# A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Hamley, William

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​HAMLEY, K.L.A. (Captain, 1834. f-p., 21; h-p., 27.)
William Hamley, born in July, 1786, at Bodmin, co. Cornwall, is second son of the late Wm. Hamley, Esq., of that place (a lineal descendant of Osbertus, youngest grandson of Sir John Hamley, Kt., who, in the 12th of Edw. III., was chosen High Sheriff of Cornwall, and subsequently elected a Member of Parliament for the same co.), by Sarah, daughter of John Pomeroy, Esq. His ancestor, Espire Hamley, was M.P. for the borough of Bodmin in 1308; and his youngest brother, Wymond, is now a Commander R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 July, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Pomone 40, Capt. Robt. Carthew Reynolds, with whom, and Capt. Robt. Cuthbert, he continued to serve, in the same ship and in the Orion 74, on the Home and West India stations, latterly as Midshipman, until the summer of 1802. After a further employment of more than three years in the Hercule 74, as Aide-de-Camp at Jamaica to Sir John Thos. Duckworth and Vice-Admiral Jas. Rich. Dacres, he was appointed Sub-Lieutenant, 1 Jan. 1806, of the Pitt schooner, Lieut.-Commander Michael Fitton. Being officially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant by commission dated 20 Jan. 1807, Mr. Hamley was next, from Oct. in that year until Jan. 1814, employed, chiefly as First-Lieutenant, in the Crocodile, Pallas, and Havannah frigates, all commanded by Capt. Hon. Geo. Cadogan. Besides conveying Sir Arthur Wellesley in the Crocodile to Portugal, and attending in the Pallas the expedition to the Walcheren, he took part, when in the Havannah, in a variety of important detached services, and acquitted himself with a degree of skill and gallantry that redounded much to his credit. In command of the boats of that frigate he in the first place, on 6 Sept. 1811, spiked 3 12-pounder guns mounted on a battery on the S.W. side of the Penmarcks, whence he brought out a schooner and five chasse-marées, principally laden with wine and brandy. He next, with only a division of the ship’s boats, and a loss of a Master’s Mate killed and 2 men wounded, attacked and carried, 6 Jan. 1813, a gun-boat, No. 8, greatly his superior in force, carrying 1 long 24-pounder and 35 men, prepared in every respect, and supported by musketry from the shore, where she was made fast. On 7 of the following month Mr. Hamley had the good fortune, with the boats and marines, to capture and destroy, without any casualty whatever, four Franco-Venetian gun-vessels, 21 transports laden with ordnance stores, and a 7-gun battery, on the coast of Manfredonia. He again, on 22 March, effected the capture of a large trabacolo of 3 9-pounders and small arms, and the destruction by fire of a similar vessel laden with oil, under the town of Vasto; and four days afterwards he took, in face of a strong opposition, five armed trabacolos, and five feluccas laden with salt, near the town of Fortore. With a loss of only 3 men slightly wounded, he further contrived to capture an armed convoy, consisting of 10 sail (laden with oil), close in with Vasto, where, although the enemy had assembled in force and had taken every possible precaution to prevent their vessels being got off, he landed, drove them from their guns, 8 in number, and ultimately effected his purpose. He finally served on shore in command of the batteries and of a force of 60 men at the reduction, in Nov. and Dec. 1813, of the strong fortress of Zara, mounting 110 pieces of brass cannon, 7 large mortars, and 11 howitzers, and garrisoned by 2000 veteran troops; and on every occasion he won the admiration of his Captain, and was strongly recommended by him for promotion for his uniform skill and gallantry. On leaving the Havannah, as above, Mr. Hamley, who had received a very handsome letter from the Emperor of Austria, returned to England, and on his arrival found himself promoted to the rank of Commander by commission bearing date 15 June, 1814. He was subsequently, 9 April, 1823, appointed to the Pelorus sloop, on the Irish station, where, during a servitude of three years, he captured more smuggling-vessels than any other cruizer, and seized, at various times, not less than 62,000 lbs. of tobacco. On the paying off of the Pelorus, all her officers were promoted, with the exception of Capt. Hamley, who, on 10 June, 1830, next obtained command of the Wolf 18, in the East Indies. He was paid off, on his return from that station, 10 May, 1834, and on 20 Oct. following was advanced to Post-rank. He has not been since employed.
Including the occasions alluded to above, Capt. Hamley, we may observe, commanded the Havannah’s boats in 10 successful attacks on the enemy’s batteries, gun-boats, and other armed vessels, the fruit whereof was the capture and destruction of 100 pieces of cannon and upwards of 100 sail of shipping. In 1815 he obtained the royal licence and authority to accept and wear the insignia of the order of Leopold, with which the Emperor of Austria had been pleased to honour him, as a testimony of the high sense which his Imperial Majesty entertained of the services rendered by him at Zara. Capt. Hamley, who appears to have been wounded in the course of his professional career, married Barbara, eldest daughter of Chas. Ogilvy, Esq., of Lerwick, Shetland, by whom he has issue. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1811, p. 1829.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 1148.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 1485.
* ↑ Vide Gaz. 1813, p. 2010.