Richard Dacres (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Dacres, GCH
(September 1761 – 22 January 1837) was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars
. A member of a substantial naval dynasty, he eventually rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral
.
. The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty, Richard's elder brother James Richard embarked on a naval career and rose to be vice-admiral, while James's sons and Richard's nephews followed their father into the navy. Barrington Dacres
became a post-captain
while James Richard Dacres became a vice-admiral. Richard's own son Sydney Dacres
would eventually be an admiral, and First Sea Lord
. Richard himself entered the navy in 1775, serving aboard the 50-gun fourth rate under Captain Francis Banks. He was present at the capture of New York
serving under Sir Peter Parker
, and was commissioned as lieutenant on 28 May 1781, transferring aboard the 74-gun under Captain Charles Thompson
. He was then present with Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves's
fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake
in 1781, Rear-Admiral Samuel Hood's
fleet at the Battle of St. Kitts
in 1782 and Admiral George Brydges Rodney's
fleet at the Battle of the Saintes
in 1782.
. He was initially appointed to the 74-gun , which was then under the command of Captain John Colpoys
. With Hannibal Dacres became part of the squadron despatched under Admiral Alan Gardner
to the reinforce the British possessions in the West Indies. Dacres returned to Britain either in late 1793 or early 1794, after which he was appointed as first lieutenant to the 32-gun frigate , then under the command of Captain Sidney Smith. He moved aboard the 90-gun second rate in October 1794, serving under his old commander, now Rear-Admiral John Colpoys. Dacres was promoted to commander on 10 March 1795, and then to post-captain on 31 October 1795. He was then appointed to command the 20-gun , which formed part of Richard Strachan's
squadron in the English Channel
.
He remained in routine active service until 1806, when Sir Sidney Smith specifically requested Dacres to join him in the Mediterranean as his flag captain
aboard the 80-gun HMS Pompee
. In this role Dacres went on to see service in the amphibious operations at Calabria
, leading to the Battle of Maida
, and later Admiral John Thomas Duckworth
's failed Dardanelles Operation
and the Alexandria expedition in February 1807. Dacres then returned to England after Pompees recall, arriving in June 1807. He was then ordered to take the Pompee to join Vice-Admiral Henry Stanhope's squadron for service in the second expedition to Copenhagen
. He was involved in the subsequent Battle of Copenhagen
, where he and the navy provided support for the besieging forces.
at Greenwich, on 2 February 1808 and resigned in August 1816. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 29 March 1817, and a vice-admiral on 22 July 1830. He was nominated a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order
on 25 January 1836 and died at Balibroke Villas, near Bath, Somerset
on 22 January 1837 at the age of 75.
and rose to be a field marshal, and a son named Sydney Colpoys Dacres
, who went on to be an Admiral and First Naval Lord
.
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(September 1761 – 22 January 1837) was an officer of the Royal Navy
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 American War of Independence, and 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...
. A member of a substantial naval dynasty, he eventually rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
.
Family and early life
Richard Dacres was born in September 1761, the fifth son of Richard and Mary Dacres, and younger brother to 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...
. The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty, Richard's elder brother James Richard embarked on a naval career and rose to be vice-admiral, while James's sons and Richard's nephews followed their father into the navy. Barrington Dacres
Barrington Dacres
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...
became a 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:...
while James Richard Dacres became a vice-admiral. Richard's own son 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 eventually 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...
. Richard himself entered the navy in 1775, serving aboard the 50-gun fourth rate under Captain Francis Banks. He was present at the capture of New York
New York and New Jersey campaign
The New York and New Jersey campaign was a series of battles for control of New York City and the state of New Jersey in the American Revolutionary War between British forces under General Sir William Howe and the Continental Army under General George Washington in 1776 and the winter months of 1777...
serving under Sir Peter Parker
Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet was a British naval officer.-Naval career:Peter Parker was born probably in Ireland. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Navy in 1743 and captain in 1747. In 1761, he took command of HMS Buckingham and helped cover operations on Belle Île...
, and was commissioned as lieutenant on 28 May 1781, transferring aboard the 74-gun under Captain Charles Thompson
Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet
Sir Charles Thompson, 1st baronet Thompson was a British naval officer. After long service in the Seven Years' War, American War of Independence and War of the First Coalition, he was Admiral John Jervis's second in command at the battle of Cape St Vincent...
. He was then present with Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves's
Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves
|-|-...
fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
in 1781, Rear-Admiral Samuel Hood's
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood was a British Admiral known particularly for his service in the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars...
fleet at the Battle of St. Kitts
Battle of St. Kitts
The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle that took place on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet under the Comte de Grasse.-Background:When Hood...
in 1782 and Admiral George Brydges Rodney's
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
fleet at the Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
in 1782.
French Revolutionary Wars
Dacres returned to service in 1793, following the outbreak of the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. He was initially appointed to the 74-gun , which was then under the command of Captain John Colpoys
John Colpoys
Admiral Sir John Colpoys, GCB was an officer of the British Royal Navy who served in three wars but is most notable for being one of the catalysts of the Spithead Mutiny in 1797 after ordering his marines to fire on a deputation of mutinous sailors...
. With Hannibal Dacres became part of the squadron despatched under Admiral Alan Gardner
Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner
Admiral Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner was a British Royal Navy officer and peer of the realm. He became one of the Georgian era's most dashing frigate captains and, ultimately, a respected senior admiral.-Naval career:...
to the reinforce the British possessions in the West Indies. Dacres returned to Britain either in late 1793 or early 1794, after which he was appointed as first lieutenant to the 32-gun frigate , then under the command of Captain Sidney Smith. He moved aboard the 90-gun second rate in October 1794, serving under his old commander, now Rear-Admiral John Colpoys. Dacres was promoted to commander on 10 March 1795, and then to post-captain on 31 October 1795. He was then appointed to command the 20-gun , which formed part of Richard Strachan's
Sir Richard Strachan, 6th Baronet
Sir Richard John Strachan, 6th Baronet GCB was a British officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral.-Childhood:...
squadron 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 remained in routine active service until 1806, when Sir Sidney Smith specifically requested Dacres to join him in the Mediterranean as his flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
aboard the 80-gun HMS Pompee
French ship Pompée (1793)
Pompée was a Téméraire-class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.During the Siege of Toulon, Captain Poulain, her commanding officer, joined the British. She fled Toulon when the city fell to the French Republicans and sailed to Britain....
. In this role Dacres went on to see service in the amphibious operations at Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, leading to the Battle of Maida
Battle of Maida
The Battle of Maida on 4 July 1806 saw a British expeditionary force fight a First French Empire division outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. John Stuart led 5,200 British troops to victory over about 6,000 French soldiers under Jean Reynier, inflicting...
, and later Admiral John Thomas Duckworth
John Thomas Duckworth
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB was a British naval officer, serving during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as the Governor of Newfoundland during the War of 1812, and a member of the British House of Commons during his...
's failed Dardanelles Operation
Dardanelles Operation
The Dardanelles Operation was the Royal Navy's unsuccessful attempt to impose British demands on the Ottoman Empire as part of the Anglo-Turkish War ....
and the Alexandria expedition in February 1807. Dacres then returned to England after Pompees recall, arriving in June 1807. He was then ordered to take the Pompee to join Vice-Admiral Henry Stanhope's squadron for service in the second expedition to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He was involved in the subsequent Battle of Copenhagen
Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
The Second Battle of Copenhagen was a British preemptive attack on Copenhagen, targeting the civilian population in order to seize the Dano-Norwegian fleet and in turn originate the term to Copenhagenize.-Background:Despite the defeat and loss of many ships in the first Battle of Copenhagen in...
, where he and the navy provided support for the besieging forces.
Later life
Dacres returned from the campaign, which proved to be his last command at sea. He was appointed first governor of the Royal Naval AsylumRoyal Naval Asylum
The Royal Naval Asylum was an educational institution, founded under the name The British National Endeavour in 1798, by a Mr Andrew Thompson who strongly excited the charity of the British population by his ideas for a small "industrial school" for the orphans of military and naval personnel...
at Greenwich, on 2 February 1808 and resigned in August 1816. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 29 March 1817, and a vice-admiral on 22 July 1830. He was nominated a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
on 25 January 1836 and died at Balibroke Villas, near Bath, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
on 22 January 1837 at the age of 75.
Family and personal life
Dacres seems to have married Martha Philips Milligan around 1795, about the time he was in command of HMS Camilla. The couple had at least two children, a son named Richard James Dacres who joined the armyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and rose to be a field marshal, and a son named Sydney Colpoys 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,...
, who went on to be an Admiral and First Naval 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...
.