A Naval Family: The Hixsons

Author

Haken, J.K., Dr

Subjects

Biographies and personal histories

Tags

None noted.

RAN Ships

None noted.

Publication

March 2024 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)

By Dr J.K. Haken

While the Hixson family is well recorded in colonial naval history, that of one member, Edward Manwell Hixson who went to Queensland, has only recently come to light. This helps to complete the naval history of this remarkable family. 

The career of Captain Francis Hixson VD RN is well known,^1,2 from a boy in the Royal Navy to Master Mariner, to President of the Marine Board of NSW and founder and Captain Commanding the NSW Naval Brigade and later Captain Commanding the Naval Forces in NSW.^3,4 His voluntary naval service was from formation in NSW on 1 May 1863⁵ to retirement on 30 June 1902.⁶

Francis Hixson married Sarah Lord in Sydney on 2 November 1861 and they had seven children (four sons, three daughters). The first child, Francis William, was born on 29 July 1862, followed by Edward Manwell born on 13 November 1863. The third son Herbert Onslow Nares Hixson was born on 16 July 1866. The fourth son and youngest child, Harley Lord Hixson, was born on 9 January 1868.

All the sons were involved in volunteer naval service; three continued in NSW throughout the life of the NSW Naval Brigade, the other son left NSW and joined the Queensland Harbour Board. Service of the sons in the NSW Naval Brigade is shown below, the period to integration and reduction into a Commonwealth Force being considered. The naval service of Captain Hixson was rewarded by the award of the then (1892) recently introduced Volunteer Officers Decoration.⁷

All the sons joined the Naval Brigade as cadets, but the three long-term members all became lieutenants in command of companies. Some members of the Naval Brigade enlisted in units for service in South Africa, however a naval contingent consisting largely of members of the Naval Brigade and Naval Artillery Volunteers served in China. The contingent left in SS Salimas, and was commanded as far as Hong Kong by Captain Hixson where a British officer assumed command. Lieutenant H.O.N. Hixson was the Captain’s Staff Officer and Lieutenant F.W. Hixson formed part of the contingent. Lieutenant H.L. Hixson volunteered for service but was not selected.

Due to the late arrival the troops were involved in little fighting. After returning, the contingent members received the China Medal. The medals were presented to the troops by the Governor-General, Lord Tennyson, in a ceremony at Government House in April 1903.

After Federation Lieutenant H.O.N. Hixson continued in the Sydney companies of the Commonwealth Naval Forces for almost a decade before retiring in 1910 and being listed on the Reserve of Officers. Earlier studies^3,4 showed that the career details of one son, Edward Manwell, were sketchy, incomplete and contradictory. Using the since developed NLA Trove Scheme, the situation is partly resolved and shown below.

Edward Manwell Hixson, a Midshipman in the NSW Brigade, moved to Bundaberg, Queensland and was employed as an engineer by Bundaberg Harbour Board. His resignation as Chief Engineer was accepted on 14 August 1900.⁸ After resignation, departure from Bundaberg was indicated⁹ and he returned to NSW.¹⁰ There was a Bundaberg Naval Brigade and also Bundaberg Naval Cadets. On 26 March 1900 E.M. Hixson was appointed Acting Lieutenant^11-13 in the Bundaberg Company and some months later on 14 September 1900 resigned¹⁴ from the Queensland Defence Force (Marine). The Force was discontinued when the Commonwealth Naval Forces were organised in 1902. Hixson eventually returned to NSW and died at his residence at Bondi on 26 October 1921¹⁵ or death at Waverley on 25 January 1921 and burial at South Head Cemetery.¹⁶

The family had been involved with volunteer Naval Service very largely in NSW for more than a century.

Francis Hixson and HMS Orpheus

There has remained a mystery about Francis Hixson’s early service in Australia which requires clarification as shown below.

Royal Navy Lists of the 1860s show Francis Hixson serving in the flagship of the Australian squadron, HMS Orpheus. As many will know Orpheus was wrecked off the west coast of New Zealand on 7 February 1863 when 189 of her complement of 259 died, making this the worst maritime disaster in New Zealand waters. Francis Hixson was not however aboard Orpheus at this time as he and a number of other officers of the hydrographic surveying service were shown on the books of the flagship for administrative purposes, but were employed on independent surveying duties around the Australian coast.

Footnotes

1   R. Teale, Australian Dictionary of Biography Vol. 4 Melbourne University Press, Melbourne 1972 (Online).

2   Pittwater Online News May 31–June 6 2015: Issue 216 (Online)

3   J.K. Haken, Naval Historical Review September 2006

4   J.K. Haken, NHSA Monograph No 199 September 2003

5   NSW Government Gazette No 76 Supp. 1017, 2 May 1863

6   Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No 32 314, 11 July 1902

7   NSW Government Gazette No 768 7491, 19 November1895

8   Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser 15 August 1900

9   Bundaberg Mail and Burnett Advertiser 24 August 1900

10 Australian Star 10 September 1900

11 Queensland Government Gazette LXXIII No 92 1026, 7 April 1900

12 Queensland State Archives Item ID ITM 862111

13 Blue Book of Queensland 1900

14 Queensland Government Gazette LXXIV No 73 655, 15 Sept 1900.

15 Sydney Morning Herald 26 October 1921

16 South Head Cemetery S-J-GE-169 (noting that these dates are contradictory)