Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/446

 HULL

HL'LL

qiarters, bore down on the enemy and not till within a few hundred yards of each other did the order come from Captain Hull to open fire. Meantime several of the crew of the Constitution Jiad been killed or wounded and Lieutenant Morris had tliree times asked permission to begin the action, but was met with the " Not yet, sir," of Captain Hull. The Coustitation's first broad- side was fired into the Guerriere when only fifty yards parted the two ships. In thirty minutes the affair was over and the Guerriere, Captain Dacres, a prize. This contest, the first naval victory of the war, won for the Constitution the name of " Old Ironsides,'' bj* reason of her com- ing out of the action with so little injury, the enemy's shot not having even indented the sides of the ship. The Americans lost seven killed and seven wounded, while the enemy had seventy-nine killed and wounded. The Guer- riere was so badly injured that Captain Hull de- cided to destroy her and she was burned. He carried his prisoners into Boston and was re- ceived with great demonstrations of rejoicing. A public banquet was given to the captain and his officers in Faneuil Hall and the different cities passed resolutions of thanks and presented the freedom of the city, and several of them voted swords to the gallant commander. New York ordered a full-length portrait painted by Jervis. Congress gave him a gold medal and voted $."50,000 to be distributed as prize money. This exploit, proving successful, was duly praised and re%varded ; had it been disastrous, even under the same conditions as to valor, patriotism and devotion to duty, it would have cost Captain Hull his commission if not his life. He had dis- obeyed orders in undertaking it and knowingly accepted the issue. He was succeeded in the command of the Constitution by Commodore Bainbridge, his superior in rank, and became a member of the naval board. He afterward com- manded the navy yards at Boston and Wasliiug- ton and the squadrons in the Mediterranean and the Pacific. He commanded the ship of the line Oliio, flagship of the European squadron, 1839-41 . He was then retired and made his home in Pliiladelpliia, Pa. His last words were, " I strike my flag." He was buried in Laurel Hill cemetery. Pliiladelpliia, and an altar tomlj of Italian marble, a copy of one he had admired in Rome, marks his grave. He died in PJiiladel- phia. Pa., Feb. 13,1843.

HULL, John, goldsmith, was born at Market Harljorougli. Leicestershire, England, Dec. 18, 16-24; son of Roliert and Elizabetli Storer Hull. He attended schord in England and in 103.") ac- companied his parents to New England, arriving in Boston, Nov. 7, 103.5. He attended for a sliort time the first school in Boston, established by

Philemon Pormort, April 23, 1G35 ; but was then taken out to help his father plant corn, and he aided him in farm-work for seven years. He then learned the goldsmith's trade. He was married. May 1, l{i47. by Gov. Jolin Winthrop, to Juditli, (laugliter of Edmund and Jiulitli Quincy. She was born in England, Sei)t. 3, 1G2G, and came to New England with her parents in 1633. John Hull was cliosen corpoi-al under the command of Major Gibbons in 1G48, and was made a sergeant in 1G.")2. In that year the general court, in direct defiance of the Mixt Moneys Case decision of 1G04 that the Crown of England had the sole riglit to coin monejs ordered a mint to be set up in Bos- ton for the coining of shillings and their fractions, every shilling to be 66| grains of fine silver, and in form flat, and .square on the edges, stamped on

one side with "N. E.," and on the other "XIId."and the fractional coins " VId." and "Illd." The is- sue for forty

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FINE TREE SHILLING.

jears bore the one date " 1652," except the "lid." pieces first issued in 1662. On Oct. 19, 1652, it was ordered that, to prevent " clip- ping or washing," they should have a double ring on either side with the inscription " Massa- chusetts " and a tree in the centre on the obverse and " New England " and the year on the re- verse. John Hull was named for the employ- ment and took his oath of office, June 11, 1652, having Robert Sanderson as a partner in the en- terprise. He held the position of mint-master until his death, and received as payment one out of every twenty sliillings coined and made a large fortune at that rate, computed at from £30.000 to £40.000. It was also subsequently claimed that the .shilling pieces which he coined contained onlj- about 60| grains of fine silver, in which case he also made a profit of 6 grains of silver on every shilling coined. In 1686 silver coinage was sus- pended and colonial bills of credit were issued. The royalists of the colony called the issue the money of trea.son and claimed that it was made from silver stolen from the Spaniards, that it was dishonest money, that it lowereil the royal standard, inflated the colonial currency and that the seigniorage was exorbitant. The contest over the Pine Tree money was more inten.se when bills of credit were issued. Hull was chosen en- sign of the South Military company in 16.54, and was selected by the sergeant major and military officers to keep the records of their proceedings in 16.56. He was one of the seven selectmen of Boston, 1657-63. and treasurer of the board, 1660-63, He became a member of the artillery