A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Devonshire, Richard
DEVONSHIRE. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 17; h-p., 34.)
Richard Devonshire, born 25 June, 1784, at Truro, in Cornwall, is brother of Rear-Admiral the late Sir John Ferris Devonshire, Kt., K.C.H.[1] This officer entered the Navy, 20 Nov. 1796, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Amazon 36, Capt. Robt. Carthew Reynolds; which frigate, when in company with the Indefatigable 46, Capt. Sir Edw. Pellew, was wrecked, near Ile Bas, at the close of a gallant action of ten hours with Les Droits de l’Homme 74, in which she had sustained a loss of 3 men killed and 15 wounded, 14 Jan. 1797. On regaining his liberty, by exchange, in the following Sept., Mr. Devonshire, who had been taken prisoner with the rest of the Amazon’s crew, rejoined Capt. Reynolds in La Pomone 40; and, on 5 Jan. 1798, he took part in a stiff action, which terminated in the capture, with a loss to the Pomone of 1 man killed and 4 wounded, and to the enemy of 15 killed and 19 wounded, of La Chéri French privateer of 26 guns and 230 men. After intermediately attending, as Midshipman, the expedition to the Holder under Sir Andrew Mitchell in 1799, he proceeded to the Mediterranean with a convoy of 150 sail; and, on his passage thither, narrowly escaped being captured by a powerful French squadron. Between April, 1801, and the date of his promotion, which took place 11 May, 1804, Mr. Devonshire next served, on the West India and Home stations, as Master’s Mate of the Orion 74, also commanded by Capt. Reynolds, Venerable 74, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Collingwood, and Prince 98, Capt. Rich. Grindall. From Nov. in the latter year until Jan. 1808, he was subsequently employed in the Leda 38, Capt. Robt. Honyman. He assisted during that period at the capture, after an engagement of two hours, of seven out of 26 of the enemy’s armed vessels, near Cape Grisnez, 24 April, 1805 – was further present at the reduction of the Cape of Good Hope in Jan. 1806 – witnessed the fall of Monte Video in Feb. 1807 – and, as First-Lieutenant of the same frigate, was present at the ensuing bombardment of Copenhagen. On next joining, in June, 1808, L’Aigle 36, Capts. Geo. Wolfe and Sir John Louis, he contributed, as Senior-Lieutenant of that ship, to the destruction of the French squadron in Aix Roads, and to the forcing of the passage between the batteries of Cadsand and Flushing dnring the expedition to the Walcheren in 1809. He also beheld the capture, in Sept. 1810, of Le Phoenix privateer of 18 guns; served much on the coast of Catalonia; bore a part in several gallant boat affairs; and was at the taking of Genoa in April, 1814. Capt. Devonshire, who attained the rank of Commander 27 Aug. 1814, was subsequently appointed Second-Captain, 4 April, 1836, of the Talavera 74, Capts. Thos. Ball Sulivan and Wm. Bowen Mends, on the Mediterranean station. He acquired his present rank 28 June, 1838, and has since been on half-pay.
Capt. Devonshire married, 29 May, 1828, Loveday, youngest daughter of the late Thos. Warner, Esq., by whom he has issue a,son and two daughters.
- ↑ Sir John Devonshire was promoted to the rank of Commander for his gallantry as First-Lieutenant of the Terpsichore 32, Capt. Richard Bowen, at the capture of the Spanish 34-gun frigate Matronesa 13 Oct. 1796; and obtained Post-rank for his conduct in command of tile Dart sloop at the battle of Copenhagen, S April, 1801. He died in the early part of 1839.