A Naval Biographical Dictionary/White, Richard Dunning
WHITE. (Commander, 1847. f-p., 20; h-p., 1.)
Richard Dunning White is youngest son of the late Rear-Admiral Thos. White.
This officer entered the Navy, 15 April, 1826, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Windsor Castle 76, Capts. Edw. Durnford King and Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie; in which ship he continued to serve off Lisbon and in the Mediterranean, a great part of the time as Midshipman, until transferred, in Nov. 1830, to the Melville 74, on the latter station. He returned to England in Sept. 1831; and was employed next as Midshipman and Mate (he passed his examination 6 Sept. 1832) – from 5 Dec. 1831 until 30 April, 1833, in the San Josef 110, flagship of Sir Manley Dixon at Plymouth – from 19 Sept. 1833 until 14 March, 1834, in the Pandora packet, Lieut.-Commander Wentworth Parsons Croke, on the Falmouth station – from 26 March, 1834, until June, 1837, in the Revenge 78, Capt. Wm. Elliott, in the Mediterranean – from 18 Nov. 1837 until 21 Dec. 1839, in the Pique 36, Capt. Edw. Boxer, on particular service – and from 28 Feb. 1840 until rewarded for his services on the coast of Syria and at the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre with a commission dated 5 Nov. in the same year, in the Thunderer 84, Capt. Maurice Fred. Fitzhardinge Berkeley. His succeeding appointments were – 15 Jan. and 17 April, 1841, to the Implacable 74 and Vanguard 80, Capts. Edw. Harvey and Sir David Dunn, on the Mediterranean and Lisbon stations – and 4 Dec. 1843, as Senior Lieutenant (the Vanguard had been paid off 16 Aug. preceding) to the Sealark sloop, Capt. Thos. Lewis Goooh, fitting for the coast of Africa. The latter vessel, of which he obtained acting-command 20 March, 1847, he brought home and paid off towards the close of that year. He has not been since afloat.
His commission as Commander bears date 28 Aug. 1847.