- Sir Richard Onslow, 1st Baronet
Sir Richard Onslow, 1st Baronet GCB (
23 June 1741 –27 December 1817 ) was an English naval officer who played a distinguished role at theBattle of Camperdown .He was the younger son of Lt-Gen. Richard Onslow and his wife Pooley, daughter of Charles Walton. Onslow's uncle was
Arthur Onslow ,Speaker of the British House of Commons , and he enjoyed considerable interest as he rapidly rose through the Navy.He was made fourth lieutenant of the "Sunderland" on
17 December 1758 by V-Adm.George Pocock , fifth lieutenant of the "Grafton" on3 March 1759 , and fourth lieutenant of Pocock's flagship, the "Yarmouth" on17 March 1760 , upon which he returned to England.Onslow became commander of the "Martin" on
11 February 1761 , cruising in theSkagerrak until his promotion to captain of the "Humber" on14 April 1762 . He joined the "Humber" in June, but she was wrecked offFlamborough Head while returning from the Baltic in September. Onslow wascourt-martial ed for her loss, but was acquitted, the pilot being blamed for the wreck. On29 November 1762 , he was appointed to command the "Phoenix".In 1765, Onslow, known for his conviviality, was a founder of the Navy Society dining club. On
18 January 1766 , he was appointed to command thefrigate "Aquilon" in the Mediterranean, which he did until 1769, and from12 October 1770 , commanded the "Diana" in theWest Indies . Admiral Rodney gave him command of "Achilles" on18 January 1773 , in which he returned to England, where he acquired an estate and married Anne, daughter of Commodore Matthew Michell. They had three sons and four daughters:
*Matthew Richard Onslow (d. 1808), married Sarah Seton in 1805 and had two daughters
*Sir Henry Onslow, 2nd Baronet (1784–1853)
*Capt.John James Onslow (d. 1856)
*Frances Onslow (d. 1844), married V-Adm.Sir Hyde Parker
*Anne Onslow (d. 1853), marriedFrancis Lake, 2nd Viscount Lake (d. 1836) in 1833; married Henry Gritton in 1837
*Elizabeth Onslow (d. 1861), married Robert Lewis (d. 1840)
*Harriet Onslow (d. 1860), married J.N. CreightonOnslow did not receive another command until
31 October 1776 , when he was appointed to the "St Albans". He took a convoy toNew York City in April 1777 and joined Lord Howe in time for the repulse of d'Estaing on22 July 1777 at Sandy Hook. Onslow sailed for the West Indies on4 November 1778 with Commodore Hotham, and took part in the capture ofSaint Lucia and its defense against d'Estaing that December at the Cul-de-Sac. In August 1779, he brought a convoy fromSt Kitts toSpithead .He was placed in command of the "Bellona", in the
Channel Fleet under Admiral Francis Geary, in February 1780, and captured the Dutch 54-gun ship "Prinses Carolina" on30 December 1780 . Onslow took part in theRelief of Gibraltar under Admiral Darby in April 1781, and again under Howe in October 1782. The "Bellona" captured "La Solitaire" in the West Indies before Onslow returned home and took half-pay in June 1783.In early 1789, he was appointed to command the "Magnificent" at
Portsmouth , but was out of employment again in September 1791. He was promotedrear-admiral of the white on1 February 1793 andvice-admiral on4 July 1794 . In 1796, he was made port admiral at Portsmouth, and in November, he went aboard the "Nassau" to act as second-in-command of the North Sea Fleet under Admiral Duncan.During the
Spithead and Nore mutinies , Onslow suppressed a rising aboard the "Nassau", and was sent by Duncan to quell the "Adamant". When the "Nassau" refused to sail on26 May 1797 , Onslow moved his flag to the "Adamant" and until the end of the mutiny, Duncan (in the "Venerable") and Onslow maintained the blockade off theTexel alone, making signals to an imaginary fleet over the horizon. Onslow moved his flag again to the "Monarch" on25 July 1797 , and it was aboard her that he took part in theBattle of Camperdown on11 October 1797 . His flag captain, Edward O'Bryen, supposedly warned him that the Dutch ships were too close together to get between, to which Onslow replied "The "Monarch" will make a passage." Indeed, "Monarch" was the first to break the Dutch line and attack the "Jupiter" of 72 guns, flagship of Vice-Admiral Reyntjes, who subsequently surrendered to Onslow.For his exertions at Camperdown, Onslow was created a baronet and presented with the
Freedom of the City of London . He went on sick leave on10 December 1798 and retired from the sea. He was promotedadmiral of the red on9 November 1805 and received the GCB in 1815. He died in 1817 atSouthampton , leaving instructions that his funeral should cost no more than £20 lest it be ostentatious, noting that "the funeral of a brave and honest sailor costs a much less sum".References
*cite book | first=Randolph | last=Cock | chapter=Onslow, Sir Richard, first baronet (1741–1817) | title=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=2004 | chapterurl=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/20795 | accessdate=2007-11-23
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