John Hayes (Royal Navy officer)
| John Hayes | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Magnificent Hayes" |
| Born | Greenwich Kent |
| Died | 7 April 1838 Southsea, Hampshire |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1787 to 1838 |
| Rank | Royal Navy Rear-Admiral |
| Battles/wars |
French Revolutionary War • Action of 31 July 1793 Napoleonic Wars • Walcheren Expedition • Action of 2 February 1814 • Action of 13 December 1814 |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath |
Rear-Admiral John Hayes, CB (1767 or 1775 – 7 April 1838) was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Hayes was best known for his skill at seamanship and his interest in the design and construction of naval vessels, beginning with his childhood education at Deptford Dockyard where his uncle Adam was a master shipbuilder. During his naval service he participated in the first and the last significant frigate actions of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, from the inconclusive engagement between Embuscade and HMS Boston in 1793 and the capture of USS President in 1815. After the war's end, Hayes was appointed as superintendent of HMNB Devonport and later was commander in chief off West Africa.
John Hayes was baptised on 22 Jan. 1768 at St Nicholas, Deptford in Kent, the eldest son of George Hayes, "Master Boat Builder of Union St" and his wife Elizabeth (Simpson). His father died in 1779.His great-uncle was Adam Hayes, Master Shipbuilder at Deptford Dockyard. Adam Hayes ensured that his great-nephew was entered on the books of various ships from the age of seven: this legal loophole allowed John Hayes to develop necessary seniority without actually serving at sea. Instead, John Hayes was educated at the dockyard until 1787, when he was sent to the ship of the line HMS Orion under Sir Hyde Parker. In 1790 he moved to the frigate HMS Pearl under Captain George Courtenay and followed Courtenay to HMS Boston in 1793 after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. Within months, Boston was engaged in action with the French frigate Embuscade at the Action of 31 July 1793.Embuscade had been anchored in New York City harbour, and Courtenay sent an offer of battle in to Captain Jean-Baptiste-François Bompart, who sailed out to meet him. In the ensuing engagement, Courtenay was killed and Boston badly damaged. The ship was eventually forced to flee before Embuscade, escaping into the Atlantic.
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