Barrington Dacres (died 25 October 1806) was an officer of the Royal Navy , who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . He eventually rose to the rank of Post-Captain . He did not see action in many significant engagements, and is chiefly remembered for the accidental loss of his ship to the French, and for the unsuccessful chase of two French ships in the English Channel . He did command a number of ships of the line under several of the leading naval commanders of his time. His early death, however, prevented him from achieving the same seniority and degree of fame as his relatives did.
34-476: Barrington was born the eldest son of Captain, later Vice-Admiral, James Richard Dacres , and his wife Eleanor Blandford Pearce. The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty. Barrington's brother James Richard Dacres became a vice-admiral, as did Barrington's uncle Richard Dacres , while his cousin Sydney Dacres became an admiral, and First Sea Lord . Barrington Dacres took command of
68-683: A naval career. James Richard entered the navy in February 1762, joining the 28-gun frigate HMS Active , which was then under the command of Captain Herbert Sawyer . Shortly afterwards, on 21 May that year, the Active in company with HMS Favourite captured the Spanish register ship Hermione . The Hermione had been bound from Lima carrying a cargo of gold coin, gold, silver and tin ingots, and cocoa and when captured became
102-467: A substantial naval dynasty; James Richard rose to be a vice-admiral , his son Barrington became a post-captain , and James became a vice-admiral. Richard's own son Sydney would eventually be an admiral, and First Sea Lord . Dacres himself entered the navy in 1775 to serve aboard the 50-gun fourth rate Renown under Captain Francis Banks. He was present at the evacuation of Boston ,
136-657: A vice-admiral on 22 July 1830. He was nominated a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order on 25 January 1836, and died at Balibroke Villas, near Bath , Somerset on 22 January 1837 at the age of 75. In 1788 he married Martha Phillips Milligan, by whom he had at least four children; his son Richard James Dacres (1799–1886) joined the army and rose to be a field marshal , while Sydney Colpoys Dacres (1805–1884), went on to be an admiral and First Naval Lord . His eldest daughter Martha married Rear Admiral Sir William Fairbrother Carrol in 1813, while
170-818: The 74-gun Alcide , Captain Charles Thompson . He was present with Rear-Admiral Thomas Graves's fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781, Rear-Admiral Samuel Hood's fleet at the Battle of St. Kitts in 1782 and Admiral George Brydges Rodney's fleet at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782. Dacres remained in Alcide till 1783, when he was appointed to Bombay Castle , Captain Herbert Sawyer , guard ship at Portsmouth, remaining in her for two years, before following Commodore Sawyer into his flagship,
204-641: The Battle of Maida , and later Admiral John Thomas Duckworth 's failed Dardanelles Operation and the Alexandria expedition in February 1807. Dacres then returned to England after Pompee ' s recall, arriving in June 1807. He was then ordered to take the Pompee to join Vice-Admiral Henry Stanhope's squadron for service in the second expedition to Copenhagen . He was involved in
238-522: The Ceres was herself engaged and captured by the 36-gun French frigate Iphigénie off St Lucia on 17 December 1778. The Ceres was escorting a troop convoy at the time, and Dacres acted to decoy the French frigate away from the convoy, eventually forcing the French to pursue the Ceres for 48 hours, allowing the convoy to escape. Dacres was subsequently exchanged and returned to England, whereupon he
272-649: The Channel Fleet under Lord Bridport . He was present at the Battle of Groix on 23 June 1795, but was not actively engaged. Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave went on to hoist his flag on the Barfleur , retaining Dacres as his flag captain . He and the Barfleur sailed to join Sir John Jervis's fleet in the Mediterranean. Dacres was involved in the recapture of HMS Nemesis from
306-608: The Channel Fleet . Hardy promoted Dacres to lieutenant into the frigate Amazon , under Captain the Honourable William Finch , with whom he sailed to the West Indies in early 1780. On 10/11 October 1780 Amazon narrowly escaped destruction during a violent hurricane, having to cut down her masts and throw her guns and anchors overboard to prevent the ship from capsizing . Twenty of her crew were drowned or badly hurt. He then served as first lieutenant of
340-647: The Culloden in pursuit, eventually closing the distance and opening fire. The Duguay-Trouin was first to reach the safety of the port, but Dacres continued to engage the Guerrière until he was almost under the guns of the shore batteries. He eventually veered away, having inflicted considerable damage and several casualties. Dacres remained in command of Culloden until being succeeded by Captain George Reynolds in February 1804. Dacres then took command of
374-482: The French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 led to Dacres returning to sea aboard the 64-gun HMS Sceptre and taking part in the bombardment and capture of Fort Bizothen at Port-au-Prince . His crew however suffered from high levels of sickness and Dacres was despatched back to Britain as a convoy escort. After his arrival he was appointed to command the 90-gun HMS Barfleur as part of
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#1732786616686408-588: The Petronelle . By September, he was cruising in the English Channel as part of Sir Edward Pellew's squadron, when the French 74-gun Duguay-Trouin was spotted sailing in company with the 38-gun frigate Guerrière . The two had already been engaged by HMS Boadicea , under Captain John Maitland , but the French ships had driven her off and were now bound for Corunna . Dacres took
442-565: The capture of New York —serving under Sir Peter Parker — the occupation of Aquidneck Island , and in various other services. He remained aboard Renown until 1778, when he returned to England and joined the frigate Apollo , under Captain Philemon Pownall , and was present at the capture of the French frigate Oiseau on 31 January 1779. Dacres then served aboard Victory , flagship of Sir Charles Hardy , Commander-in Chief of
476-475: The 12-gun schooner Carleton , which formed part of Captain Thomas Pringle's flotilla. He took part in the battle of Battle of Valcour Island on 11 October 1776 and after the victory General Guy Carleton sent Dacres back to Britain with the despatches. He was made master and commander on 25 November 1776 after his return and was appointed to command the 14-gun HMS Sylph . He transferred to
510-646: The 18-gun HMS Ceres and commanded her off the Leeward Islands . Ceres patrolled the Caribbean and the American coasts, and on 9 March 1778 and in company with HMS Ariadne she chased two American frigates, USS Alfred and USS Raleigh , eventually engaging the Alfred and forcing her to surrender. He went on to capture the French privateer Tigre on 18 October 1778; but
544-630: The 32-gun HMS Montreal under Captain Phillips Cosby on 17 March 1769. With the outbreak of the war Dacres was appointed as second lieutenant aboard the 32-gun HMS Blonde , under Captain Philemon Pownoll . He sailed with the Blonde to Quebec as part of the escort for a troop convoy. In June 1776 he was appointed by Commodore Sir Charles Douglas to lead a naval detachment to Lake Champlain . There he took command of
578-548: The 36-gun Franchise . He soon became considerably wealthy from the spoils of prize warfare, being appointed commander of the station in late 1804, promoted to vice admiral on 9 November 1805 and remaining in the post until 1808. Dacres had married Eleanor Blandford Pearce, of Cambridge , on 1 August 1777 during a period in Britain while in command of the Ceres . The marriage took place at Totnes , Devon and subsequently produced two sons. Both had substantial naval careers,
612-598: The 50-gun Leander , on the North American Station , until paid off in September 1788. During the Spanish Armament of 1790, Dacres was first appointed to the 64-gun Dictator , then to Windsor Castle , flagship of now Rear Admiral Sawyer. After the crisis was resolved peacefully, Dacres returned to half-pay until the outbreak of the war with Revolutionary France in February 1793. He
646-886: The 74-gun HMS Venerable in February, and was involved in the blockade of Brest , under Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood . He was succeeded by John Hunter in August 1804. By January 1805, Dacres was briefly aboard HMS Theseus , taking over from Captain Francis Temple, but by March, Temple was back in command. He took command of HMS Hercule , capturing a number of merchant vessels carrying sugar on 9 July 1806. Barrington Dacres appears to have been in poor health and died at Bath, Somerset on 25 October 1806. He predeceased his father, who died in January 1810. James Richard Dacres (1749%E2%80%931810) James Richard Dacres (February 1749 – 6 January 1810)
680-574: The Bay of Saint Brieux . On 31 October he was appointed post captain on the 20-gun Camilla , which formed part of Richard Strachan's squadron in the English Channel . In early 1797, Dacres took command of the frigate Astraea . He managed to slip away from the mutiny at the Nore , and then escorted a fleet of valuable merchant ships to the Baltic. He captured numerous French and Dutch privateers over
714-544: The French in early 1796, and was still in command when the Battle of Cape St Vincent took place on 14 February 1797. Dacres subsequently returned to Britain aboard the hired cutter Flora and received command of the 80-gun HMS Foudroyant , sailing her to the Mediterranean. Dacres remained aboard the Foudroyant until February 1799. Dacres was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue on 14 February 1799, two years to
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#1732786616686748-637: The day after the battle of Cape St Vincent. He was further advanced to Rear-Admiral of the White on 1 January 1801, and was then appointed as second in command of the Plymouth command. With the Peace of Amiens he became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth . With the resumption of the war he was appointed second in command on the Jamaica Station , serving under Sir John Thomas Duckworth and flying his flag in
782-503: The elder, Barrington Dacres became post-captain, the younger, James Richard Dacres rose to be a Vice-Admiral. Dacres retired from active service in 1809 having amassed considerable wealth from his time in Jamaica. He did not live long to enjoy it though, dying on 6 January 1810 at the age of 60 after a fall from his horse. Richard Dacres (Royal Navy officer) Sir Richard Dacres GCH (September 1761 – 22 January 1837)
816-470: The frigate Diamond , commanded by Captain W. Sidney Smith , but remained there only a short time before moving to the 90-gun second rate London , serving under his old commander, now Rear-Admiral John Colpoys. Dacres was promoted to commander on 10 March 1795 into the 14-gun sloop Childers . While captain of Childers Dacres captured the French Coast guard cutter Vigilante , of six guns, in
850-673: The newly converted bomb vessel HMS Bulldog in 1799. He remained in command until 27 February 1801, when he put into the Italian port of Ancona , unaware that it had been captured by the French. The French seized the Bulldog . Captain Thomas Rogers of HMS Mercury attempted to recapture the Bulldog by cutting her out of the port. Although Rogers was nearly successful, the British were forced to abandon her again. She
884-531: The next two years. Astrea was paid off in 1799, and Dacres was again unemployed until early 1801, when he was appointed to command of the 80-gun Juste , accompanying Sir Robert Calder in his voyage to the Caribbean, following Ganteaume's escape from Brest. On his return to England, he was appointed to the 68-gun De Ruyter , guard ship at Spithead , remaining there until the cessation of hostilities in early 1802. He then sailed to Jamaica in Desiree with
918-557: The richest prize taken during the war. The Active ' s share of the prize money came to £251,020 12s, which meant that even an ordinary seaman received the sum of £485 3s 4d. Dacres moved aboard Captain William Hotham's 32-gun HMS Aeolus , following this with service aboard Captain John Elliot's HMS Thames and Commodore Richard Spry 's 60-gun HMS Jersey . Spry appointed Dacres as lieutenant to
952-498: The squadron under Sir George Campbell , but ill-health soon forced him to return home. On the renewal of the war in 1803, Dacres was appointed to command of the Sea Fencibles at Dartmouth . In 1806 Sir W. Sidney Smith specifically requested Dacres join him in the Mediterranean as his flag captain aboard the 80-gun Pompee . In this role Dacres went on to see service in the amphibious operations at Calabria , leading to
986-535: The subsequent Battle of Copenhagen , where he and the navy provided support for the besieging forces. Dacres returned from the campaign, which proved to be his last command at sea. On 2 February 1808 he was appointed the first governor of the Royal Naval Asylum after its move to Greenwich, serving there until August 1816. He was promoted to rear-admiral on 29 March 1817 on the Retired List, and
1020-744: Was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Seven Years' War , the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . He eventually rose to the rank of Vice-Admiral . Dacres was born in Gibraltar in February 1749, the eldest son of the secretary of the garrison Richard Dacres, and his wife Mary Dacres, née Bateman. He had a younger brother, Richard Dacres , who also embarked on
1054-486: Was an officer of the British Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence , and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . A member of a substantial naval dynasty, he eventually rose to the rank of vice admiral . Richard Dacres was born in September 1761, the fifth son of Richard and Mary Dacres, and younger brother to James Richard Dacres . The Dacres would eventually become
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1088-514: Was finally retaken off Gallipoli on 16 September 1801 by Lord William Stuart 's HMS Champion . Dacres's career does not appear to have been particularly adversely affected by the accidental loss of his ship. He was promoted to Post-Captain on 29 April 1802. He took command of the 74-gun third rate HMS Culloden in May 1803, and recommissioned her in July that year. On 5 June, he captured
1122-602: Was initially given command of the hired armed brig Union ; before being appointed first lieutenant of the 74-gun Hannibal , under the command of Captain John Colpoys . With Hannibal Dacres became part of the squadron despatched under Admiral Alan Gardner to the reinforce the British possessions in the West Indies . Hannibal was put out of commission in early 1794, and he was appointed first lieutenant of
1156-462: Was made acting-captain of the 74-gun HMS Sultan , afterwards being transferred to the 28-gun HMS Maidstone . He was not confirmed as post-captain however until 13 September 1780, when he was given command of the 20-gun HMS Perseus , stationed in the Downs . He transferred to the frigates HMS Orpheus and HMS Aurora towards the end of the war. The outbreak of
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