HOOD, SAMUEL HOOD, VISCOUNT British admiral, was the son of Samuel Hood, vicar of Butleigh, Somer set, and prebendary of Wells. He was born on Dec. 12, 24, and entered the navy on May 6, 1741. He served part of his time as midshipman with Rodney in the "Ludlow Castle," and became lieutenant in 1746. In 17J4 he was made commander of the "Jamaica" sloop, and served in her on the North American station, where in 1756, he was posted to the "Lively." He returned to England later in the year in the "Grafton" to which he had been appointed by Commodore Charles Holmes. In 1757, while in temporary command of the "Antelope" (5o guns), he drove a French ship ashore in Audierne Bay, and took two privateers. In recognition of his services he was given command of the frigate "Bideford." In 1759, when captain of the "Vestal" (32), he cap tured the French "Bellona" (3 2) after a sharp action off Cape Finisterre. During the war his services were wholly in the Channel, and he was engaged under Rodney in 1759 in destroy ing the transports collected by the French for the proposed in vasion of England. In 176o he was sent by his own request to the Mediterranean. In 1778, after further service in North America, he became commissioner of the dockyard at Portsmouth and governor of the Naval Academy ; and in 1780 was promoted rear-admiral and was sent to the West Indies as second in com mand under Rodney.
Hood joined Rodney in Jan. 1781, and remained in the West Indies or on the coast of North America till the close of the War of American Independence. The unfortunate turn taken by the campaign of 178r was largely due to Rodney's neglect of his advice. If he had been allowed to choose his own position there can be no doubt that he could have prevented de Grasse from reaching Fort Royal with the reinforcements from France in April (see RODNEY, LORD). When the fleet went on to the coast of North America during the hurricane months of 1781 he was sent to serve with Admiral Graves in the unsuccessful effort to relieve the army at Yorktown. When he returned to the West Indies he was for a time in independent command owing to Rodney's absence in England and the British islands of St. Kitts and Nevis were attacked by the French admiral, the Comte de Grasse, with a much superior force to Hood's squadron. Hood's attempt to save it from capture, Jan. 1782, with 22 ships to 29, failed, but the bold movements by which he first turned the French out of their anchorage at the Basse Terre of St. Kitts, and then beat off the attacks of the enemy, were the most bfilliant things done by any British admiral during the war. He was made an Irish peer for his share in the defeat of de Grasse on April 9 and 12 near Dominica.
On the outbreak of the revolutionary war Hood was sent to the Mediterranean as commander-in-chief. His period of com mand (May 1793–Oct. 1794), was very active. In Aug. he occu pied Toulon on the invitation of the French royalists, and in co operation with the Spaniards. In Dec. of the same year the allies, who did not work harmoniously together, were driven out, mainly by the generalship of Napoleon, and Hood now occupied Corsica, which he had been invited to take in the name of the king of England by Paoli. Meanwhile the French at Toulon had recovered sufficiently to send a fleet to sea. In June Hood sailed in the hope of bringing it to action. The plan which he laid to at tack it in the Golfe Jouan in June may possibly have served to some extent as an inspiration, if not as a model, to Nelson for the battle of the Nile, but the wind was unfavourable, and the attack could not be carried out. In Oct. Hood, who was now full admiral, was recalled to England. He held no further command at sea, but in 1796 he was named governor of Greenwich Hos pital, a post which he held till his death on Jan. 27, 1816. A peerage of Great Britain was conferred on his wife as Baroness Hood of Catherington in 1795, and he was himself created Vis count Hood of Whitley in 1796. The titles descended to his only son, Henry (1753-1836), the ancestor of the present Viscount Hood. There are several portraits of Lord Hood by Abbot in the Guildhall and in the National Portrait Gallery. He was also painted by Reynolds and Gainsborough.
is no good life of Lord Hood, but a bio graphical notice of him by M'Arthur, his secretary during the Mediter ranean command, is in the Naval Chronicle, vol. ii. Charnock's Biogr. Nay. vi., Ralfe, Nay. Biog. i., may also be consulted. His correspond ence during his command in America has been published by the Navy Record Society.