View source for Richard Dacres (Royal Navy officer)

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Sir Richard Dacres
|image=Richard Dacres Beechey.jpg
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption=
|birth_date=September 1761
|death_date=22 January {{death year and age|1837|1761}}
|birth_place=
|death_place=Balibroke Villas, near [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Somerset]]
|placeofburial=
|placeofburial_label=
|placeofburial_coordinates=<!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
|nickname=
|birth_name=
|allegiance=[[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]<br/>[[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]] 
|branch=[[Royal Navy]]
|serviceyears=1775–1837
|rank=[[Vice admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice admiral]]
|servicenumber=
|unit=
|commands={{Plainlist|
* Hired armed brig ''Union''
* {{HMS|Childers|1778|6}}
* {{HMS|Camilla|1776|6}}
* {{HMS|Astraea|1781|6}}
* {{HMS|Juste||6}}
* {{HMS|De Ruyter|1799|6}}
* {{HMS|Desiree|1800|6}}
* {{HMS|Pompee|1793|6}}
* [[Royal Naval Asylum]], Greenwich
}}
|battles=
{{tree list}}
* [[American Revolutionary War]]
** [[Battle of the Chesapeake]]
** [[Battle of St. Kitts]]
** [[Battle of the Saintes]]
* [[French Revolutionary Wars]] 
* [[Napoleonic Wars]]
** [[Dardanelles operation]]
** [[Alexandria expedition of 1807]]
** [[Battle of Copenhagen (1807)|Battle of Copenhagen]]
{{tree list/end}}
|awards=[[Royal Guelphic Order|Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order]]
|relations={{Plainlist|
* [[James Richard Dacres (1749–1810)|James Richard Dacres]] (brother)
* [[Sydney Dacres]] (son)
* [[Richard Dacres (British Army officer)|Richard James Dacres]] (son)
* [[Barrington Dacres]] (nephew)
* [[James Richard Dacres (1788–1853)|James Richard Dacres]] (nephew)
}}
|laterwork=
}}
'''Sir Richard Dacres'''  {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCH}} (September 1761 – 22 January 1837) was an officer of the British [[Royal Navy]] who saw service during the [[American War of Independence]], and the [[French Revolutionary War|French Revolutionary]] and [[Napoleonic Wars]].  A member of a substantial naval dynasty, he eventually rose to the rank of [[Vice admiral (Royal Navy)|vice admiral]].

==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 Dacres (1749–1810)|James Richard Dacres]].<ref name="Whos Who109">Tracy (2006), p. 109</ref> The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty; James Richard rose to be a [[vice-admiral]], his son [[Barrington Dacres|Barrington]] became a [[post-captain]], and [[James Richard Dacres (1788–1853)|James]] became a vice-admiral. Richard's own son [[Sydney Dacres|Sydney]] would eventually be an admiral, and [[First Sea Lord]].<ref name="Whos Who109"/>

==American war==
Dacres himself entered the navy in 1775 to serve aboard the 50-gun [[fourth rate]] {{HMS|Renown|1774|2}} under Captain Francis Banks.<ref name="Whos Who109"/> He was present at the [[Siege of Boston|evacuation of Boston]], the [[New York and New Jersey campaign|capture of New York]] —serving under [[Sir Peter Parker, 1st Baronet|Sir Peter Parker]]— the occupation of [[Aquidneck Island]], and in various other services. He remained aboard ''Renown'' until 1778, when he returned to England and joined the frigate [[HMS Glory (1763)|''Apollo'']], under Captain [[Philemon Pownall]], and was present at the capture of the French frigate {{HMS|Oiseau|1779|2}} on 31 January 1779.<ref name="marshall">Marshall (1824), pp. 29–32</ref>

Dacres then served aboard {{HMS|Victory||2}}, flagship of Sir [[Charles Hardy]], Commander-in Chief of the [[Channel Fleet]]. Hardy promoted Dacres to lieutenant into the frigate {{HMS|Amazon|1773|2}}, under Captain the Honourable [[William Clement Finch|William Finch]], with whom he sailed to the West Indies in early 1780. On 10/11 October 1780 ''Amazon'' narrowly escaped destruction during a violent hurricane, having to cut down her masts and throw her guns and anchors overboard to prevent the ship from [[capsizing]]. Twenty of her crew were drowned or badly hurt.<ref name="marshall"/>

He then served as [[first lieutenant]] of the [[74-gun]] {{HMS|Alcide|1779|2}}, Captain [[Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet|Charles Thompson]].<ref name="marshall"/> He was present with Rear-Admiral [[Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves|Thomas Graves's]] fleet at the [[Battle of the Chesapeake]] in 1781, Rear-Admiral [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Samuel Hood's]] fleet at the [[Battle of St. Kitts]] in 1782 and Admiral [[George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney|George Brydges Rodney's]] fleet at the [[Battle of the Saintes]] in 1782.<ref name="Whos Who109"/>

Dacres remained in ''Alcide'' till 1783, when he was appointed to {{HMS|Bombay Castle|1782|2}}, Captain [[Herbert Sawyer (1730–1798)|Herbert Sawyer]], [[guard ship]] at Portsmouth, remaining in her for two years, before following Commodore Sawyer into his flagship, the 50-gun {{HMS|Leander|1780|2}}, on the [[North American Station]], until paid off in September 1788. During the [[Spanish Armament]] of 1790, Dacres was first appointed to the 64-gun {{HMS|Dictator|1783|2}}, then to {{HMS|Windsor Castle|1790|2}}, flagship of now Rear Admiral Sawyer. After the crisis was resolved peacefully, Dacres returned to [[half-pay]] until the outbreak of the war with Revolutionary France in February 1793.<ref name="marshall"/>

==War with France==
He was initially given command of the hired armed [[brig]] ''Union'';<ref name="marshall"/> before being appointed first lieutenant of the 74-gun {{HMS|Hannibal|1786|2}}, under the command of Captain [[John Colpoys]].<ref name="Whos Who109"/> With ''Hannibal'' Dacres became part of the squadron despatched under Admiral [[Alan Gardner, 1st Baron Gardner|Alan Gardner]] to the reinforce the [[British possessions]] in the [[West Indies]].<ref name="Whos Who109"/>

''Hannibal'' was put out of commission in early 1794, and he was appointed first lieutenant of the frigate {{HMS|Diamond|1794|2}}, commanded by Captain [[William Sidney Smith|W. Sidney Smith]], but remained there only a short time<ref name="marshall"/> before moving to the 90-gun [[second rate]] {{HMS|London|1766|2}}, serving under his old commander, now Rear-Admiral John Colpoys. Dacres was promoted to commander on 10 March 1795 into the 14-gun sloop {{HMS|Childers|1778|2}}. While captain of ''Childers'' Dacres captured the French Coast guard cutter ''Vigilante'', of six guns, in the Bay of [[Saint-Brieuc|Saint Brieux]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=13811 |page=915 |date=5 September 1795}}</ref> On 31 October he was appointed [[post captain]] on the 20-gun {{HMS|Camilla|1776|2}}, which formed part of [[Sir Richard Strachan, 6th Baronet|Richard Strachan's]] squadron in the [[English Channel]].<ref name="Whos Who109"/><ref name="Winfield261">Winfield (2008), p. 226</ref>

In early 1797, Dacres took command of the frigate {{HMS|Astraea|1781|2}}. He managed to slip away from the [[Spithead and Nore mutinies|mutiny at the Nore]], and then escorted a fleet of valuable merchant ships to the Baltic. He captured numerous French and Dutch privateers over the next two years. ''Astrea'' was paid off in 1799, and Dacres was again unemployed until early 1801, when he was appointed to command of the 80-gun {{HMS|Juste||2}}, accompanying Sir [[Robert Calder]] in his voyage to the Caribbean, following [[Ganteaume's expeditions of 1801|Ganteaume's escape]] from Brest. On his return to England, he was appointed to the 68-gun {{HMS|De Ruyter|1799|2}}, guard ship at [[Spithead]], remaining there until the [[Treaty of Amiens|cessation of hostilities]] in early 1802. He then sailed to Jamaica in {{HMS|Desiree|1800|2}} with the squadron under [[George Campbell (Royal Navy officer)|Sir George Campbell]], but ill-health soon forced him to return home. On the renewal of the war in 1803, Dacres was appointed to command of the [[Sea Fencibles]] at [[Dartmouth, Devon|Dartmouth]].<ref name="marshall"/>

In 1806 Sir W. Sidney Smith specifically requested Dacres join him in the Mediterranean as his [[flag captain]] aboard the 80-gun {{HMS|Pompee|1793|2}}.<ref name="Whos Who109"/> 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 of 1807|Alexandria expedition]] in February 1807.<ref name="Whos Who109"/><ref name="BBN139">Allen (1852), p. 192</ref> Dacres then returned to England after ''Pompee''{{'}}s recall, arriving in June 1807. He was then ordered to take the ''Pompee'' to join Vice-Admiral [[Henry Edwyn Stanhope|Henry Stanhope's]] squadron for service in the second expedition to [[Copenhagen]].<ref name="Whos Who109"/> He was involved in the subsequent [[Battle of Copenhagen (1807)|Battle of Copenhagen]], where he and the navy provided support for the besieging forces.<ref name="Whos Who109"/>

==Later life==
Dacres returned from the campaign, which proved to be his last command at sea. On 2 February 1808 he was appointed the first governor of the [[Royal Naval Asylum]] after its move to Greenwich, serving there until August 1816. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 29 March 1817<ref name="Whos Who110">Tracy (2006), p. 110</ref> on the Retired List,<ref name="marshall"/> and a vice-admiral on 22 July 1830.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=18709 |date=23 July 1830 |page=1540 |nolink=yes }}</ref> He was nominated a [[Royal Guelphic Order|Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order]] on 25 January 1836, and died at Balibroke Villas, near [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Somerset]] on 22 January 1837 at the age of 75.<ref name="Whos Who110">Tracy (2006), p. 110</ref>

==Family and personal life==
In 1788 he married Martha Phillips Milligan,<ref name="marshall"/> by whom he had at least four children; his son [[Richard Dacres (British Army officer)|Richard James Dacres]] (1799–1886) joined the [[British Army|army]] and rose to be a [[Field Marshal (United Kingdom)|field marshal]],<ref name="Dod">Dod (1860), p. 202</ref> while [[Sydney Dacres|Sydney Colpoys Dacres]] (1805–1884), went on to be an admiral and [[First Sea Lord|First Naval Lord]].<ref name="AR139">Burke (1841), p. 139</ref> His eldest daughter Martha married Rear Admiral Sir [[William Fairbrother Carrol]] in 1813,<ref name="obyrne">O'Byrne (1849), p. 173</ref> while the younger, Mary, married Lieutenant Colonel Henry Stephen Olivier in 1823.<ref name="marshall"/><ref>Pine (1972), p. 210</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{Cite book |first=Joseph |last=Allen |title=Battles of the British Navy |publisher=Henry G. Bohn |year=1852 |volume=87}}
*{{Cite book | editor=Edmund Burke | editor-link=Edmund Burke |title=The Annual Register | publisher=F. J. F. & J. Rivington |location=London |year=1841 |volume=82 | pages=91 v |url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015028180282;view=1up;seq=488 }}
*{{Cite book |first=Robert P.|last=Dod |title=The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, of Great Britain and Ireland for 1860 |year=1860 |publisher=Whitaker and Co. |location=London}}
*{{Cite book |first=John |last=Marshall |author-link=John Marshall (biographer) |title=Royal Naval Biography : or Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains and commanders, whose names appeared on the Admiralty list of sea officers at the commencement of the year 1760, or who have since been promoted; illustrated by a series of historical and explanatory notes. With copious addenda. |volume=II, Part I |year=1824 |publisher=[[Longman|Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green]] |location=London |url=https://archive.org/details/royalnavalbiogra02marsuoft }}
* {{cite book |first=William Richard |last=O'Byrne |author-link=William Richard O'Byrne |title=A Naval Biographical Dictionary: comprising the life and services of every living officer in Her Majesty's navy, from the rank of admiral of the fleet to that of lieutenant, inclusive |url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924027921372 |year=1849 |publisher=[[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] |location=London }}
* {{cite book |first=L. G. |last=Pine |title=The New Extinct Peerage 1884-1971: Containing Extinct, Abeyant, Dormant and Suspended Peerages With Genealogies and Arms |location=London |publisher=Heraldry Today |year=1972 |url= http://www.thepeerage.com/p24030.htm#i240294 }}
*{{Cite book |first=Nicholas |last=Tracy |title=Who's who in Nelson's Navy: 200 Naval Heroes |year=2006 |publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=1-86176-244-5}}
*{{Cite book |first=Rif |last=Winfield |title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates |year=2007 |publisher=Seaforth|location=London |isbn=978-1-86176-295-5}}
*{{Cite book |first=Rif |last=Winfield |title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates |year=2008 |edition=2nd |publisher=Seaforth |location=London |isbn=978-1-84415-717-4 }}
{{Refend}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dacres, Richard}}
[[Category:1761 births]]
[[Category:1837 deaths]]
[[Category:Royal Navy vice admirals]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars]]
[[Category:Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars]]