Richard Kirkby (Royal Navy)

Richard Kirkby
Born	c. 1658
Died	16 April 1703 HMS Bristol, off Plymouth
Allegiance	Kingdom of England
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	– 1703
Rank	Captain
Commands held	HMS Success HMS Southampton HMS Ruby HMS Defiance
Battles/wars	Action of August 1702
Relations	Richard Kirkby (father)

Richard Kirkby (c. 1658 – 16 April 1703) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the eighteenth century. He rose to the rank of Captain but was later tried at a court-martial for his conduct during the Action of August 1702, and being convicted of cowardice and disobedience was executed by firing squad.

Kirkby was born the fourth child and second son of Richard Kirkby, a justice of the peace and Member of Parliament for Lancaster, and his second wife, Isabel, daughter of Sir William Hudleston of Cumberland. He joined the Royal Navy and passed his naval lieutenant's examination on 28 March 1689. He was then appointed as second lieutenant of HMS Advice. He had powerful relatives, including Arthur Herbet and Sir John Lowther, the latter being one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. They secured a promotion to captain on 12 February 1690, with his first appointment being to the hired ship HMS Success. He was sent as part of the fleet to capture St Kitts, returning to England in April 1692.

Kirkby spent the fourteen months after his return without a ship to command, but was finally appointed to HMS Southampton in 1694 and served in the Mediterranean under the command of Edward Russell. The first signs of his aversion to fighting were noticeable in a fight between two French vessels on 18–19 January 1695. It was noticed that

‘kept as far off’ the heavily armed Content ‘as his guns could reach reasonably firing now and then 2 or 3 guns at him’

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