Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

PARKER, SIR HYDE, BART

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V20, Page 827 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

See also:

PARKER, See also:SIR See also:HYDE, See also:BART . (1714-1782), See also:British See also:vice-See also:admiral, was See also:born at Tredington, See also:Worcestershire, on the 25th of See also:February, 1714, his See also:father, a clergyman, being a son of Sir See also:Henry Parker, Bart. His paternal grandfather had married a daughter of See also:Bishop See also:Alexander Hyde, of See also:Salisbury. He began his career at See also:sea in the See also:merchant service. Entering the royal See also:navy at the See also:age of twenty-four, he was made See also:lieutenant in 1744, and in 1748 he was made See also:post-See also:captain. During the latter See also:part of the Seven Years' See also:War he served in the See also:East Indies, taking part in the See also:capture of See also:Pondicherry (1761) and of See also:Manila (1762). In the latter See also:year Parker with two See also:ships captured one of the valuable See also:Spanish See also:plate ships in her voyage between Acapulco and Manila. In 1778 he became See also:rear-admiral, and went to See also:North See also:American See also:waters as second-in-command. For some See also:time before See also:Rodney's arrival he was in command on the Leeward Islands station, and conducted a skilful See also:campaign against the See also:French at See also:Martinique. In 1781, having returned See also:home and become vice-admiral, he See also:fell in with a Dutch See also:fleet of about his own force, though far better equipped, near the Dogger See also:Bank (Aug. 5). After a fiercely contested See also:battle, in which neither combatant gained any See also:advantage, both sides See also:drew off.

Parker considered that he had not been properly equipped for his task, and insisted on resigning his command. In 1782 he accepted the East Indies command, though he had just succeeded to the See also:

family baronetcy. On the outward voyage his See also:flagship, the " See also:Cato " (co), was lost with all on See also:board. His second son, Admiral SIR HYDE PARKER (1739-1807), entered the navy at an See also:early age, and became lieutenant in 1758, having passed most of his early service in his father's ships. Five years later he became a post-captain, and from 1766 onwards for many years he served in the See also:West Indies and in North American waters, particularly distinguishing himself in breaking the defences of the North See also:river (New See also:York) in 1776. His services on this occasion earned him a See also:knighthood in 1779. In 1778 he was engaged in the See also:Savannah expedition, and in the following year his See also:ship was wrecked on the hostile Cuban See also:coast. His men, however, entrenched themselves, and were in the end brought off safely. Parker was with his father at the Dogger Bank, and with See also:Howe in the t co actions in the Straits of See also:Gibraltar. In 1743, having just become rear-admiral, he served under See also:Lord See also:Hood at See also:Toulon and in See also:Corsica, and two years later, now a vice-admiral, he took part, under See also:Hotham, in the indecisive fleet actions of the 13th of See also:March and the 13th of See also:July 1795. From 1796 to 'Soo he was in command at See also:Jamaica and ably conducted the operations in the West Indies. In 18o1 he was appointed to command the fleet destined to break up the See also:northern armed See also:neutrality, with See also:Nelson as his second-in-command.

See also:

Copenhagen, the first See also:objective of the expedition, fell on the 2nd of See also:April to the fierce attack of Nelson's See also:squadron, Parker with the heavier ships taking little part. Subsequently Parker hesitated to advance up the Baltic after his victory, a decision which was severely criticised. Soon after-wards he was recalled and Nelson succeeded him. He died in 1807. The family name was continued in the navy in his eldest son, who became vice-admiral and was First Sea Lord of the See also:Admiralty in 1853 (dying in 1854); and also in that son's son, who as a captain in the See also:Black Sea was killed in 1854 when storming a See also:Russian fort.

End of Article: PARKER, SIR HYDE, BART

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
PARKER, SIR GILBERT (1862— ) 		[next]
PARKER, THEODORE (1810-186o)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries