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The following is the entry for Hyde Parker in William O'Byrnes 1849 'Naval Biographical Dictionary'.
PARKER, C.B. (Rear-Admiral of the White, 1841. f-p., 31; h-p., 20.) Hyde Parker is son of the late Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, Kt., by his first wife, Anne, daughter of John Palmer Boteler, Esq., of Henley; half-brother of Commander Chas. Parker, R.N.; and grandson of the late Vice-Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, Bart. One of his brothers, John, a Colonel in the Army, married a daughter of the late Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham, K.C.B.; and another, Harry, a Lieutenant in the Guards, was killed at Talavera. The Rear-Admiral is uncle of Capt. Harry Eyres, R.N., C.B.This officer entered the Royal Naval Academy 5 Feb. 1796; and embarked, in Sept. 1799, as a Volimteer, on board the Cambrian 40, Capts. Hon. Arthur Kaye Legge and Geo. Henry Towry, employed at first in the Channel and then in cruizing among the Western Islands. In Nov. 1801 he removed as Midshipman to the Narcissus 32, Capt. Ross Donnelly; and while in that frigate, of which he was created an acting and a confirmed Lieutenant 6 Oct. 1803 and 24 Sept. 1804, he saw much active service. On 11 July in the latter year, in particular, he assisted with the boats of his own ship and of the Maidstone and Seahorse, 10 in number, under the orders of Lieut. John Thompson, and was highly spoken of for his conduct at the capture and destruction of 12 settees, lying at La Vandour, in the Bay of Hyères, after a conflict, in which the British, encountered by a tremendous fire of grapeshot and musketry, as well from the vessels themselves as from a battery and the houses of the town, sustained a loss of 4 men killed and 23 wounded. In the following year Mr. Parker, who in July, 1803, had contributed to the capture of L’Alcyon, of 16 guns and 96 men, accompanied the expedition to the Cape of Good Hope; on her passage whither the Narcissus, besides making prize of Le President privateer, of 12 guns and 70 men, retook the English merchantship Horatio Nelson, mounting 22 guns, and drove on shore the Napoléon privateer, of 32 guns and 250 men. Subsequently to the reduction of the Cape, Mr. Parker, on the surrender there of the 46-gun frigate Volontaire, was placed on board that ship under the orders of Capt. Hon. Josceline Percy. In June, 1806, having been advanced to the rank of Commander on 22 of the preceding Jan., he went on half-pay. His next appointment was, in March, 1807, to the Prometheus sloop; from which vessel, for his services during the expedition to Copenhagen, he was promoted, 13 Oct. following, to Post-rank. He afterwards obtained command – 11 March, 1811, of the Monmouth 64, bearing the flag in the Downs of Rear-Admiral Thos. Foley – 15 April, 1812, of the Tenedos 38, attached to the force on the coast of North America, whence he returned in Aug. 1815 – 15 March, 1818, of the Iphigenia 42, which ship was paid off 12 June, 1821 – 1 May, 1830, of the St. Vincent 120, bearing the flag of Sir Thos. Foley at Portsmouth – 16 Feb. 1831, of the Asia 84, on the Lisbon station – 19 Dec. following, again of the Victory, employed, as before, at Portsmouth, where he remained until Feb. 1833 – and, 29 Aug. 1835, for upwards of four years and a half, of the Rodney 92, on the Mediterranean station. While in the Tenedos Capt. Parker was engaged, in company with the Shannon 38, Capt. Philip Bowes Vere Broke, in blockading, during the month of April, 1813, the port of Boston, in which lay the American frigates President and Congress; he afterwards, in April, 1814, united with the Junon 38, Capt. Clotworthy Upton, in chasing the Constitution frigate into Marblehead Harbour, whither he was only prevented from following her by a signal of recall from the Junon; and, on 15 Jan. 1815, he witnessed the surrender of the above-named President to the British frigate Endymion, Capt. Henry Hope. In the Iphigenia, after having conveyed the Duke of Richmond to Quebec, he proceeded to the West Indies, where the fever in a few weeks carried off 84 of his officers and men. On 5 Sept. 1831 Capt. Parker was nominated an Extra Naval Aide-de-Camp to King William IV. He attained flag-rank 23 Nov. 1841; and, from 4 Aug. 1842 until the close of 1847, he held the appointment of Admiral Superintendent at Portsmouth. In 1845 he commanded an experimental squadron. He was nominated a C.B. 18 April, 1839. Rear-Admiral Parker married, 16 July, 1821, Caroline, daughter of the late Sir Fred. Morton Eden, Bart., and sister of Capt. Chas. Eden, R.N. By that lady he has issue. Agents – Messrs. Chard. |
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