A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stuart, Richard
STUART. (Commander, 1827. f-p., 18; h-p., 28.)
Richard Stuart entered the Navy, 27 Jan. 1801, as A.B., on board the Alecto sloop, Capt. Robt. O’Brien, lying off Lymington. He removed, in the following month, to the Trent 36, Capts. Sir Edw. Hamilton and Chas. Brisbane, employed at first on the coast of France and then in the West Indies, where, and in the Channel, we find him, from April, 1802, until Jan. 1808, employed as Midshipman (a rating he had previously attained) and Master’s Mate in the Goliath 74, Capts. C. Brisbane and Robt. Barton, Penelope 36, Capt. Wm. Robt. Broughton, and Caesar 80, flag-ship of Sir Rich. John Strachan. In the Goliath he witnessed the capture, 28 June, 1803, and 11 and 18 Aug. 1805, of La Mignonne of 16 guns and 80 men. La Faune of 16, and La Torche of 18 guns. He was nominated, 23 Jan. 1808, Acting-Lieutenant of the Cumberland 74, Capt. Hon. Philip Wodehouse, on the Mediterranean station; was confirmed to that ship 14 June, 1809; and was subsequently appointed – 21 Aug. and 26 Dec. 1811, to the Audacious 74 and Castilian 18, Capts. Donald Campbell and David Braimer, employed in the North Sea and Downs and on the coast of Ireland – 12 March, 1814, to the Dauntless 18, Capt. Daniel Barber, whom he accompanied to the coast of North America – 6 Oct. following, to the Centurion 50, commanded at first by Capt. David Scott, as flag-ship on the latter station of Rear-Admiral Edw. Griffith, and next, from 27 March, 1815, until 13 July, 1816, by himself – and, 10 Jan. 1825, to the command of the Starling 10 on the Portsmouth station. On the night of 31 Oct. 1809 Mr. Stuart, then in the Cumberland, served with the boats of a squadron under Lieut. John Tailour at the capture and destruction, after a fearful struggle and a loss to the British of 15 killed and 55 (inclnding himself slightly) wounded,[1] of the French store-ship Lamproie of 16 guns and 116 men, bombards Victoire and Grandeur, and armed xebec Normande, with a convoy of seven merchant-vessels, defended by numerous batteries, in the Bay of Rosas. In the Castilian he contributed, in company with the Rinaldo and Bermuda sloops, to the capture, under the fire of a battery near Boulogne, of the (lately British) brig-of-war Apelles. He was promoted from the Starling to the rank of Commander 12 March, 1827, and has since been on half-pay. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1904.