he removed to the Gladiator, Lieut.-Commander John Bell Conolly, lying at Portsmouth. Joining, in 1802, the Blenheim 74, Capts. Henry Matson, Thos. Graves, Wm. Ferris, and Loftus Otway Bland, bearing the broad-pendant at first of Sir Sam. Hood, he proceeded to the West Indies, where, on 16 Nov. in the following year, he assisted at the cutting-out, from the harbour of Marin, Martinique, of the Harmonie, a notorious privateer, of 8 guns and 66 men, after a gallant conflict in which the enemy had 2 men killed and 14 wounded, and the British, out of 74, 1 killed and 5 wounded. In the spring of 1805, he accompanied Capt. Bland, as Midshipman, into the Flora 36, in the boats of which frigate, commanded by Lieut. Thos. Furber, we find him contributing, off Oporto, to the capture, 25 Nov. 1806, at the end of a row of six hours, of the Spanish privateer El Espedarte, of 6 guns, 6 swivels, and 41 men. The Flora being wrecked on the coast of Holland 19 Jan. 1808, Mr. Hellard next, in the course of the same and of the following year, joined the Majestic 74, flag-ship in the North Sea of Vice- Admiral Thos. Macnamara Russell, Podargus sloop, commanded in the Downs and off Lisbon by Capt. Wm. Hellard, and Castor 32, Capt. Wm. Roberts. While in the latter frigate he took part, as Master’s Mate, in a gallant action which preceded the capture, 17 April, 1809, of the French 74-gun ship D’Haupoult; was present as Acting-Lieutenant, on 18 of the following Dec, at the destruction of the 40-gun frigates Loire and Seine, laden with stores and provisions, moored in Ance la Barque, Guadeloupe, and defended by numerous strong batteries; and in Feb. 1810, commanded a detachment of seamen on shore at the reduction of Guadeloupe. After serving for a few months as Acting-Lieutenant also of the Neptune 98, Capt. Volant Vashon Ballard, he was officially promoted by commission dated 29 Oct. 1810, and re-appointed to the Podargus 14, Capts. John Lloyd, John Bradley, George Rennie, and Wm. Robilliard; under the latter of whom, when in company with the Dictator 64, Calypso 18, and Flamer gun-brig, he shared, as First-Lieutenant, 6 July, 1812, in the capture and destruction, within the rocks of Mardoe, on the Norwegian coast, of a Danish squadron, consisting of the Nayaden of 48 guns, the Laland, Samsoe and Kiel sloops, and several gun-boats. The Podargus, whose loss on the latter gallant occasion amounted, we find, to 9 men wounded, was subsequently present at the relief of Danzig. Quitting her in Dec. 1813, her First-Lieutenant next, until April 18, served, on the West India and Home stations, in the Benbow 74, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson, and Scout 18, Capt. Jas. Arthur Murray; after which he successively joined – 31 Oct. 1820, and 31 May, 1823, the Severn and Ramillies Coast Blockade ships, both commanded by Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch – 28 April, 1824, the Dover 28, Capt. Sam. Chambers, lying at Leith – 9 Dec. 1824, the Ramillies again, Capts. W. M‘Culloch and Hugh Pigot – and Sept. 1829, the Talavera 74, Capt. Hugh Pigot, also attached to the Coast Blockade service. Attaining the rank of Commander 22 July, 1830, he was afterwards employed in that capacity in the Coast Guard from 13 April, 1831, until 1836, and again from 1 March, 1838, until advanced to his present rank 1 Jan. 1839. He has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Hellard is Senior of 1839.