| Sir Richard King, Bt | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 10, 1730 |
| Died | November 7, 1806 |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Blaze HMS Grafton HMS Northumberland HMS Pallas HMS Exeter The Downs Plymouth Command |
Admiral Sir Richard King, 1st Baronet (10 August 1730 – 7 November 1806) was a British naval officer and colonial governor.
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King was born in Gosport, the son of Curtis King and Mary Barnett. He joined the Royal Navy in 1738 and served in 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 service 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 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] Promoted Vice-Admiral in 1793, he became Member of Parliament for Rochester the same year.[3] In 1794 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth[4] and in 1795 he was promoted to Admiral.[1]
In 1769 he married Susannah Margaretta Coker; they had four recorded children including his son Richard.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by |
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 with George Best 1794–1796 Henry Tufton, from 1796 1794–1800 |
Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain |
Member of Parliament for Rochester with Henry Tufton 1801–1802 |
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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