A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Harness, Richard Stephens
HARNESS. (Commander, 1814. f-p., 9; h-p., 33.)
Richard Stephens Harness, born in July, 1792, at Wickham, co. Hants, is son of the late Dr. John Harness, F.L.S., many years a Commissioner of the Transport Board; a gentleman who was twice married, the second time to the widow of Admiral Robt. Linzee.
This officer entered the Navy, 24 July, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diadem 64, Capt. Sir Home Riggs Popham, and in the course of 1806 attended the expeditions to the Cape of Good Hope and Buenos Ayres. In Dec. of the latter year he became Midshipman of the Sampson 64, Capt. Wm. Cuming, from which ship, on her return to England, he removed to the Inflexible 64, Capt. Joshua Rowley Watson, part of the force employed at the bombardment of Copenhagen in Sept. 1807. After, that event he joined the Volontaire 33, Capts. Chas. Bullen and Joseph Nourse, and proceeded to the Mediterranean; where, on the night of 31 Oct. 1809, he served with the boats of a squadron at the capture and destruction, in the Bay of Rosas – despite a fierce opposition from the crews, and a galling fire from the batteries, inflictive on the British of a loss of 15 men killed and 55 wounded – of the armed store-ship Lamproie, of 16 guns and 116 men, with three armed and seven merchant vessels.[1] In the course of 1809 he appears to have been also present in the Volontaire’s boats under Lieut. Isaac Shaw at the capture – with a loss to the enemy of 5 men killed and 8 wounded, and to the English of 2 wounded – of Fort Rioux, near Cape Croisette, mounting 14 guns; and, under Lieut. Dalhousie Tait, at the destruction, near Marseilles, of the fort of Cassis, and the bringing out thence of several merchant-vessels, in July and Oct. 1811. Mr. Harness next joined the Cumberland 74, Capt. Robt. Waller Otway, and Malta 84, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Benj. Hallowell. On the receipt of his first commission, bearing date 18 Feb. 1812, he removed to the Fame 74, Capt. Walter Bathurst, with whom he continued to serve (assisting intermediately, in 1813, at the defence of Tarragona) until advanced to his present rank, 27 Aug. 1814. He has since been on half-pay.
Commander Harness is a widower with two children.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1907.