Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH RN |
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1st Governor of South Australia | |
In office 28 December 1836 – 16 July 1838 |
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Monarch |
William IV (Until 1837) Victoria (1837 Onwards) |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | George Gawler |
Personal details | |
Born | 1785 Chatham, Kent Great Britain |
Died | 29 July 1860 London, United Kingdom |
(aged 75)
Resting place | St. Andrew's Church, Hove |
Occupation | Naval officer, Colonial administrator |
Awards |
Naval General Service Medal Knight of the Royal Guelphic Order |
Military service | |
Allegiance |
Great Britain (1793–1801) United Kingdom (1801–1846) |
Service/branch | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1793–1856 |
Rank | Rear Admiral |
Unit |
HMS Bellerophon HMS Spencer HMS Victory HMS Phoebe HMS Beagle HMS Nisus HMS Scylla HMS Buffalo |
Commands |
HMS Scylla HMS Buffalo |
Battles/wars |
Glorious First of June Battle of the 17th of June 1795 Battle of the Nile Second Battle of Algeciras Battle of Trafalgar Battle of the Basque Roads Invasion of Java |
William IV (Until 1837)
Rear-Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh KH RN (baptised 22 May 1785 – 29 July 1860) was a naval officer and the first Governor of South Australia, from 28 December 1836 to 16 July 1838.
His grandfather William Hindmarsh was a gardener in Coniscliffe, County Durham.
His father, John Hindmarsh, was born on 27 June 1753 and baptized at St Cuthbert's Church, Darlington. He was pressed into the Royal Navy, and eventually became a warrant officer of the Bellerophon. On 23 August 1784, Hindmarsh (senior) married Mrs Mary Roxburgh, a widow, at St George's-in-the East, Middlesex. At the time of the Battle of the Nile, Hindmarsh (senior) was the gunner of the Bellerophon, (This was a warrant officer position.)
Hindmarsh was John and Mary Hindmarsh's eldest son, and was baptized on 25 May 1785 at St Mary's Church, Chatham, Kent.
Hindmarsh joined the Royal Navy either in April 1793 (aged seven or eight), or on 19 July 1790 (aged five). In 1793 he was listed on the muster roll of the Bellerophon as the servant of his father. He was schooled by Mr Neale, the purser of the Bellerophon. He saw action on the Bellerophon at the Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794 and the Battle of the Nile in 1798.
He was promoted to First Class Volunteer, when he was nine, for his actions at the Battle of the Glorious First of June.
During the Battle of the Nile on 1 August 1798, the fire on board the French line-of-battle ship l'Orient put the Bellerophon in danger; all the other officers on the quarterdeck on the Bellerophon were killed or wounded, so 13-year-old Midshipman Hindmarsh gathered some of the crew, cut the anchor cables, and raised a spritsail to get the ship moving. Captain Darby then came on deck from having his wounds dressed.Nelson knew of this incident and referred to it five years later when he gave Hindmarsh his promotion to lieutenant on 1 August 1803 on board the Victory. Hindmarsh suffered a contusion during the Battle of the Nile that resulted in him later losing an eye.