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Lcd Hood

Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood

–1816'' by James Northcote, painted 1784.]] Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood (December 12, 1724 – January 27, 1816) was a British admiral. The son of Samuel Hood, vicar of Butleigh in Somerset, and prebendary of Wells, Samuel the younger entered the navy on May 6 1741. He served part of his time as midshipman with Rodney in the "Ludlow," and became lieutenant in 1746. He was fortunate in serving under active officers, and had opportunities of seeing service in the North Sea. In 1753 he was made commander of the "Jamaica" sloop, and served in her on the North American station. In 1756, while still on the North American station, he attained to post rank. In 1757, while in temporary command of the "Antelope" (50), he drove a French ship ashore in Audierrie Bay, and captured two privateers. His zeal attracted the favourable notice of the Admiralty and he was appointed to a ship of his own. In 1759, when captain of the "Vestal" (32), he captured the French "Bellona" (32) after a sharp action. During the war his services were wholly in the Channel, and he was engaged under Rodney in 1755 in destroying the vessels collected by the French to serve as transports in the proposed invasion of England. In 1778 he accepted a command which in the ordinary course would have terminated his active career. He became commissioner of the dockyard at Portsmouth and governor of the Naval Academy These posts were generally given to officers who were retiring from the sea. In 1780, on the occasion of the king's visit to Portsmouth, he was made a baronet. Many admirals had declined to serve under Lord Sandwich, and Rodney, who then commanded in the West Indies, had complained of a lack of proper support from his subordinates, whom he accused of disaffection. The Admiralty, anxious to secure the services of trustworthy flag officers, promoted Hood to rear-admiral on September 26 1780, and sent him to the West Indies to act as second in command under Rodney, to whom he was

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Arthur Hood, 1st Baron Hood

Admiral Arthur William Acland Hood, Baron Hood of Avalon (July 14, 1824 – November 15, 1901), was an officer of the Royal Navy who held command during the Crimean War and later served as First Sea Lord.

Early life and career

Hood was the younger son of Sir Alexander Hood of St Andries, Somerset, 2nd baronet. His grandfather, Captain Alexander Hood, was killed in action during the French Revolutionary Wars; he fell whilst in command of HMS ''Mars'', in action with the French 74-gun ship ''Hercule'' on April 21, 1798. At the age of twelve Hood entered the Royal Navy, and whilst still a boy saw active service on the north coast of Spain, and afterwards on the coast of Syria. After passing through the established course of gunnery on board the ''Excellent'' in 1844–1845, he went out to the Cape of Good Hope as gunnery mate of the ''President'', the flagship of Rear Admiral Richard Dacres. On January 9, 1846, Dacres promoted him to lieutenant. As gunnery lieutenant Hood continued in the ''President'' till 1849; and in the following year was appointed to the frigate ''Arethusa'' , then commissioned for the Mediterranean by Captain William Symonds, afterwards the well-known Admiral of the Fleet.

Service in the Crimean War

The outbreak of the Crimean War made the commission a very long one; and on November 27, 1854 Hood was promoted to Commander in recognition of his service with the naval brigade before Sebastopol. In 1855 he married Fanny Henrietta, daughter of Sir C.F. Maclean. In 1856 he commissioned the brig ''Acorn'' for the China station, and arrived in time to take part in the destruction of the junks in Fatshan creek on June 1, 1857, and in the capture of Canton in the following December, for which, in February 1858, he received his commsision as a post-captain.

The rise to flag rank

From 1862 to 1866 he commanded the ''Pylades'' on the North American station, and was then appointed to the command of the ''Excellent''

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Lcd Hood