Phipps Hornby
| Sir Phipps Hornby | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 April 1785 Winwick, Lancashire |
| Died |
19 March 1867 (aged 81) Little Green, Petersfield, Hampshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1797–1867 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held |
Pacific Station HMS Spartan HMS Stag HMS Volage HMS Minorca |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
| Other work | Lord of the Admiralty |
Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby, GCB (27 April 1785 – 19 March 1867) was a prominent and experienced Royal Navy officer of the nineteenth century. Hornby served on frigates throughout most of his wartime experience, which included witnessing the Nore Mutiny first hand aged 12 in 1797. Later, commanding his own sixth-rate HMS Volage in 1811, Hornby played a vital role in the British victory at the Battle of Lissa. At Lissa a British squadron under William Hoste overwhelmed a French force more than twice their own strength, Volage combating a much larger ship alone for several minutes and taking numerous casualties, including Hornby, who was wounded.
Later in life, Hornby accepted a succession of home and seagoing positions to ensure the promotion prospects for his son in the navy as well as to support his close allies in Parliament under the Earl of Derby, to whom he was related. These positions included a period in command of the Pacific Fleet and later a role as one of the Lords of the Admiralty. During his career, Hornby accrued numerous awards and accolades, being made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath and a full admiral before his death in 1867.
Hornby was born in 1785, the son of Geoffrey Hornby, rector of Winwick, and his wife Lucy Stanley. Hornby's mother was a daughter of James Smith-Stanley, Lord Strange and sister to Edward Smith-Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby. Hornby's sister Charlotte Margaret later married her cousin Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby, and the close association between the Earls of Derby and the Hornby family would play a significant role in Phipps Hornby's career and politics. Hornby received education at Sunbury-on-Thames and joined the Navy as a midshipman in 1797 aged 12.
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