A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Conner, Richard
CONNER. (Commander, 1828. f-p., 18; h-p., 26.)
Richard Conner is son of Dan. Conner, Esq., of Ballybrecken, near Cork; and brother-in-law of Rear-Admiral of the Red the late Sir Fred. Lewis Maitland, K.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 2 Sept. 1803, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Loire, of 46 guns, Capt. F. L. Maitland; attained the rating of Midshipman 23 Aug. 1804; and, with one or two brief interruptions, continued to serve under the same Commander, in the Volontaire 38, and Emerald 36, until Oct. 1809. During that period he assisted at the capture, 16 March and 17 Aug. 1804, of the French privateers Braave, of 16, and (after a running fight of 15 minutes) Blonde, of 30 guns, on which latter occasion he was wounded;[1] was under fire of the batteries in Muros Bay, when they were gallantly stormed and carried, and the privateers Confiance and Bélier taken, by the boats under Lieut, the late Sir Jas. Lucas Yeo, 4 June, 1805; aided, on 25 of the same month, in capturing another privateer, Le Vaillant, of force similar to the Blonde; was in company, on 24 Dec. following, with L’Egyptienne, at the capture, after an obstinate resistance, of La Libre, of 40 guns; conveyed, in July, 1806, to Sir Rich. Keats, off L’Orient, intelligence which led to the capture of Le Rhin, of 44 guns; further contributed, in the course of 1807, to the capture of many other vessels, and the blockade of Rochefort; and, in April, 1809, witnessed the destruction of the French shipping in Basque Roads. On leaving the Emerald, Mr. Conner was awarded an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Druid 32, Capt. Sir Wm. Bolton; and, obtaining his official promotion 5 Jan. 1810, was then appointed to the Sybille 38, Capt. Clotworthy Upton, on the Irish station. He subsequently joined, on the Home station – 16 March, 1812 and 11 Jan. 1813, the San Josef and Queen Charlotte, flag-ships of Lord Keith – 5 Dec. 1814 and 6 April, 1815, the Boyne 98, and Bellerophon 74, both commanded by Capt. F. L. Maitland – 28 April, 1815, the Ville de Paris 110, bearing the flag also of Lord Keith – 19 Sept. 1815, the Eridanus 36, Capts. Wm. Paterson and Wm. King – and, 23 Sept. 1818, 18 May, 1821, and 12 March, 1827, the Vengeur, Genoa, and Wellesley 74’s, all commanded by Capt. Maitland, in the first of which we find him escorting the King of the Two Sicilies from Naples to Leghorn in Dec. 1820. Since the date of his last promotion, 19 May, 1828, Commander Conner has been unemployed.
He married, in 1831, Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Sam. Perrott, Esq., of Olive Hill, co. Cork, by whom he has issue.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1804, p. 1057.