James Richard Dacres (1788–1853)
| James Richard Dacres | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 August 1788 Lowestoft |
| Died | 4 December 1853 (aged 65) Catisfield Lodge, near Fareham, Hampshire |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1796 – 1853 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral |
| Commands held |
HMS Elk HMS Bacchante HMS Guerriere HMS Tiber HMS Edinburgh Cape of Good Hope Station |
| Battles/wars | USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere |
| Relations |
James Richard Dacres (father) Barrington Dacres (brother) Richard Dacres (uncle) Sydney Dacres (cousin) |
James Richard Dacres, RN (22 August 1788 – 4 December 1853) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812. A member of a substantial naval dynasty, he eventually rose to the rank of vice admiral, but is chiefly remembered for his engagement with the American frigate USS Constitution which saw the loss of his ship, HMS Guerriere.
Dacres was born in Lowestoft on 22 August 1788, the son of Captain, later Vice-Admiral, James Richard Dacres and his wife Eleanor Blandford Pearce. The Dacres would eventually become a substantial naval dynasty, James's elder brother Barrington Dacres embarked on a naval career and rose to be post-captain, while their uncle, Richard Dacres became a vice-admiral. His cousin, Richard's son Sydney Dacres would eventually be an admiral, and First Sea Lord. James Richard Dacres entered the navy in 1796 at the age of eight, serving aboard his father's old ship, the 64-gun HMS Sceptre, as a first class volunteer. He moved aboard the 98-gun HMS Barfleur in 1797 and was present during the expedition to Ferrol in August 1800 as a lieutenant aboard the 74-gun HMS Impetueux.
He was next reported aboard the 38-gun frigate HMS Boadicea, serving in the English Channel under Captain John Maitland. On 24 July 1803 the French 74-gun third-rate Duguay-Trouin and the 38-gun frigate Guerrière were sighted sailing off Ferrol, Spain. Maitland decided to test whether the French ships were armed en flûte and were being used as troopships, and closing to within range, opened fire. The French returned fire, revealing they were fully armed and manned, and Maitland broke off. The French pursued, but were unable to catch him. This marked Dacres's first encounter with the Guerrière, a ship he was later to command under the British flag.
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