Sir Richard Bickerton, 2nd Baronet

Sir Richard Bickerton
Born 11 October 1759
Died 9 February 1832
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Rank Admiral
Commands held HMS Invincible
HMS Russell
HMS Terrible
HMS Amazon
HMS Bruce
HMS Sibyl
HMS Ruby
HMS Ramillies
HMS Terrible
Portsmouth Command
Battles/wars Fourth Anglo-Dutch War
French Revolutionary Wars
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

Admiral Sir Richard Hussey Bickerton, 2nd Baronet (11 October 1759 – 9 February 1832) was a British admiral.

Contents

Early life

He was born the son of Vice Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton whom he succeeded as 2nd Baronet in 1792. He married in 1788 Anne, daughter of Dr James Athill of Antigua:they had no children.

Naval career

Bickerton joined the Royal Navy in 1771.[1] He was present at the capture of Sint Eustatius in 1781.[1] He went on to command HMS Invincible, HMS Russell, HMS Terrible, HMS Amazon and HMS Bruce.[1] In 1787 he commissioned HMS Sibyl, before succeeding his father as a baronet in 1792.[2] Later he commanded HMS Ruby, HMS Ramillies and the new HMS Terrible.[1]

Bickerton commanded the squadron off Cádiz in 1800.[1] By 1804 he was serving as Second-in-Command to Lord Nelson.[3] He was appointed a Lord of the Admiralty in 1807 and served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Poole from 1808 until 1812.[4] He became Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1812,[5] with Puissant as his flagship.

Flinders named Bickerton Island for him. He was electes a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1810.[6]

He was knighted KCB in 1815. He assumed name of Hussey in 1823.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 102, Part 1, p. 175 - 176
  2. ^ Leigh Rayment Baronets
  3. ^ Lord Nelson's letter detailing naval strategy against French to be sold Daily Telegraph, 24 November 2008
  4. ^ Leigh Rayment Members of Parliament
  5. ^ History in Portsmouth
  6. ^ "Library and Archive Catalogue". Royal Society. http://www2.royalsociety.org/DServe/dserve.exe?dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=Show.tcl&dsqDb=Persons&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=%28Surname%3D%27bickerton%27%29. Retrieved 14 December 2010. 

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Jeffery
George Garland		 Member of Parliament for Poole
1807–1812
With: John Jeffery 1808–1809
Benjamin Lester Lester 1809–1812		 Succeeded by
Benjamin Lester Lester
Michael Angelo Taylor
Military offices
Preceded by
Sir Roger Curtis		 Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1812–1815		 Succeeded by
Sir Edward Thornbrough
Baronetage of Great Britain
Preceded by
Richard Bickerton		 Baronet
(of Upwood)
1792–1832		 Extinct