A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Barton, Richard
BARTON. (Captain, 1837. f-p., 32; h-p., 1 6.)
Richard Barton entered the Navy, 19 Jan. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Latona 38, Capt. Frank Sotheron, and in the following autumn attended, as Midshipman, the expedition to the Helder. He subsequently witnessed the surrender of the Batavian ships in the Vlieder passage, and during the remainder of the war assisted at the capture of several of the enemy’s armed vessels. Becoming attached, in March, 1803, to the Albion 74, Capt. John Ferrier, he shortly afterwards escorted the fleet of Indiamen under Capt. Dance which had recently effected the discomfiture of the French Admiral Linois from the Straits of Malacca to St. Helena; and then returning to the East Indies, continued to serve on that station until 1811 in, successively, the Culloden 74, bearing the flag of Sir Edw. Pellew, and La Bellone, alias Blanche, 36, Capt. John Bastard, to which ship, after having acted for two years and a half as Lieutenant, he was confirmed, by commission dated 27 Dec. 1808. Mr. Barton, who appears to have also officiated for some months as Captain of the latter frigate, and to have captured during that period La Confiance privateer, of 2 guns and 30 men, was subsequently employed, from Dec. 1811, to Dec. 1815, in the Prince of Wales 98, Grasshopper 16, Crocus 10, and Romney 50, under various officers, on the Home and Mediterranean stations. On 15 March, 1816, he became Flag-Lieutenant, in the Salisbury 50, to Rear-Admiral John Erskine Douglas, Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies, where he served until 1818; from Dec. in which year until his promotion to the rank of Commander, 2 July, 1817, we find him employed on the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Severn, Ramillies, and Hyperion, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye. He afterwards did duty as an Inspecting-Commander of the Coast Guard, from 13 April, 1831, until 1836; and since his advancement to Post-rank, which took place 2 Jan. 1837, has been on half-pay.
Capt. Barton, who is Senior of 1837, is at present Superintendent of the West India Mail Packet Company’s Establishmeut at Southampton.