BRIDPORT, ALEXANDER HOOD, VISCOUNT (1727— 1814), British admiral, was the younger brother of Samuel, Lord Hood. Entering the navy in Jan. 1i41, he was appointed lieuten ant of the "Bridgewater" six years later, and served under Saunders in the Mediterranean and under Hawke at Quiberon Bay (Nov. 20, 1759). He was present in the "Robust," at the battle of Ushant in 1778, and gave evidence against Keppel in the court-martial which followed this action. Two years later he was made rear-admiral of the white, and succeeded Kempen feldt as one of Howe's flag-officers, and in the "Queen" he was present at the relief of Gibraltar in 1782. On the outbreak of the war with France in 1793 Sir Alexander Hood, as Howe's second in command, shared in the operations which culminated in the "Glorious First of June," and for his services was made Baron Bridport of Cricket St. Thomas, in Somerset, in the Irish peerage. Henceforth Bridport was practically in independent command. In 1705 he fought the much-criticized partial action of June 23 off Belle-Ile. His peerage was made English, and he became vice admiral of England. In 1796-97 he practically directed the war from London. In the following year he was about to put to sea when the Spithead fleet mutinied. After this Bridport took the fleet to sea as commander-in-chief in name as well as in fact, and from 1798 to 1800 personally directed the blockade of Brest. In 1800 he was relieved by St. Vincent, and retired from active duty. The viscounty in the English peerage died with him ; the Irish barony passed to the younger branch of his brother's family, for whom the viscounty was re-created in 1868.
See Charnock, Biographia Navalis, vi. 153; Naval Chronicle, i. 265; Ralfe, Nay. Biog., i. 202.