Richard Williams (Royal Marines officer)
Encyclopedia
Richard Williams , later Colonel Commandant Sir Richard Williams KCB
(1764-1839) Royal Marines
, was a career British officer of Marines active during the American Revolutionary War
, the French Revolutionary Wars
, the Napoleonic Wars
, and the War of 1812
.
In American history he is remembered as the senior ranking officer of the Royal Marines
to serve on the British North America and West Indies Station during the War of 1812.
Historian Paul Harris Nicolas
(1790-1860), himself a former Royal Marine officer and the author of the two volume Historical Record of the Marine Forces (1845), paid tribute to Colonel William's firm hand in controlling the conduct of his troops on foreign soil. Sir Richard would not condone looting on the part of those under his command.
Known in the latter part of his life as Sir Richard Williams, KCB, caution should be used to avoid confusing him with another officer of the British Royal Marines
, Lieutenant General Richard Williams (1757-1824), who also served for a time (during 1814-1821) as Colonel Commandant of the Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marines. The son and brother of Royal Navy officers, Lieutenant General (Army List) Richard Williams, achieved the rank of Captain of His Majesty's Marine Forces during the American Revolutionary War
and was a senior field officer in England during Napoleonic Wars
.
. Both Richard and Samuel Williams were the sons of Brevet Colonel (and Captain) Batholomew Williams (died 1797) of H. M. Marine Forces.
In the course of the American Revolutionary War
, which involved Great Britain in war against France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic, Richard Williams served at sea, and was promoted to First Lieutenant in the Marines in 1781. On July 6, 1782, while serving aboard the HMS Sultan (1775)
, Marine First Lieutenant Richard Williams was wounded in the Naval Battle of Negapatam (1782)
which opposed British and French fleets off the southeastern coast of India.
Following the end of the American War of Independence, the Establishment of the Marines was reduced, and he was on half-pay for several years. In spite of this unattached status on half-pay, the young lieutenant remained abroad on foreign service until May 27, 1785.
During the French Revolutionary wars, Lieutenant of Marines Richard Williams served aboard the HMS Arethusa (1781)
in the Channel squadron commanded by Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet, and participated in the Naval Action of 23 April 1794
near Guernsey. On that occasion the squadron captured three French warships.
Ordered ashore, Richard Williams was assigned to 35 Company, and was duly assigned to 126 Company upon his promotion to Captain. Both of these Companies were in the Establishment of the Portsmouth Division of the corps of Marines.
As Captain of Marines aboard the HMS Robust, which was commanded by Captain Edward Thornbrough
of the Royal Navy, Captain Williams vainly sought permission to intervene promptly with his Marines against the mutineers at the Spithead anchorage. The Marine Captain was subsequently among the officers sent ashore by the mutineers of the Spithead and Nore mutinies
. Recognition for his loyalty and determination brought about his restoration to duty by the Admiralty.
Still Captain of the Marines aboard HMS Robust, Williams took part in the Battle of Tory Island
on October 12, 1798.
Battalion Command in the Napoleonic Wars
As an experienced and competent Major
with a thorough knowledge of artillery, he was appointed to set up, and command, a standing battalion of Royal Marines
for foreign service. At the time, it was standard practice for Marines to be allocated to ships, on a quota determined by the rating of the ship. It was rarely the case that a body of Marines would be greater than 200 other ranks. (Manpower shortages in the Royal Marines had necessitated the use of line infantry to remedy these shortages). One other radical approach was to employ a Company of Royal Marine Artillery attached to this battalion. This battalion deployed to Lisbon, and subsequently to Northern Spain for the second half of 1812.
In the course of the Peninsular War
Major Williams gained the attention of his Army seniors for the discipline and efficiency of his Marines. The Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
participated in a number of actions in the Peninsular War
and Major Williams found himself in command of British Army brigades on more than one occasion.
Upon returning from Spain, Williams was appointed a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, to avoid any subsequent issues with seniority when dealing with Army field officers. He and Major James Malcolm
were sent, with their respective battalions, to North America to participate in the War of 1812
.
Although Williams's battalion was ordered in August 1814 to be 'disposed for Naval service' and dispersed among the flotillas at Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain, the war did not finish for him. There was a third Royal Marine Battalion which had arrived in July, and Williams - having seniority among the Marine Field Officers - became its new commanding officer. He was present in the Chesapeake campaign, participating in the Battle of Bladensburg
, the attack on Washington
, and the Battle of Baltimore
. The men of his original battalion were redeployed, along with his new unit, to Tangier Island, on the understanding they would be spending the winter on the island.
Williams had planned to lead an expedition into Georgia in the spring of 1815, but the war had ended, and he returned to the UK. He was awarded the KCB
on May 25, 1815 for his actions in the War of 1812. The battalion was disbanded, and he undertook a new command as Commandant-Major of the expanded Royal Marine Artillery on 1 January 1816.
Promotion was slow in the Royal Marines, slower than in the other service branches. Sir Richard Williams, a substantiative Major in 1815, waited until 1821 for advancement to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines, and another six years passed before his promotion to Colonel Commandant of the Portsmouth Division, late in 1827. In 1828, at Portsmouth, he married Amy (Bowles) Bingham (1769-1859), the second wife and widow of a British poet, the Reverend Peregrine Bingham (1756-1826.)
In April 1838 he was appointed to be a commissioner for inquiring into the several modes of promotion, along with several other retired senior officers including the Duke of Wellington.
He died in Portsea
on June 21, 1839.
On half-pay of the reduced Establishment of the corps 1 September 1783
Reappointed to full pay on 2 March 1787
Allowed to Retire from the Royal Marines
in July 1835, with full pay, after more than 50 years of active service as a commissioned officer in the Marine Forces.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1764-1839) Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, was a career British officer of Marines active during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
, the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, and the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Notability and Disambiguation
Sir Richard Williams is notable for being the first Commanding Officer of the Royal Marine Artillery, and for subsequently commanding the Portsmouth Division of Royal Marines during 1827-1835.In American history he is remembered as the senior ranking officer of the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
to serve on the British North America and West Indies Station during the War of 1812.
Historian Paul Harris Nicolas
Paul Harris Nicolas
Paul Harris Nicolas, an elder brother of the English antiquary Nicholas Harris Nicolas, was a nineteenth century British historian, an accomplished, if little known, water colourist, a Royal Marines officer, and a veteran of the Battle of Trafalgar...
(1790-1860), himself a former Royal Marine officer and the author of the two volume Historical Record of the Marine Forces (1845), paid tribute to Colonel William's firm hand in controlling the conduct of his troops on foreign soil. Sir Richard would not condone looting on the part of those under his command.
Known in the latter part of his life as Sir Richard Williams, KCB, caution should be used to avoid confusing him with another officer of the British Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, Lieutenant General Richard Williams (1757-1824), who also served for a time (during 1814-1821) as Colonel Commandant of the Portsmouth Division of the Royal Marines. The son and brother of Royal Navy officers, Lieutenant General (Army List) Richard Williams, achieved the rank of Captain of His Majesty's Marine Forces during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and was a senior field officer in England during Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Company Officer of H. M. Marine Forces 1778-1809
Born in Bexley, Kent (SE London), in 1764, the future Sir Richard Williams joined the Marines in 1778 at the age of 14 as a Second Lieutenant. He was the older brother of Samuel Williams (1766-1824), who also served with distinction in the Royal MarinesRoyal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. Both Richard and Samuel Williams were the sons of Brevet Colonel (and Captain) Batholomew Williams (died 1797) of H. M. Marine Forces.
In the course of the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, which involved Great Britain in war against France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic, Richard Williams served at sea, and was promoted to First Lieutenant in the Marines in 1781. On July 6, 1782, while serving aboard the HMS Sultan (1775)
HMS Sultan (1775)
HMS Sultan was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 December 1775 at Harwich.She was converted for use as a prison ship in 1797, and broken up in 1816....
, Marine First Lieutenant Richard Williams was wounded in the Naval Battle of Negapatam (1782)
Battle of Negapatam (1782)
The Battle of Negapatam was the third in the series of battles fought between a British fleet under Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India during the American Revolutionary War...
which opposed British and French fleets off the southeastern coast of India.
Following the end of the American War of Independence, the Establishment of the Marines was reduced, and he was on half-pay for several years. In spite of this unattached status on half-pay, the young lieutenant remained abroad on foreign service until May 27, 1785.
During the French Revolutionary wars, Lieutenant of Marines Richard Williams served aboard the HMS Arethusa (1781)
HMS Arethusa (1781)
HMS Arethusa was a 38-gun Minerva-class fifth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy built at Bristol in 1781.She took part in the Action of 23 April 1794, capturing Pomone....
in the Channel squadron commanded by Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet, and participated in the Naval Action of 23 April 1794
Action of 23 April 1794
The Action of 23 April 1794 took place between a British squadron of five frigates under the command of Sir John Borlase Warren and three frigates and a corvette under the command of Chef d'escadre F. Desgarceaux during the French Revolutionary Wars. Three of the French ships were captured.-The...
near Guernsey. On that occasion the squadron captured three French warships.
Ordered ashore, Richard Williams was assigned to 35 Company, and was duly assigned to 126 Company upon his promotion to Captain. Both of these Companies were in the Establishment of the Portsmouth Division of the corps of Marines.
As Captain of Marines aboard the HMS Robust, which was commanded by Captain Edward Thornbrough
Edward Thornbrough
Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough, GCB was a senior, long-serving veteran officer of the British Royal Navy during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. He saw action in the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, being wounded several times and...
of the Royal Navy, Captain Williams vainly sought permission to intervene promptly with his Marines against the mutineers at the Spithead anchorage. The Marine Captain was subsequently among the officers sent ashore by the mutineers of the Spithead and Nore mutinies
Spithead and Nore mutinies
The Spithead and Nore mutinies were two major mutinies by sailors of the Royal Navy in 1797. There were also discontent and minor incidents on ships in other locations in the same year. They were not violent insurrections, being more in the nature of strikes, demanding better pay and conditions...
. Recognition for his loyalty and determination brought about his restoration to duty by the Admiralty.
Still Captain of the Marines aboard HMS Robust, Williams took part in the Battle of Tory Island
Battle of Tory Island
The Battle of Tory Island, was a naval action of the French Revolutionary Wars, fought on 12 October 1798 between French and British squadrons off the northwest coast of Donegal, then in the Kingdom of Ireland...
on October 12, 1798.
First Commanding Officer of the Royal Marine Artillery (RMA)
When the Royal Marine Artillery was formed on 1 September 1804, he was chosen to be the Officer Commanding, a role that he initially carried out until 1810, and again accomplished from 1816 until 1827.Battalion Command in the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
As an experienced and competent MajorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
with a thorough knowledge of artillery, he was appointed to set up, and command, a standing battalion of Royal Marines
Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
Three battalions were raised from among the Royal Marines during the Napoleonic Wars; seeing combat in Portugal, Northern Spain, the Netherlands and North America.-The First Battalion:...
for foreign service. At the time, it was standard practice for Marines to be allocated to ships, on a quota determined by the rating of the ship. It was rarely the case that a body of Marines would be greater than 200 other ranks. (Manpower shortages in the Royal Marines had necessitated the use of line infantry to remedy these shortages). One other radical approach was to employ a Company of Royal Marine Artillery attached to this battalion. This battalion deployed to Lisbon, and subsequently to Northern Spain for the second half of 1812.
In the course of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
Major Williams gained the attention of his Army seniors for the discipline and efficiency of his Marines. The Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
Royal Marines Battalions (Napoleonic Wars)
Three battalions were raised from among the Royal Marines during the Napoleonic Wars; seeing combat in Portugal, Northern Spain, the Netherlands and North America.-The First Battalion:...
participated in a number of actions in the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
and Major Williams found himself in command of British Army brigades on more than one occasion.
Upon returning from Spain, Williams was appointed a Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, to avoid any subsequent issues with seniority when dealing with Army field officers. He and Major James Malcolm
James Malcolm (Royal Marines officer)
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir James Malcolm, KCB, was a Scottish officer of the British Royal Marines who served in the American Revolutionary War, in the Napoleonic Wars, and with noteworthy distinction in the Americas during the War of 1812...
were sent, with their respective battalions, to North America to participate in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
.
Although Williams's battalion was ordered in August 1814 to be 'disposed for Naval service' and dispersed among the flotillas at Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain, the war did not finish for him. There was a third Royal Marine Battalion which had arrived in July, and Williams - having seniority among the Marine Field Officers - became its new commanding officer. He was present in the Chesapeake campaign, participating in the Battle of Bladensburg
Battle of Bladensburg
The Battle of Bladensburg took place during the War of 1812. The defeat of the American forces there allowed the British to capture and burn the public buildings of Washington, D.C...
, the attack on Washington
Burning of Washington
The Burning of Washington was an armed conflict during the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America. On August 24, 1814, led by General Robert Ross, a British force occupied Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings following...
, and the Battle of Baltimore
Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Baltimore was a combined sea/land battle fought between British and American forces in the War of 1812. It was one of the turning points of the war as American forces repulsed sea and land invasions of the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, and killed the commander of the invading...
. The men of his original battalion were redeployed, along with his new unit, to Tangier Island, on the understanding they would be spending the winter on the island.
Williams had planned to lead an expedition into Georgia in the spring of 1815, but the war had ended, and he returned to the UK. He was awarded the KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
on May 25, 1815 for his actions in the War of 1812. The battalion was disbanded, and he undertook a new command as Commandant-Major of the expanded Royal Marine Artillery on 1 January 1816.
Peacetime Field Officer of Marines
Williams remained in this post until 1827, when he became Colonel Commandant of the Portsmouth Division of Royal Marines, a position he held for the rest of his active career in the Marines.Promotion was slow in the Royal Marines, slower than in the other service branches. Sir Richard Williams, a substantiative Major in 1815, waited until 1821 for advancement to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Marines, and another six years passed before his promotion to Colonel Commandant of the Portsmouth Division, late in 1827. In 1828, at Portsmouth, he married Amy (Bowles) Bingham (1769-1859), the second wife and widow of a British poet, the Reverend Peregrine Bingham (1756-1826.)
In April 1838 he was appointed to be a commissioner for inquiring into the several modes of promotion, along with several other retired senior officers including the Duke of Wellington.
He died in Portsea
Portsea
Portsea is an area of the English city of Portsmouth, located on Portsea Island, within the ceremonial county of Hampshire.The area was originally known as the Common and lay between the town of Portsmouth and the nearby Dockyard. The Common started to be developed at the end of the seventeenth...
on June 21, 1839.
Military promotions and distinctions
- Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
H.M. Marine Forces, appointed on 26 August 1778 - First LieutenantFirst LieutenantFirst lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
H.M. Marine Forces 17 February 1781
On half-pay of the reduced Establishment of the corps 1 September 1783
Reappointed to full pay on 2 March 1787
- Captain LieutenantCaptain LieutenantCaptain lieutenant or captain-lieutenant is a military rank, used in a number of different navies worldwide.It is generally equivalent to the Commonwealth or US rank of lieutenant, and has the NATO rank code of OF-2, though this can vary....
H.M. Marine Forces 14 May 1795 - CaptainCaptainCaptain or The Captain is derived from the Greek word katepánō which was a senior Byzantine military rank and office.It may refer to:...
H.M. Marine Forces 27 January 1796- Senior Officer of the Establishment of Royal Marine Artillery (RMA), upon its formation in 1804.
- Brevet MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(Army List) 25 April 1808
- MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
15 February 1809- Brevet Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
(Army List) 21 January 1813 - KCBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
2 January 1815 - Major Commandant Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) 1 January 1816
- Brevet Lieutenant Colonel
- Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) with the substantiative rank of Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in the Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
19 July 1821 - Colonel CommandantColonel CommandantColonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
(Portsmouth Division) Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
20 December 1827
Allowed to Retire from the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
in July 1835, with full pay, after more than 50 years of active service as a commissioned officer in the Marine Forces.