A Naval Biographical Dictionary/King, Richard Henry
KING. (Captain, 1839. f-p., 21; h-p., 21.)
Richard Henry King is sixth son of the late Rev. John King, A.M., Rector of Witnesham, near Ipswich, by Elizabeth Sarah, only daughter of the Rev. Thos. Bishop, Rector of Trimley St. Martin and Ash-by-Campsey in Suffolk, and Perpetual Curate of St. Mary-at-Tower and St. Mary-at-Elms in Ipswich.
This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1805, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Druid 32, Capt. Philip Bowes Vere Broke, employed on the Irish station, where he assisted, we find, at the capture of Le Prince Murat privateer of 18 guns, and Le Pandour national brig of similar force. Following Capt. Broke, in Sept. 1806, into the Shannon frigate, he continued to serve uninterruptedly with him on the Downs, Greenland, and Halifax stations until 8 March, 1813. He then became Acting-Lieutenant of the Sylph sloop, Capt. Browne. He was confirmed into his old ship the Shannon 12 July, 1813, and was afterwards appointed – 25 Feb. 1814, to the Alert 18, Capt. Joseph Gulston Garland, in the Downs – 13 Oct. 1815, to the Bermuda 10, Capt. John Pakenham, on the Jamaica station, whence he returned in the early part of 1817 – 28 June, 1820, to the Forte 44, Capt. Sir Thos. John Cochrane, under whom he served at Halifax and in the West Indies, attended George IV. to Scotland, and brought home a large amount of specie from Vera Cruz and the Havana – and 5 Nov. 1824, to the Owen Glendower 42, bearing the broad pendant at the Cape of Good Hope of Commodore Hood Hanway Christian. On the return of the latter ship to England in 1828, Lieut. King was promoted to the rank of Commander by a commission bearing date 27 Aug. in that year. His last appointment was, 12 Feb. 1838, to the Cruizer 16, fitting for the East Indies, where he attended an expedition to the mouths of the Indus and assisted at the capture of Aden. He was advanced, as a reward for his conduct on the latter occasion, to the rank he at present holds 1 May, 1839; but he has not been since afloat.
Capt. King married, 4 May, 1830, Mary, daughter of the late Sam. Twyford, Esq., of Trotton, co. Sussex.