A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Pritchard, Richard Davison
PRITCHARD. (Commander, 1841. f-p., 20; h-p., 30.)
Richard Davison Pritchard was born 30 May, 1788, at Newington, near London. He is next brother of Capt. Sam. Perkins Pritchard, R.N. This officer entered the Navy, 12 Aug. 1797, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Prince 98, Capt. Thos. Larcom, successive flag-ship in the Channel of Sir Roger Curtis and Sir Chas. Cotton, the latter of whom he followed, in the summer of 1800, into the Prince George 98. Between Sept. 1802 and Dec. 1806 he served as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, chiefly in the West Indies and off Cadiz, in the Blenheim 74, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Sir Sam. Hood, and in the Royal Sovereign 100 and Ocean 98, flag-ships of Lord Collingwood. In the capacity of Master’s Mate he commanded the forecastle of the Royal Sovereign at the battle of Trafalgar 21 Oct. 1805. On leaving the Ocean, as above, he was nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Dexterous gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Robt. Tomlinson; in the boats of which vessel we find him effecting the capture, 22 June, 1807, although with but 14 men under his orders, of 2 gun-boats, carrying between them 4 guns and 55 men. The exploit was achieved close to Appes Hill, Gibraltar, where Mr. Pritchard received a ball through the body and another through the left arm, which he has never been since able to use.[1] In consideration of his wounds he was allotted, 5 July, 1808, a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum, and was awarded a grant from the Patriotic Fund. He was made Lieutenant, 26 Oct. 1807, after having acted for three months as such, in the Terrible 74, Capt. Lord Henry Paulet, off Cadiz, but was obliged from severe suffering to invalid in April, 1808, and was subsequently appointed – 14 May, 1809, to the Avenger 16, Capt. Thos. White, which vessel the state of his wounds also obliged him to leave in Nov. of the same year – in Nov. 1813 to the Transport Service – and 13 Feb. 1838 and 14 March, 1841, to the successive command of the Meteor and Avon Falmouth packets. In the Avenger he assisted at the capture of Anholdt in May, 1809; and while detached from her in a gun-boat he made prize of seven Danish vessels, and, being in the end taken himself, was detained for three months a prisoner of war. When in the Transport Service, in which he continued until Aug. 1819, he conveyed large bodies of troops from various parts of the kingdom to Ostend before, and from Calais to Ramsgate after, the battle of Waterloo. For this service he received the thanks of General Sir Manley Power, on the part of the Army, together with the acknowledgments of the Board of Admiralty. He afterwards made two voyages to the Cape of Good Hope, visited the Isles of France, Ceylon, and Gorée, and went to Senegal, Sierra Leone, Rio de Janeiro, and the West Indies. At Ceylon he rendered services which induced the Governor, Sir Robt. Brownrigg, to recommend him in his despatches, as well as by letter, to Lord Melville and the Commissioners of the Navy. Having had command for rather more than three years and a half of the Meteor and Avon, he was advanced, 22 Aug. 1841, to his present rank. He has since been on half-pay.
Commander Pritchard married, 10 July, 1810, Miss Mary Ann Davis, of Binfield Lodge, co. Berks, by whom, who died in March, 1842, he had issue a son and daughter. The son, Rich. Davis Pritchard, Surgeon R.N. (1841), is serving in the East Indies on board the Calliope 26, Capt. Edw. Stanley. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
- ↑ The following is an extract from the despatch of Lieut. Tomlinson:– “The gallant conduct of Mr. Pritchard, Sub-Lieutenant, who commanded the party, deserves the highest commendation. Although wounded in the side before he got on board the vessel, he concealed the hurt until he received a second ball through his arm.” – Vide Gaz. 1807, p. 1277.