A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Darke, Richard
DARKE. (Lieutenant, 1815. f-p.,15; h-p., 23.)
Richard Darke died in 1845.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 July, 1807, as Third-cl. Vol., on board the Royal George 100, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, bearing the flag at the blockade of Brest of Sir John Thos. Duckworth; under whom, and Rear-Admiral Eras. Pickmore, he afterwards served in the San Josef 110, until April, 1811. While attached to the latter ship he was lent to the gun-boat service at the siege of Flushing and the defence of Cadiz. We subsequently find him joining – the Cossack 22, Capts. Thos. Garth, Geo. Price, and Wm. King, employed in conveying away the wounded from Tarragona, and otherwise – the Salvador del Mundo, flagship at Plymouth of Sir Robt. Calder – the Ajax 74, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway, in which ship he beheld, in Aug. 1813, the siege of St. Sebastian, where he commanded the ship’s cutter at the storming of Sta. Clara – and the Duncan 74, and St. George 98, flag-ships at Rio Janeiro and at Plymouth of Sir John Poo Beresford and Sir J. T. Duckworth. Having passed his examination in Dec. 1813, he was promoted to a Lieutenancy, 28 Oct. 1815, in the Leveret 10, Capt. John Theed, at the Cape of Good Hope, but he invalided home in Nov. 1816, and remained on half-pay until appointed, 26 Sept. 1836, to the San Josef 110, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Fred. Warren, Admiral-Superintendent at Plymouth. He continued in that ship for three years; and from 25 April, 1842, until the date of his death, further officiated, with the exception of a few months in 1843, as Admiralty-Agent in a contract mail steam-vessel.
He married, 20 Dec. 1830, Emily, second daughter of the late Geronimo Greco, Esq., of Dublin. Agents – Messrs. Chard.