James Richard Dacres (Royal Navy officer, born 1749) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Richard Dacres
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | February 1749 Gibraltar |
| Died | 6 January 1810 (aged 60) |
| Allegiance | |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1762 – 1810 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations |
|
James Richard Dacres (born February 1749, died January 6, 1810) was an important officer in the Royal Navy. He served in several major conflicts, including the Seven Years' War, the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He eventually became a Vice-Admiral, a very high rank in the navy.
Contents
James Richard Dacres was born in Gibraltar in February 1749. He was the oldest son of Richard Dacres, who was the secretary of the military base there. His younger brother, Richard Dacres, also joined the navy.
James started his naval career in February 1762. He joined the 28-gun frigate HMS Active. This ship was commanded by Captain Herbert Sawyer.
A Rich Prize Captured
Soon after Dacres joined, on May 21, 1762, the Active and another ship, HMS Favourite, captured a Spanish ship called Hermione. This ship was sailing from Lima and carried a huge amount of gold coins, gold, silver, and tin.
The Hermione became the richest prize captured during the war. The Active's share of the prize money was over £251,000. Even a regular sailor received £485, which was a lot of money back then!
After this, Dacres served on other ships. These included Captain William Hotham's 32-gun HMS Aeolus and Captain John Elliot's HMS Thames. He also served on Commodore Richard Spry's 60-gun HMS Jersey. In 1769, Spry made Dacres a lieutenant on the 32-gun HMS Montreal.
Serving in the American War of Independence
When the American War of Independence began, Dacres became second lieutenant on the 32-gun HMS Blonde. He sailed with the Blonde to Quebec, helping to protect ships carrying troops.
In June 1776, Dacres was chosen to lead a group of naval forces to Lake Champlain. There, he took command of the 12-gun schooner Carleton. This ship was part of a small fleet led by Captain Thomas Pringle.
The Battle of Valcour Island
Dacres took part in the Battle of Valcour Island on October 11, 1776. After the British victory, General Guy Carleton sent Dacres back to Britain with important messages.
When he returned, Dacres was promoted to master and commander on November 25, 1776. He was then given command of the 14-gun HMS Sylph. Later, he moved to the 18-gun HMS Ceres and commanded her near the Leeward Islands.
Captures and Being Captured
The Ceres patrolled the Caribbean and American coasts. On March 9, 1778, the Ceres and HMS Ariadne chased two American frigates. They fought the Alfred and made it surrender.
Dacres also captured a French privateer (a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships) called Tigre on October 18, 1778. However, the Ceres was later captured by a French frigate, the 36-gun Iphigénie. This happened near St Lucia on December 17, 1778.
At the time, the Ceres was protecting a group of troop ships. Dacres bravely drew the French frigate away from the convoy. The French ship chased the Ceres for 48 hours, which allowed the troop ships to escape safely.
Dacres was later exchanged and returned to England. He then became acting-captain of the 74-gun HMS Sultan. He was later moved to the 28-gun HMS Maidstone. He officially became a post-captain on September 13, 1780. He was given command of the 20-gun HMS Perseus. Towards the end of the war, he commanded the frigates HMS Orpheus and HMS Aurora.
Service in the French Revolutionary Wars
When the French Revolutionary Wars began in 1793, Dacres returned to sea. He was aboard the 64-gun HMS Sceptre. He helped in the attack and capture of Fort Bizothen at Port-au-Prince.
However, many of his crew became very sick. So, Dacres was sent back to Britain to escort a group of ships. After arriving, he was given command of the 90-gun HMS Barfleur. This ship was part of the Channel Fleet under Lord Bridport.
The Battle of Cape St Vincent
Dacres was present at the Battle of Groix on June 23, 1795, but his ship was not directly involved in the fighting.
Later, Vice-Admiral William Waldegrave made the Barfleur his main ship, keeping Dacres as his captain. The Barfleur then sailed to join Sir John Jervis's fleet in the Mediterranean Sea.
Dacres helped recapture HMS Nemesis from the French in early 1796. He was still in command of the Barfleur during the famous Battle of Cape St Vincent on February 14, 1797. After this battle, Dacres returned to Britain. He then took command of the 80-gun HMS Foudroyant and sailed her to the Mediterranean. Dacres stayed on the Foudroyant until February 1799.
Reaching Flag Rank
Dacres was promoted to Rear-Admiral of the Blue on February 14, 1799. This was exactly two years after the Battle of Cape St Vincent. He was promoted again to Rear-Admiral of the White on January 1, 1801. He was then made second in command of the Plymouth naval base.
When the Peace of Amiens brought a temporary end to the war, he became the main commander at Plymouth. When the war started again, he was made second in command at the Jamaica Station. He served under Sir John Thomas Duckworth.
Wealth and Final Command
While in Jamaica, Dacres became quite wealthy from capturing enemy ships and their goods. He was appointed commander of the Jamaica Station in late 1804. He was promoted to vice admiral on November 9, 1805. He remained in this important role until 1808.
Family and Later Life
Dacres married Eleanor Blandford Pearce in Cambridge on August 1, 1777. This happened while he was in Britain commanding the Ceres. Their wedding took place in Totnes, Devon.
They had two sons, both of whom had successful careers in the navy. The older son, Barrington Dacres, became a post-captain. The younger son, James Richard Dacres, rose to become a Vice-Admiral, just like his father.
James Richard Dacres retired from active service in 1809. He had gathered a lot of wealth from his time in Jamaica. However, he did not get to enjoy his retirement for long. He died on January 6, 1810, at the age of 60, after falling from his horse.
