Royal Naval Biography/King, Richard
SIR RICHARD KING,
Baronet; Vice-Admiral of the Blue; and Knight Commander of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath.
This officer is the eldest and only surviving son of the late Admiral Sir Richard King, (who received the honor of knighthood for his zealous and meritorious services in India, during the American war; and was created a Baronet June 18, 1792,) by Susannah Margaret, daughter of William Coker, of Maypowder, co. Dorset, Esq.
Our officer entered the naval service at an early age; and after passing through the various gradations of subordinate rank, was made a Post-Captain, May 14, 1794. His first appointment after this promotion, appears to have been to the Aurora, of 28 guns, in which ship he continued, cruizing in the North Sea, till the summer of 1795, and then removed into the Druid, another small frigate, employed on Channel service, and in escorting the trade to and from Portugal.
In the month of June, 1797, we find Captain King sitting as a member of the Court Martial assembled on board the Neptune, off Greenhithe, for the trial of Parker the mutineer, and his colleagues[1]. About the same period he obtained the command of the Sirius, a 36-gun frigate attached to the North Sea fleet, under the orders of the late Lord Duncan.
On the 24th Oct., 1798, at 8 A.M., Captain King, being off the Texel, discovered two Dutch ships of war at some distance to windward, to which he instantly gave chace; and finding that the Sirius had greatly the advantage in point of sailing, stood on until he could fetch the weathermost, in order to prevent their junction. At nine o’clock he arrived within musket-shot, when the enemy brought to, fired a gun to leeward, and hauled down her colours. Her consort kept standing on with all sail set; and although nearly out of sight by the time the prisoners were exchanged, the Sirius got within musket-shot of her by five P.M., and commenced a running fight, which continued about half an hour, when she struck, having 8 men killed and 14 wounded, her masts, sails, rigging, and hull, much damaged. These ships proved to be the Waakzaamheid, of 26 guns and 100 men; and Furie of 36 guns and 153 men. They had on board 287 French troops, and 4000 stand of arms, besides a quantity of ordnance stores, and had sailed from the Texel the preceding night. The Sirius, whose complement was 261 men, had only one wounded.
Soon after this event, Captain King was stationed off the coast of France, where he captured la Favorie, of 6 guns and 45 men, from Cayenne to Bourdeaux, laden with cotton, indigo, and camphor; and a Spanish brig from Corunna to Monte Video, with a cargo of iron, and bale goods.
Towards the latter end of Jan. 1801, the Sirius, in company with l’Oiseau, intercepted la Dedaigneuse French frigate of 36 guns, pierced for 40, and 300 men, from Cayenne bound to Rochefort, with despatches. She surrendered after a gallant resistance, with the loss of several men killed and 17 wounded. Captain Linzee, of l’Oiseau, in his official letter, giving an account of this capture, expressed himself much indebted to Captain King, for his steady and well directed fire, from which the enemy received considerable damage. The Amethyst, Captain Cooke, joined in the chace, but was unable to get up until la Dedaigneuse had struck. On this occasion, the British frigates sustained very little damage, and had not a man hurt.
From the peace of Amiens until the month of Aug. 1802, Captain King commanded a light squadron employed against the smugglers. The Sirius was then ordered to be put out of commission; and our officer remained upon half-pay till the spring of 1805, when he was appointed to the Achille, of 74 guns, which ship formed part of Lord Nelson’s fleet in the memorable battle of Trafalgar, and appears to have been very warmly engaged, having had 13 men killed and 59 wounded. Captain King succeeded to the baronetcy on the demise of his father, which took place in Nov. 1806.
Early in 1808, we find Sir Richard King employed in the blockade of Ferrol, and in the following year he commanded a squadron off Cherbourgh. He afterwards served at the defence of Cadiz, from whence he proceeded to the Mediterranean; and in February 1811, was appointed Captain of the Fleet on that station, under the orders of the late Sir Charles Cotton, with whom he served in the same capacity when that Admiral was removed to the Channel fleet.
At the general promotion, Aug. 12, 1812, Sir Richard obtained the rank of Rear-Admiral; and during the remainder of the war had his flag in the San Josef of 110 guns, off Toulon. On the 2d Jan. 1815, he was nominated a K.C.B.; and in the spring of 1816, appointed Commander-in-Chief on the East India station, from whence he returned to England, Oct. 16, 1820. His commission as Vice-Admiral bears date July 19th, 1821.
Sir Richard King married, 1st, in November 1803, Sarah-Anne, only daughter of the late Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth[2]; and secondly, May 16, 1822, Maria-Susanna, daughter of his old friend and commander, Sir Charles Cotton, Bart.
Residence.– Bellevue, Kent.
- ↑ See note at p. 160, et seq.
- ↑ Sir Richard’s first lady died on board his flag-ship, the Minden, on the passage to Bombay, March 20, 18