Barrington Dacres
Encyclopedia
Barrington Dacres was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
. He eventually rose to the rank of Post-Captain
. He did not see action in many significant engagements, and is chiefly remembered for the accidental loss of his ship to the French, and for the unsuccessful chase of two French ships in the English Channel
. He did however command a number of ships of the line
under several of the leading naval commanders of his time. His early death though prevented him from achieving the same seniority and degree of fame as his relatives did.
, and his wife Eleanor Blandford Pearce. The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty, Barrington's brother James Richard Dacres would also become a vice-admiral, as would Barrington's uncle Richard Dacres
, while his cousin Sydney Dacres
would be an admiral, and First Sea Lord
.
in 1799. He remained in command until 27 February 1801 when he put in to the Italian port of Ancona
, unaware that it had been captured by the French. The French took possession of the Bulldog, an attempt to recapture her by cutting her out of the port was made by Captain Thomas Rogers of , but though it was nearly successful, the British were forced to abandon her again. She was finally retaken off Gallipoli
on 16 September 1801 by Lord William Stuart's . Dacres's career does not appear to have been particularly adversely affected by the accidental loss of his ship. He was promoted to Post-Captain
on 29 April 1802. He took command of the 74-gun third rate in May 1803, and recommissioned her in July that year. On 5 June he captured the Petronelle, By September he was cruising in the English Channel
as part of Sir Edward Pellew's
squadron, when the French 74-gun Duguay-Trouin
was spotted sailing in company with the 38-gun frigate
Guerrière
. The two had already been engaged by , under Captain John Maitland
, but the French ships had driven her off and were now bound for Corunna
. Dacres took the Culloden in pursuit, eventually closing the distance and opening fire. The Duguay-Trouin was first to reach the safety of the port, but Dacres continued to engage the Guerrière until he was almost under the guns of the shore batteries. He eventually veered away, having inflicted considerable damage and several casualties. Dacres remained in command of Culloden until being succeeded by Captain George Reynolds in February 1804.
Dacres then took command of the 74-gun in February, and was involved in the blockade of Brest
, under Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood
. He was succeeded by John Hunter in August 1804. By January 1805 was briefly aboard , taking over from Captain Francis Temple, but by March Temple was back in command. He took command of HMS Hercule
, capturing a number of merchant vessels carrying sugar on 9 July 1806.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. He eventually rose to the rank of Post-Captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
. He did not see action in many significant engagements, and is chiefly remembered for the accidental loss of his ship to the French, and for the unsuccessful chase of two French ships in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. He did however command a number of ships of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
under several of the leading naval commanders of his time. His early death though prevented him from achieving the same seniority and degree of fame as his relatives did.
Family and early life
Barrington was born the eldest son of Captain, later Vice-Admiral, James Richard DacresJames Richard Dacres (1749–1810)
James Richard Dacres was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
, and his wife Eleanor Blandford Pearce. The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty, Barrington's brother James Richard Dacres would also become a vice-admiral, as would Barrington's uncle Richard Dacres
Richard Dacres (Royal Navy officer)
Sir Richard Dacres, GCH was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
, while his cousin Sydney Dacres
Sydney Dacres
Admiral Sir Sydney Colpoys Dacres GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Crimean War. Born into a substantial naval dynasty during the Napoleonic Wars, he eventually rose to the rank of Admiral and became First Naval Lord.-Family and early life:Dacres was born in 1805,...
would be an admiral, and First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
.
Career
Barrington Dacres took command of the newly converted bomb vesselBomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
in 1799. He remained in command until 27 February 1801 when he put in to the Italian port of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, unaware that it had been captured by the French. The French took possession of the Bulldog, an attempt to recapture her by cutting her out of the port was made by Captain Thomas Rogers of , but though it was nearly successful, the British were forced to abandon her again. She was finally retaken off Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
on 16 September 1801 by Lord William Stuart's . Dacres's career does not appear to have been particularly adversely affected by the accidental loss of his ship. He was promoted to Post-Captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
on 29 April 1802. He took command of the 74-gun third rate in May 1803, and recommissioned her in July that year. On 5 June he captured the Petronelle, By September he was cruising in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
as part of Sir Edward Pellew's
Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary, and the Napoleonic Wars...
squadron, when the French 74-gun Duguay-Trouin
HMS Implacable (1805)
HMS Implacable was a 74-gun third rate of the Royal Navy. She was originally the French Navy's Téméraire-class ship of the line Duguay-Trouin, launched in 1800....
was spotted sailing in company with the 38-gun frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
Guerrière
HMS Guerriere (1806)
HMS Guerriere was a 38-gun fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy, which had previously sailed with the French Navy as the Guerrière. She became famous for her fight against ....
. The two had already been engaged by , under Captain John Maitland
John Maitland (Royal Navy officer)
John Maitland was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Rear-Admiral.-Family and early life:...
, but the French ships had driven her off and were now bound for Corunna
A Coruña
A Coruña or La Coruña is a city and municipality of Galicia, Spain. It is the second-largest city in the autonomous community and seventeenth overall in the country...
. Dacres took the Culloden in pursuit, eventually closing the distance and opening fire. The Duguay-Trouin was first to reach the safety of the port, but Dacres continued to engage the Guerrière until he was almost under the guns of the shore batteries. He eventually veered away, having inflicted considerable damage and several casualties. Dacres remained in command of Culloden until being succeeded by Captain George Reynolds in February 1804.
Dacres then took command of the 74-gun in February, and was involved in the blockade of Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, under Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood
Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood
Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...
. He was succeeded by John Hunter in August 1804. By January 1805 was briefly aboard , taking over from Captain Francis Temple, but by March Temple was back in command. He took command of HMS Hercule
French ship Hercule (1798)
The Hercule was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During her maiden journey, on 21 April 1798, and just 24 hours out of port, she was captured by the British ship HMS Mars after a violent fight, off Île de Sein near Brest...
, capturing a number of merchant vessels carrying sugar on 9 July 1806.