John Hutt (Royal Navy officer)

John Hutt
Born	1746
Died	30 June 1794 Spithead, Hampshire
Allegiance	Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1773 to 1794
Rank	Royal Navy Captain
Battles/wars	American War of Independence French Revolutionary Wars • Glorious First of June

Captain John Hutt (1746 – 30 June 1794) was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and died in 1794 from severe wounds received during the battle of the Glorious First of June, the first major naval battle of the French Revolutionary Wars. Hutt's ship, HMS Queen was heavily engaged in the action and in celebration of his career and death, a monument was raised to him and the other dead Royal Navy captains of the battle. Hutt Island, British Columbia, is named after him.

John Hutt was born in 1746 but did not begin a naval career until relatively late, becoming a lieutenant in the frigate HMS Lively in 1773. The ship was stationed on the North American Station and Hutt moved between ships rapidly during his service there, joining Hind and Scarborough in short order. Hutt later joined the fleet in the West Indies. In June 1780 Admiral Rodney appointed him commander of the small brig St Lucia. In October Rodney transferred Hutt to Sandwich. Then on 21 February 1781, Rodney gave Hutt command of the 14-gun brig Antigua, but Hutt did not have her long. On 28 May 1781, during a concerted effort to seize St Lucia from the British by French admiral de Grasse's fleet, a boarding party overwhelmed Antigua at Dauphin Creek.

The French captured Hutt and he remained in their hands until November 1781 when he was returned to England on parole. Hutt was exchanged for a French officer shortly afterwards and faced a court martial for the loss of his ship at which he was exonerated. In the summer of 1782, Hutt assumed command of the sloop Trimmer and after the peace, in 1783, he received promotion to post captain and took over the 20-gun Camilla. Hutt sailed Camilla to Jamaica, returning in 1787. In 1790 during the Spanish armament, Hutt assumed command of the frigate HMS Lizard, which operated as a fleet scout. He was stationed off Ferrol to observe the Spanish fleet and he brought the news to England that the Spanish had returned to Cadiz without threatening action.

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