A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Dick, John
DICK, K.C. (Vice-Admiral of the Blue, 1846. f-p., 21; h-p., 41.)
John Dick, born at Rochester, is son of the late Jas. Dick, Esq., who passed his life in the civil department of the Navy; and cousin of Sir Robt. Keith Dick, Bart.
This officer entered the Navy, in Sept. 1785, as a Volunteer, on board the Irresistible 74, Capt. Sir Andrew Snape Hamond, under whom, and Capts. Skeffington Lutwidge and Thos. West, of the Scipio and Dictator, he served, in the River Medway, until 1790. He then became Midshipman of the Trusty 50, Capt. John Drew, flag-ship in the West Indies of Sir John Laforey; removed, in Aug. 1793, to the Carysfort 28, Capt. Fras. Laforey, in the North Sea; and after a further servitude of six months in the Channel, on board the Phaeton 38, Capt. Andrew Snape Douglas, and Nonsuch 64, Capt. Billy Douglas, was promoted to a Lieutenancy, 4 Aug. 1794, in the Victorious 74, Capt. John Brown. From 17 March, 17S5, until promoted to the command, 28 June, 1796, of the Bulldog sloop, he again served with Sir John Laforey in the West Indies on board L’Aimable 32, the Beaulieu 40, and the Majestic 74. We next, during the summer of 1797, find him commanding a division of gun-boats for the suppression of the mutiny at the Nore; after which he successively joined, 4 June, 1798, and 11 Aug. 1800, the Discovery bomb, and Cynthia 18. While in the former vessel Capt. Dick attended the expedition to the Helder in 1799, where he covered the landing of the troops, and served on shore with the army till the final evacuation of Holland. For his meritorious vigilance, in the Cynthia, as senior officer of the squadron employed at the blockade of Alexandria, and in co-operating with the Turks at the capture of Damietta, he was knighted by Sultan Selim, and invested with the insignia of a K.C. of the third class, 8 Oct. 1801. Attaining Post-rank, April, 1802, Capt. Dick was next appointed, 24 Nov. 1804, to the Jamaica 24, from the command of which ship, after an intermediate employment on the Newfoundland and Channel stations, he was transferred, in May, 1807, to that of the Penelope 36. After conveying Major-Gen. Sir Geo. Prevost to Barbadoes, and escorting thither four chosen regiments destined to assist at the reduction of Martinique, he proceeded to the latter island, and acquired the particular thanks of Capt. Philip Beaver, the commanding officer, for his services in superintending the disembarkation of the troops, Jan. 1809.[1] He afterwards landed with a party of seamen, and succeeded in securing Fort Trinité and other works on the windward side of the island. Capt. Dick, who left the Penelope 26 Sept. 1810, and subsequently commanded the Donegal 78, in the Mediterranean, from 22 July, 1830, until the summer of 1832, attained flag-rank 10 Jan. 1837. His last promotion took place 9 Nov. 1846.
The Vice-Admiral, now a widower, married Augusta, daughter of Bartlet Goodrich, of Saling Grove, co. Essex, by whom he had, with other issue, two sons, John Goodrich, a Commander R.N., and another, Francis, a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 398.