West Indies
In September 1822, Nassau merchants provided Admiral Sir Charles Rowley with two sloops to be crewed from HMS Tyne, to cruise against pirates—the Eliza, 40 tons bm armed with one 12-pounder carronade, commanded by Lieutenant Hugh Nurse, with George White, midshipman, and 23–24 men, and Whim, 43 tons bm, commanded by Lieutenant Hobson, with Holloway and Phillips, midshipmen, and 20 men.
Whilst anchored at Cayo Guajaba, in the province of Camagüey, Cuba, on 29 September 1822, Whim was captured by pirate leader Pepe Diablito. The pirates maltreated and starved their Royal Navy captives for several or eight days, by accounts, including placing rope around of Hobson's neck and those of his men with apparent intent to hang them. A cook suffered the worst:
A cry was raised to sacrifice the black cook, a native of Jamaica (and consequently if not an Englishman, one under the protection of the English flag), whom they had removed from a vessel they had captured. In vain did the poor fellow implore their mercy. They dragged him from his occupation, and instantly spritsail-yarded him, having secured him in a position to offer the fairest mark; these infamous villains amused themselves for 20 minutes, slightly wounding him at every shot before their savage pastime was surfeited, and the coup de grace inflicted.
Contrary to their unscrupulous reputation, the pirates returned Hobson and his crew to their sloop, though, without provisions, rudder, boom and anchor, and set them adrift at sea. Several days later and very thirsty, they were located and rescued by Nurse and crew of Eliza off Cayo Romano.
Continuing on to suppress the pirate swarm interrupting trade in Caribbean waters, Rowley assigned two schooners to hunt them. Volunteering, Lieutenant Hobson was given command of HMS Lion, formerly La Gata captured by HMS Grecian on 20 March 1823, and Lieutenant Thomas Marriott command of the schooner HMS Union, at Jamaica, on 30 January 1823.
Whilst watering in the Colorados Archipelago on 28 March 1823, HM Schooners Lion, Union and boats of HMS Tamar caught sight of a large schooner, of about 80 tons (bm), and immediately took chase. On nearing, the pirates set their schooner alight and ran it aground. Some 160 pirates escaped to the beach. The schooner was found to have three heavy guns and a cargo recently plundered from a French ship. After rescuing the cargo, pirate schooner 104, as marked on mast and sail, was destroyed.
The next day, 29 March, a pirate sloop was seen close to shore in Baja Bay. Lion and Union immediately manned their boats, and together with two launches from HMS Tamar or HMS HMS Hyperion, went after it. On approaching the sloop, the Royal Navy was drawn into a heavy four-and-a-half-hour firefight. The pirates, believed to number some 160 from104 and La Gata, suffering two dead and several wounded, then retired into the woods. A schooner, 80 tons (bm), mounted with one gun, found moored with three cables up a narrow creek, was seized and burnt.
Under Hobson's command, Lion and Union located a pirate schooner, 60 tons (bm), armed with a pivot mounted long gun, in La Carna Bay, Colorados Archipelago, on 30 March. When pursued and fired upon by Lion, Union and two launches from Hyperion, the pirates ran their schooner ashore and escaped. Union freed the schooner and with Lion brought their prize into Port Royal at noon on Tuesday, 6 May 1823. HMS Tamar parted company with Lion and Union on 5 April, bound for Vera Cruz and Portsmouth. Hyperion continued on in the West Indies until 15 May 1824.
Lion and Union went on to capture the pirate vessel Flor de la Mar on 5 June 1823, and with boats of HMS Tyne, captured a pirate felluca on 6 July 1823
Lieutenant Thomas Marriott, commanding HMS Union, died of yellow fever on 17 September 1823. Captain John George Graham of HMS Icarus and Hobson erected his memorial tablet at St Peter's Anglican Church, Port Royal, Jamaica. Hobson was promoted to rank of commander on 18 March 1824, his capture of pirate vessels also earning him the nickname "Lion Hobson".
Assigned to command of the sloop HMS Ferret from 1 January 1825, Hobson now had the company of his nephew on board—Thomas McGwire, midshipman, the eldest son of his sister Mary and Captain William McGwire, RN. McGwire, though, died of yellow fever at Jamaica on 23 September 1825, aged 15 years. "The idol of his uncle's heart", Hobson erected his memorial tablet within St Peter's Anglican Church, Port Royal.
Tasked with abolition of the slave-trade, Hobson and crew of HMS Ferret captured the Spanish schooner Fingal on 3 February 1826. It had run aground near Salt Key, Cuba, in the preceding day or two, having a cargo of 58 African slaves. Hobson brought the schooner in to Havannah, Cuba, on 15 February 1826. Fingal, its owner-master and crew, had sailed from Havannah for Africa on 1 February 1825, and claimed that 17 days after their departure from Africa for Havannah on 1 January 1826, they fell in with a French brig which pressed them to take 61 slaves on board. The owner-master and his crew's accounts having been found to be improbable, the Mixed Commission Court condemned the vessel, to sale by auction, and ordered emancipation of the slaves. From 17 October 1827, respective proportions of the bounty on the pirates and moiety of hull were made available to Hobson, officers and company of HMS Ferret who were present at the capture of Fingal.
Hobson was assigned command (acting) of HMS Scylla, based in Jamaica, on 14 March 1826; the sloop having suffered severe losses though yellow fever. At some point the Spanish 22-gun letter of marque ship Fama encountered and fired into Scylla, killing one of the men. In return Scylla fired a single broadside at Fama, silencing and almost sinking her.
Through frequent visits to Nassau, The Bahamas, he met and married Eliza Ann Elliott, only daughter of Robert Wear Elliott (1784–1830) and Eliza McPherson (–1832), at Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas, on or about 17 December 1827. They were to have four daughters and a son.
