A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Bluett, Richard
BLUETT. (Commander, 1816. f-p., 17; h-p., 37.)
Richard Bluett entered the Navy, in April, 1793, as A.B., on board the Druid 32, Capt. Joseph Ellison; on accompanying whom, as Midshipman, into the Standard 64, he attended the ill-fated expedition sent in 1795 to co-operate with the French Royalists in Quiberon Bay. We afterwards find him successively joining the Artois 38, Capt. Sir Edmund Nagle, in which he was wrecked, 31 July, 1797, on the coast of France; the Unicorn 32, and Ethalion 38, both commanded by Capt. Jas. Young, under whom, on 17 Oct. 1799, he assisted at the capture of the Spanish 36-gun frigate El Thetis, laden with specie to an enormous amount, his own share of which, and of that found on board the Santa Brigada, another rich frigate taken at the same time [errata 1] alone amounted to nearly 800l.; and the Royal George 100, bearing the flag in the Channel of Rear-Admiral Chas. Morice Pole. In April, 1800, Mr. Bluett was promoted to an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Magnificent 74, Capt. Edw. Bowater, from which ship he was confirmed into the Babet 20, Capt. Jas. Mainwaring, 7 May following. On 24 Dec. in the same year he joined the Atlas 98, Capt. Theophilus Jones, but invalided in Sept. 1802; and, after an interval of half-pay, was appointed, in April, 1804, to the Kinsale district of Sea Fencibles. From that service he was removed, 9 Jan. 1805, to the Raisonnable 64, Capt. Josias Rowley, with whom he continued to serve, a great portion of the time as First-Lieutenant, until the summer of 1810. He was present during that period in Sir Robt. Calder’s action with the combined squadrons of France and Spain 22 July, 1805; assisted at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope in Jan. 1806, and the ensuing capture of the French frigate Volontaire of 46 guns; then accompanied the expedition to the Rio de la Plata, where he took an active part in all the operations terminating with the evacuation of Spanish America by the British about Sept. 1807; and, in Sept. 1809, gained particular notice for his steadiness and good conduct at the taking of the town and shipping of St. Paul’s, in Ile Bourbon, on which occasion he received charge of La Caroline frigate, one of the captured ships. Lieut. Bluett subsequently served, from 8 July to 3 Sept. 1811, in the Impregnable 98, lying at Sheerness – from 10 March to 22 Sept. 1814, as Senior, in the Princess Caroline 74, Capt. Hugh Downman, employed in the North Sea and off Greenland – and from 27 March to 15 Dec. 1815, again in the Impregnable, bearing the flag of Sir Josias Rowley in the Mediterranean. He was advanced to his present rank 6 Dec. 1816; but has not since been employed.