Sir Richard King, 1st Baronet

Admiral Sir Richard King, 1st Baronet (10 August 1730 – 7 November 1806) was a British naval officer and colonial governor.

Sir Richard King, Bt
Born10 August 1730 (1730-08-10)
Died7 November 1806 (1806-11-08) (aged 76)
Allegiance Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch Royal Navy
RankAdmiral
Commands heldHMS Blaze
HMS Grafton
HMS Northumberland
HMS Pallas
HMS Exeter
The Downs
Plymouth Command

King was born in Gosport, the son of Curtis King and Mary Barnett.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1738 and served on HMS Berwick.[1] In 1745 made a lieutenant in HMS Tiger and in 1756 he was promoted to commander of the fireship HMS Blaze.[1] He took part in the capture of Calcutta in 1756 and commanded the landing party at the capture of Hoogly in 1757.[2]

In 1763 he was given command of HMS Grafton and in 1770 he took over HMS Northumberland.[2] He went on to command HMS Pallas from 1778 and HMS Exeter from 1779.[2]

He was knighted in 1782 for his services near Madras, India.[1] Promoted Rear Admiral in 1787, he was appointed commander-in-chief of The Downs in 1790.[1] In 1792 he became a baronet[3] and was made commander-in-chief and Governor of Newfoundland.[1] While King was in office France had declared war on Britain and King captured St. Pierre and Miquelon for the British[1] and was promoted Vice-Admiral in 1793.

He was elected Member of Parliament for Rochester in 1794, holding the seat until 1802.[4] In 1794 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth[5] and in 1795 promoted to Admiral.[1]

Family

In 1769 he married Susannah Margaretta Coker; they had four recorded children including his son Richard.

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See also
  • Governors of Newfoundland
  • List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador

References
  1. Biography at Government House The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador
  2. Sir Richard King at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
  3. "No. 13436". The London Gazette. 5 July 1792. p. 511.
  4. "KING, Sir Richard, 1st Bt. (1730-1806), of Devonshire Place, Marylebone, Mdx". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. Monthly magazine and British register, Volume 22, p. 600
Military offices
Preceded by
Vacant		 Commander-in-Chief, The Downs
1790–1791		 Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by
Phillips Cosby		 Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1794–1796		 Succeeded by
Sir Richard Onslow
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
George Best
Nathaniel Smith		 Member of Parliament for Rochester
1794–1800
With: George Best 1794–1796
Henry Tufton, from 1796		 Succeeded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Parliament of Great Britain		 Member of Parliament for Rochester
1801–1802
With: Henry Tufton		 Succeeded by
Sir Sidney Smith
James Hulkes
Political offices
Preceded by
Mark Milbanke		 Commodore Governor of Newfoundland
1792–1793		 Succeeded by
Sir James Wallace
Baronetage of Great Britain
New creation Baronet
(of Bellevue)
1792–1806		 Succeeded by
Richard King

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