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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Creyke, Richard

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1667855A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Creyke, RichardWilliam Richard O'Byrne

CREYKE. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 13; h-p., .34.)

Richard Creyke is son of the late Capt. Rich. Creyke, R.N.,[1] by Anne Leming, eldest daughter of Geo. Adey, Esq., of London; brother of the late Capt. Geo. Adey Creyke, R.N.; and cousin of the present Lieut. R. B. Creyke, R.N. This officer entered the Navy, 6 March, 1800, as Sec.-cl. Boy, on board the Cambridge 80, flag-ship at Plymouth of Sir Thos. Pasley. He removed, as Midshipman, 5 June, 1801, to the Princess Royal 98, bearing the flag in the Channel of Sir Erasmus Gower; served for a few months in 1802 on board the Galatea 32, Capt. Geo. Wolfe; and, on accompanying that officer into the Aigle 36, witnessed, 12 July, 1804, the destruction, off the coast of France, of La Charente of 20, and La Joie of 8 guns. In May, 1805, he joined the Acasta 40, Capt. Rich. Dalling Dunn, with whom we find him enacting a part in the battle off St. Domingo, 6 Feb. 1806, and then visiting the Mediterranean. Eeing promoted from the Royal George 100, flag-ship off Cadiz of Sir John Thos. Duckworth, to a Lieutenantcy in the Alfred 74, Capt. John Bligh, 7 Nov. 1806, Mr. Creyke, after assisting in the operations against Copenhagen in 1807, accompanied home in 1808 the Russian fleet which had surrendered in the Tagus; and with the same Captain, in the Valiant 74, he was further present at the destruction of the French shipping in Basque Roads and the siege of Flushing in 1809, and at the capture of La Confiance (late 40-gun frigate Cannonière), with colonial produce on board to the value of 150,000l. sterling, 3 Feb. 1810. From Aug. in the latter year until advanced to the rank of Commander 17 March, 1812, he next served in the Channel and North Sea on board the Armada 74, Capt. Adam Mackenzie, and Christian VII. 80, and Impregnable 104, flag-ships of Admiral Young. He assumed command, 7 June, 1814, of the Zephyr sloop, on the Portsmouth station; attained Post-rank 19 Dec. following; and accepted the Retirement 1 Oct. 1846.

Capt. Creyke married, in 1818, Harriet Elizabeth, daughter of the late Rev. Jas. Furneaux, of Swilly, co. Devon, and sister of Capt. John Furneaux, R.N. By that lady he has issue a son and daughter. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.


  1. This veteran officer was born 8 Aug. 1746. He accompanied the Hon. John Byron on a voyage round tho world in 1764; actively commanded the Otter 14, during the first American war; attained Post-rank 17 Dec. 1782; was appointed Governor of the Royal Naval Hospital, and resident Commissioner of the Victualling, at Plymouth, 15 July, 1785; and died 3 Dec. 1826, in his eighty-first year.