Lord Hugh Seymour | |
|---|---|
 Lord Hugh Seymour, 1799 John Hoppner | |
| Born | 29 April 1759 London, England |
| Died | 11 September 1801 (aged 42) HMS Tisiphone, off Jamaica |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1770–1801 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Diana HMS Ambuscade HMS Latona HMS Canada HMS Leviathan HMS Sans Pareil Leeward Islands Station Jamaica Station |
| Battles / wars | |
| Other work | MP for Newport, Tregony, Wendover and Portsmouth |
Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour (29 April 1759 – 11 September 1801) was a senior British Royal Navy officer of the late 18th century who was the fifth son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford, and became known for being both a prominent society figure and a highly competent naval officer. He served during the American Revolutionary and French Revolutionary Wars and later in his career performed a period of shore duty on the Admiralty board.
Seymour maintained a reputation as a courageous and innovative officer: he was awarded a commemorative medal for his actions at the battle of the Glorious First of June and is credited with introducing epaulettes to Royal Navy uniforms as a method of indicating rank to non-English speaking allies. In his youth he formed close personal friendships with fellow officer John Willett Payne and George, Prince of Wales, through association with whom he gained a reputation as a rake. His marriage in 1785, made at the insistence of his family as an antidote to his dissolution, was brought about through royal connections and proved very successful. During his lifetime he also held several seats as a member of parliament in the Parliament of Great Britain, although he did not pursue an active political career.