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 for liberty and expected it in all things.’ While Hutchinson complained to parliament of these outrages, Cromwell charged Hotham with misconduct and desertion in battle. His communications with the queen's forces at Newark also roused suspicion of treachery (Life of Colonel Hutchinson, ed. 1885, i. 219–222, 363;, v. 799). The result of these charges was the arrest of Hotham by Sir John Meldrum and his committal to Nottingham Castle (June 1643;, v. 275). Hotham at once wrote an indignant letter to parliament detailing his services and protesting his fidelity (, p. 555). At the same time he sent to the queen at Newark by his servant, John Keyes, desiring her to rescue him and promising the surrender of Hull and Beverley and other services. ‘This unhappy accident,’ said the queen when she heard of his arrest, ‘had not fallen out had Captain Hotham come away when he first resolved of it.’ ‘Your majesty knows,’ rejoined Lord Digby, ‘that both he and his father had come in long since but for doing your majesty better service by forbearing it for a time’ (ib. p. 800). Escaping by the carelessness of his guards, Hotham went to Lincoln, where he endeavoured to persuade Colonel Rossiter to betray his trust, telling him: ‘You shall see in a short time there will be never a gentleman but will be gone to the king.’ He then proceeded to Hull, where he was arrested on the same day as his father, 28 June 1643. A compromising letter to the Earl of Newcastle, written ten days earlier, was found in his chamber (ib. p. 801;, ii. 57). Other letters from Hotham to Newcastle were captured among Newcastle's papers at Marston Moor and Pontefract, proving that he had been in treaty with Newcastle as early as April 1643 (, v. 635; A New Discovery of Hidden Secrets, 1645; four letters are printed by, pp. 553–5). According to Sir Hugh Cholmley, Hotham had commenced a negotiation with Newcastle at Bridlington in February or March 1643, under pretext of exchanging prisoners. He demanded 20,000l. in money, the rank of viscount for his father and that of baron for himself. The intrigue was mainly conducted by him, and, being ‘a very politic and cunning man,’ he ‘looked chiefly at that which stood with his own particular interest,’ and governed his father's course accordingly (Clarendon State Papers, ii. 183, 186). Hotham was tried by court-martial, 9–24 Dec. 1644, and sentenced to be beheaded, which sentence was carried out on 1 Jan. 1645. His petitions to the two houses of parliament and his dying speech are reprinted by Rushworth (v. 802, 803). He was buried at All Hallows Barking (, ii. 60).

Hotham married three times: first, Frances, daughter of Sir John Wray of Glentworth, Lincolnshire, by whom he left a son, John, who succeeded his grandfather as second baronet; she died December 1635; secondly, Margaret, daughter of Thomas, viscount Fairfax of Emley; thirdly, Isabel, daughter of Sir Henry Anderson of Long Cowton, Yorkshire.

 HOTHAM, WILLIAM, first (1736–1813), admiral, third son of Sir Beaumont Hotham, bart., and descended in the direct line from Sir John Hotham (d. 1645) [q. v.], was born on 8 April 1736. He received his early education at Westminster School; in 1748 entered the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth, and in 1751 was appointed to the Gosport on the North American station. He afterwards served in the Advice in the West Indies, and the Swan sloop in North America, and passed his examination on 7 Aug. 1754. On 28 Jan. 1755 he was promoted to be lieutenant of the St. George, bearing the flag of Sir Edward (afterwards Lord) Hawke [q. v.], with whom he moved into the Namur, the Antelope, and Ramillies, and by whom he was promoted to the command of a 10-gun polacca. From her he was appointed to the Fortune sloop, and pending her return to port was placed in temporary command of the Syren of 20 guns, in which he fought a sharp but indecisive action with the Télémaque, a 26-gun frigate. After joining the Fortune he fell in with a large French privateer of 26 guns, which he carried by boarding. For this service he was posted to the Gibraltar frigate on 17 Aug. 1757; in November he was appointed to the Squirrel, and on 17 April 1758 to the Melampe of 36 guns, employed during the next twelve months in the North Sea. On 28 March 1759, being in company with the Southampton [see ], the Melampe fell in with two French frigates of equal, or rather superior force, one of which, the Danaë, was captured after an action lasting through the night. The Melampe was afterwards attached to the grand fleet under Hawke, but was principally employed in independent cruising, though forming part, in April 1761, of the squadron engaged under Keppel in the reduction of 