A very young Midshipman Graham Hamond, shown on the extreme right of this painting by Mather Brown holding a trumpet, during the action on the Glorious First of June
Hamond became commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Plantagenet and captured the French ships Le Courier de Terre Neuve and L'Atalante in an action during the Napoleonic Wars. He took command of the fifth-rate HMS Lively and took part in the action of 5 October 1804, when three Spanish frigates laden with treasure were captured, and was then given command of the third-rate HMS Victorious and took part in the attack on Flushing during the disastrous Walcheren Campaign.
After a period of leave from the Navy, Hamond became commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Wellesley and conveyed the diplomat Lord Stuart de Rothesay to Brazil to negotiate a commercial treaty with the Emperor Pedro I. Hamond went on to be Commander-in-Chief, South American Station.
Promoted to lieutenant on 19 October 1796, Hamond served in the fifth-rate HMS Aigle in the Mediterranean Squadron in Autumn 1796 and in the fifth-rate HMS Niger in Spring 1797.[2] Promoted to commander on 20 October 1798, he became commanding officer of the sloopHMS Echo and was employed in the blockade of Le Havre and on different occasions took charge of convoys.[2] Promoted to captain on 30 November 1798, he became commanding officer of the sixth-rateHMS Champion and captured the French privateer Anacreon in June 1799.[2] Hamond described Anacreon as "almost a new vessel, sails remarkably fast, is copper-bottomed, and seems fit for His Majesty's Service."[3] He then took part in the Siege of French-held Malta in Spring 1800 before becoming commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Lion later that year.[2] He went on to be commanding officer of the fifth-rate HMS Blanche and took part in the Battle of Copenhagen in April 1801.[2]
Hamond became commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Plantagenet in February 1803 and captured the French ships Le Courier de Terre Neuve and L'Atalante in an action later that year during the Napoleonic Wars.[4] He took command of the fifth-rate HMS Lively in July 1804 and took part in the action of 5 October 1804 when three Spanish frigates laden with treasure were captured.[5] HMS Lively captured two other treasure ships, the San Migueland the Santa Gertruyda off Cape St. Vincent and Cape St Maria respectively in December 1804.[4] He went on to engage in a duel with the Spanish ship Glorioso in May 1805 and then to transport British troops to Naples in November 1805.[4] He was then given command of the third-rate HMS Victorious on the Home Station in December 1808 and took part in the attack on Flushing during the disastrous Walcheren Campaign in Summer 1809.[4] He went on to be commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Rivoli in the Mediterranean Squadron in May 1813.[4] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 4 June 1815[6] and a Deputy Lieutenant of the Isle of Wight on 27 October 1821.[7]
After a period of leave from the Navy, Hamond became commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Wellesley in March 1824 and then conveyed the diplomat Lord Stuart de Rothesay to Brazil to negotiate a commercial treaty with the Emperor Pedro I.[4]