# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Haddock, Richard

​HADDOCK, Sir RICHARD (1629–1715), admiral, one of a seafaring family settled for many centuries at Leigh in Essex, was the son of William and grandson of Richard Haddock, both captains in the State's navy under the parliament. William Haddock commanded the Hannibal of 44 guns in the engagements off Portland and the mouth of the Thames in February, June, and July 1653, and afterwards in the Mediterranean under Blake. Richard was probably with his father, as lieutenant of the Hannibal, in 1653; afterwards, in 1657-8, he commanded the Dragon frigate in the Downs and before Dunkirk [see Goodsonn, William]. From 1661 to 1666 he commanded the Supply merchant ship, trading to the Mediterranean and in August 1666 was appointed to command the king's ship Portland, in which he took part in the attack on Vlie and Schelling [see Holmes, Sir Robert]. A few months later, when the fleet was put out of commission, he returned to the merchant service, and during the next five years commanded the Bantam, of which he was part owner, in ​voyages to the Levant. In 1672 he was appointed captain of the Royal James, carrying the flag of the Earl of Sandwich [see Mountagu, Edward, first Earl of Sandwich]. In the battle of Solebay, on 28 May, the Royal James was closely engaged and grappled with by two of the enemy's ships. The contest was extremely warm. According to Haddock's own narrative: 'About twelve o'clock I was shot in the foot with a small shot, I supposed out of Van Ghent's maintop, which pressed me after a small time to go down to be dressed ;' and then describing how they got loose from the ships that had grappled them, he concludes: 'At that time the surgeon was cutting off the shattered flesh and tendons of my toe, and immediately after we were boarded by the fatal fireship that burnt us' (Thompson, p. 19). The Royal James presently blew up, some half-dozen only of her crew being saved, among whom were Haddock and his lieutenant, Thomas Mayo, who had been with him in the Bantam as second mate (Egerton MS. 2524; Charlock, Biog. Nav. i. 348). On his return to London Haddock was presented to the king, who took off the cap he was wearing and placed it on Haddock's head. The cap was still preserved in the family at the end of last century. Haddock was afterwards appointed to command the Lion, having with him, as lieutenant, his brother Joseph, who had been purser of the Bantam (Egerton MS. 2524; Charnock, Biog. Nav. i. 230n.; Thompson, p. 37). In 1673 he was chosen by Prince Rupert [q. v.] as captain of his flagship, the Royal Charles, and of the Sovereign after the Action of 29 May. When the war came to an end he was nominated a commissioner of the navy. He was knighted on 3 July 1675, and in June 1682 was appointed captain of the Duke and commander-in-chief at the Nore. In 1683 he became first commissioner of victualling, and so remained till 1690, when, After the battle off Beachy Head [see Herbert, Arthur, Earl of Torrington], he was appointed admiral and commander-in-chief of the fleet, jointly with Henry Killigrew [q. v.] and Sir John Ashby [q. v.] On their return after the reduction of Cork and Kinsale, the joint admirals resigned their command to Admiral Russell, and Haddock was then appointed comptroller of the navy, which office he appears to have held till his death, on 26 Jan. 1714-15. He was buried in the churchyard of Leigh, in the same grave as his grandfather, father, and other members of his family. A black marble slab records that he was 'aged 85.'
Haddock was twice married, and left issue, besides three daughters, two sons, of whom the elder, Richard, after being comptroller of the navy for many years, was super-annuated in June 1749, and died in 1751 ; the younger, Nicholas [q. v.], died admiral of the blue in 1746. A third son, William, pre-deceased him in 1697. Another Richard, who was in 1667 second mate of the Bantam, and who commanded a fireship in 1672 and 1673, appears to have been a younger uncle (Thompson, pp. iv, 19), though Charnock, referring to a manuscript which cannot now be traced, thinks that he was a nephew (Biog. Nav. i. 334). It is very possible that they were two different men. The number of Haddocks serving in the navy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was very great; and among the many of them who were named Richard it is difficult or impossible to avoid confusion.
J. K. L.