Sydney Dacres

Sir Sydney Colpoys Dacres
Admiral Sir Sydney Dacres
Born	1805
Died	8 March 1884 (aged 78–79)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1817 – 1874
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Salamander HMS St Vincent HMS Leander HMS Sans Pareil
Battles/wars	Crimean War
Awards	Officier of the Légion d'honneur Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Relations	Richard Dacres (father) James Richard Dacres (uncle) Barrington Dacres (cousin) James Richard Dacres (cousin)

Admiral Sir Sydney Colpoys Dacres GCB (1805 – 8 March 1884) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Greek War of Independence, when he was involved in an attack on the Turkish forces at Morea, and later during the Crimean War. Born into a substantial naval dynasty during the Napoleonic Wars, he eventually rose to the rank of Admiral and became First Naval Lord. His only significant action as First Naval Lord was to press for the abolition of masts. He went on to be Visitor and Governor of Greenwich Hospital.

Dacres was born in 1805, the son of Captain, later Vice-Admiral, Sir Richard Dacres and Martha Phillips Milligan. The Dacres had a long history of naval service, Sydney's uncle, James Richard Dacres, was a vice-admiral, while his cousins Barrington Dacres and James Richard Dacres would both serve in the navy, the former becoming a post-captain, the latter a vice-admiral. His father, Richard Dacres, had served with Sir Sidney Smith as his flag captain aboard HMS Pompee during his Mediterranean campaign, and under Captain Sir John Colpoys, while Colpoys was commander of HMS Hannibal and HMS London. Sydney joined the Royal Navy in 1817 at the age of 12, and after serving for ten years, was promoted to lieutenant on 5 May 1827, initially aboard the 46-gun HMS Blonde under Captain Edmund Lyons. On 18 October Lieutenant Dacres was involved in an attack on the Turkish forces at Morea, during the Greek War of Independence. He and other lieutenants from Blonde, working in company with French naval forces, landed guns and helped to build batteries.