Royal Naval Biography/Creyke, Richard

by John Marshall

Layout 2

RICHARD CREYKE, Esq
Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital, and Resident Commissioner of the Victualling, at Plymouth.
[Retired Captain.]

In 1764, we find this officer accompanying the late Hon. John Byron on a voyage round the world^[1]. During the American war, he commanded the Otter of 14 guns; was very actively employed under the orders of Commodore Sir George Collier, and assisted at the capture and destruction of the towns of Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Gosport, and others of less note in the vicinity of Elizabeth River; the strong posts of Stoney Point, Fort la Fayette, and Varplanks, up the North River; and the towns of Newhaven, Fairfield, Norwalk, and Greenfield, on the Connecticut shore; together with an immense quantity of shipping, merchandise, provisions, and naval and military stores. He also accompanied Sir George Collier to the Penobscot river, where nineteen sail of American armed vessels, and upwards of twenty transports, were either taken or destroyed, in Aug. 1779^[2]. His post commission bears date Dec. 17, 1782; and his appointment to be Governor of Plymouth Hospital, July 15, 1795^[3]. He has a son in holy orders, married to Sarah, daughter of the late Colonel Hotham, of York.

---

1. See note at p. 1.
2. See Nav. Chron. Vol. 32, p. 265, et seq.
3. For the better regulation of the Royal Naval Hospitals, in the year 1795, Governors were appointed to each. To those at Haslar and Plymouth, a Post-Captain, with a salary of 500l., and 75l. for house, coals, and candles; three Lieutenants under them, whose salaries were fixed at 130l. per annum. By a recent regulation, the office of Governor has merged in that of a Resident Commissioner of the Victualling, in whom are united the superintendance of the victualling department of the navy, and the control of the hospital.