Captain George Nicholas Hardinge (11 April 1781 – 8 March 1808) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

Possessing an ability to endear himself to senior officers through his intellect and good manners, he served under several important naval commanders, whose patronage allowed him to rise through the ranks.

Promotion to post captain left him temporarily without a command, and he was to be disappointed in a number of the ships he was offered when they turned out to be either unfit for service, or still under construction.

[1] He consequently joined the Royal Navy in 1793 as a midshipman aboard the 32-gun frigate HMS Meleager under Captain Charles Tyler, and saw action at the Siege of Toulon and the reduction of Corsica.

[1][2] When Tyler moved to take command of the captured French frigate Minerve, which had been taken into Royal Navy service as HMS St Fiorenzo, he took Midshipman Hardinge with him.

[1][2] Hardinge continued to move ships to remain in Tyler's service, and both were present aboard HMS Diadem at the Naval Battle of Hyères Islands on 13 July 1794.

[1][2] The pair saw continued service off the Italian coast during the following months, and it was during this time that Hardinge came to the attention of Sir William Hamilton, the British envoy to the Kingdom of Naples.

[1] Hardinge's talent for impressing senior officials with his intellect led to St Vincent appointing him to the 74-gun HMS Theseus, under the command of Captain Ralph Willett Miller.

[4] Although he had been rewarded for his bravery with a promotion to post captain on 10 April 1804, and a sword worth £100 from the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund, Hardinge found it difficult to return to active service.

[5] Following this action he was awarded a £300 Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Silver Vase, the inscription upon which reads: 'IN MEMORY OF GEORGE NICHOLAS HARDINGE ESQ'R CAPTAIN OF HMS ST. FIORENZO, OF 36 GUNS Who NOBLY FELL in the Moment of Victory, while COMMANDING THAT SHIP in ACTION with LA PIEDMONTESE, FRENCH SHIP, of 50 GUNS, OFF CEYLON on the 8 of March 1808 after a continued ACTION of the Three successive Days as recorded in the LONDON Gazette of the 20 of December 1808 THIS VASE IS PRESENTED TO HIS UNCLE GEORGE HARDINGE ESQR KINGS COUNCIL ATTORNEY GENERAL TO THE QUEEN, and his MAJESTY'S JUSTICE for the Counties of Glamorgan, Brecon and Radnor FROM THE PATRIOTIC FUND AT LLOYDS'.