Hugh Pigot (Royal Navy captain)
| Hugh Pigot | |
|---|---|
| Born |
5 September 1769 Patshull, Staffordshire |
| Died | 21 September 1797 (aged 28) Aboard HMS Hermione, off Puerto Rico |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1782–1797 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held |
HMS Swan HMS Success HMS Hermione |
| Relations | Hugh Pigot (father) |
Hugh Pigot (5 September 1769 – 21 September 1797) was an officer in the Royal Navy. Through his connections and their patronage he was able to rise to the rank of captain, despite apparently poor leadership skills and a reputation for brutality. While he was captain of Hermione he eventually provoked his men to mutiny. The mutiny, which became one of the bloodiest in the history of the Royal Navy, left Pigot and nine other officers dead. The Navy hunted down and executed a number of the mutineers and recaptured his ship from the Spanish, to whom the mutineers had turned it over.
Pigot was born in Patshull, Staffordshire on 5 September 1769, the second son of Admiral Hugh Pigot. His mother was Hugh's second wife, Frances, who was the daughter of Sir Richard Wrottesley. The younger Hugh embarked on his naval career on 10 March 1782, when he joined the 50-gun HMS Jupiter as an admiral's servant. He sailed from the Hamoaze with the Jupiter to the West Indies, where his father was flying his flag aboard the 90-gun HMS Formidable. Pigot was advanced to midshipman or masters' mate on 1 October 1784, and received his commission as lieutenant on 21 September 1790. He received his first command, that of the sloop HMS Swan on 10 February 1794, and was assigned to operate on the Jamaica station.
Whilst in command of the Swan Pigot rammed the merchant ship Canada in the English Channel in May 1794. He placed the blame for the mishap on the master of the merchant. Four months later Pigot was posted to the 32-gun HMS Success as her captain. During a nine-month period, he ordered at least 85 floggings, the equivalent of half the crew; two men died from their injuries. In July 1795 he was involved in another collision with the Mercury, an American ship, near Santo Domingo. He again blamed the master of the other ship. But when he had the man seized and flogged he created a diplomatic incident. Pigot was brought to court-martial but that let him off with an apology. He was initially to return to England after this but Admiral Sir Hyde Parker then in command at Jamaica thought that Pigot had been represented badly and allowed him to transfer to the 32-gun HMS Hermione instead.
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