Hugh was born at St. Andrews, New Brunswick, on 2 April 1789, and having served his time as a midshipman in the navy was promoted to the rank of lieutenant on 27 January 1809.
After the peace he seems to have been employed chiefly in the preventive service, and in 1824 commanded the Nimble revenue cutter on the coast of Cornwall.
Accordingly, when his boat had finished dragging for the suspected goods, he called his men up and tried to move the stone with three handspikes.
According to Goldsmith's positive statement, in a letter to his mother written a few days afterwards (Household Words, 1852, vi.
Goldsmith was never promoted, and as lieutenant commanding the Megæra died at sea off St. Thomas in the West Indies on 8 October 1841.