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Richard Carter (Royal Navy officer)

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Richard Carter
Died19 May 1692 (O.S.)
Allegiance Kingdom of England
Service Royal Navy
Years of service1672–1692
RankRear-admiral of the Blue
Battles / wars

Richard Carter (died 1692) was an English … rear-admiral,

Career

Richard Carter was a servant of Sir Frescheville Holles and was commissioned first lieutenant of the Cambridge, commanded by Holles, on 8 January 1672. After Holles's death at the Battle of Solebay, Carter continued lieutenant of the Cambridge,[1] under Captain Herbert, afterwards Earl of Torrington,[2] and was promoted from her by Prince Rupert to command the Success on 6 February 1673. From 5 June 1673 he commanded the Crown of 42 guns but was discharged on 10 October 1674.[1]

In June 1674 he was detached, together with the Nightingale, commanded by Captain Harris, to cruise off the coast of Zealand. On their return to the fleet they fell in with three large Dutch frigates, whom they engaged.[3]

In April 1675[a] he was appointed captain of the Swan; from which ship he was, on 11 January 1678,[b] removed into the Centurion.[1] He was sent to the Straits in March 1678, under the orders of Sir John Ernley, in the Defiance, as convoy to a fleet of merchant ships in the Mediterranean. In November 1679 he served on shore, under his old commander, Captain Herbert, in the defence of Tangier, then severely pressed by the Moors. In this service he was lightly wounded.[4] He was lieutenant-governor of Southsea Castle from 26 February 1682 till his death.[1]

In August 1688[c] he was appointed to the Plymouth, a third-rate, and continued in her during and after the Glorious Revolution.[6] He commanded her in the Battle of Bantry Bay on 11 May 1689 and in her led the van of the Red squadron in the Battle of Beachy Head on 30 June 1690.[1] At Beachy Head, he was one of the few English commanders, of the Red squadron, who were enabled, from the form in which the French fleet was drawn up, to get near enough to receive considerable damage; by that means he escaped the censure even of the Dutch.[d][8]

From 21 January 1691 he commanded the Vanguard, a ship of the second-rate, and on 29 January 1692 was promoted to be rear-admiral of the Blue squadron.[1]

In April 1692[e] he was sent with a few ships to scour the coast of France, and returned to the fleet in time to take part in the Battle of Barfleur on 19 May. At the beginning of the action the Blue squadron was some distance to leeward, and hopelessly out of the fight; but towards the afternoon a shift of wind permitted it to lay up to the enemy, and eventually to get to windward of them, thus placing them between two fires. But in doing this there was for a short time some sharp fighting,[6] in which Carter lost a leg.[1] He was struck by a splinter of one of his own yardarms, and fell dying on the deck. He would not be carried below. He would not let go his sword. "Fight the ship", were his last words: "fight the ship as long as she can swim".[10] He died of his wounds at 10 p.m.[1]

The body of the admiral was brought on shore with every mark of honour;[11] the ships of his division fired twenty-two gun salutes as his remains were rowed ashore.[1] He was buried at Portsmouth on 3 June 1692,[1] with a great display of military pomp and ceremony.[11][6] His widow, Mary, was granted a pension of 200l. per annum.[1]

Appraisal

It was freely said by many, both before and after the battle, that Carter was in the interest of King James, that his taking service under William was a base pretence, and that he had received 10,000l. to take his division over to the French.[6] Laughton opposes this view: "In support of this statement not one single piece of evidence has ever been adduced. In the Macpherson State Papers there is no mention of it. In life Carter was a poor man, and he died poor; so far from attempting to hand his division over to the enemy, he fell while executing the manoeuvre which insured their ruin, and as he died his last words were an exhortation to his men to fight bravely, fight to the last. The story may be pronounced a libel on a brave man."[6]

Notes

  1. ^ 12 April 1675
  2. ^ 7 January 1678.[4]
  3. ^ 3 August 1688.[5]
  4. ^ "As for what concerns the English, most certainly, unless it were some few vessels that fought against Torrington's order, the rest did nothing at all."—Evertz. Letter to the States General.[7]
  5. ^ 14 April 1692.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Laughton; Le Fevre 2008.
  2. ^ Laughton 1887, pp. 205–206.
  3. ^ Charnock 1794, i. pp. 389–390.
  4. ^ a b Charnock 1794, i. p. 390.
  5. ^ Charnock 1794, i. p. 391
  6. ^ a b c d e Laughton 1887, p. 206.
  7. ^ Charnock 1794, i. p. 391
  8. ^ Charnock 1794, i. p. 391.
  9. ^ Charnock 1794, i. p. 391
  10. ^ Macaulay 1887, iv. p. 317.
  11. ^ a b Macaulay 1887, iv. p. 322.

Sources

  • Charnock, John (1794). "Carter, Richard". Biographia Navalis. Vol. 1. London: Printed for R. Faulder. pp. 389–392.
  • Howitt, William (1860). John Cassell's Illustrated History of England. Vol. 4. London: Cassell, Peter, and Galpin. pp. 61–64.
  • Macaulay, Thomas Babington (1887). The History of England from the Accession of James II. Vol. 4. Philadelphia, PA: Porter & Coates. pp. 304, 315, 317, 321–322.
  • Laughton, J. K.; Le Fevre, Peter (2008). "Carter, Richard (d. 1692), naval officer". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4798. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  • The London Gazette. No. 2767. 16–19 May 1692. p. 1.
  • The London Gazette. No. 2773. 6–9 June 1692. p. 2.

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