Sir Richard Onslow , 1st Baronet Sir Richard Onslow , 1st Baronet GCB ( 23 June 1741 – 27 December 1817 ) was an English naval officer who played a distinguished role at the Battle of Camperdown . Naval career . He was the younger son of Lt - Gen . Richard Onslow and his wife Pooley , daughter of Charles Walton . Onslow ' s uncle was Arthur Onslow , Speaker of the British House of Commons , and he enjoyed considerable interest as he rapidly rose through the Navy . He was made fourth lieutenant of the " Sunderland " on 17 December 1758 by V - Adm . George Pocock , fifth lieutenant of the " Grafton " on 3 March 1759 , and fourth lieutenant of Pocock ' s flagship , the " Yarmouth " on 17 March 1760 , upon which he returned to England . Onslow became commander of the " Martin " on 11 February 1761 , cruising in the Skagerrak until his promotion to captain of the " Humber " on 14 April 1762 . He joined the " Humber " in June , but she was wrecked off Flamborough Head while returning from the Baltic in September . Onslow was court - martial ed for her loss , but was acquitted , the pilot being blamed for the wreck . On 29 November 1762 , he was appointed to command the " Phoenix " . Onslow did not receive another command until 31 October 1776 , when he was appointed to the " St Albans " . He took a convoy to New York City in April 1777 and joined Lord Howe in time for the repulse of d ' Estaing on 22 July 1777 at Sandy Hook . Onslow sailed for the West Indies on 4 November 1778 with Commodore Hotham , and took part in the capture of Saint Lucia and its defense against d ' Estaing that December at the Cul - de - Sac . In August 1779 , he brought a convoy from St Kitts to Spithead . He was placed in command of the " Bellona " , in the Channel Fleet under Admiral Francis Geary , in February 1780 , and captured the Dutch 54 - gun ship " Prinses Carolina " on 30 December 1780 . Onslow took part in the Relief of Gibraltar under Admiral Darby in April 1781 , and again under Howe in October 1782 . The " Bellona " captured " La Solitaire " in the West Indies before Onslow returned home and took half - pay in June 1783 . In early 1789 , he was appointed to command the " Magnificent " at Portsmouth , but was out of employment again in September 1791 . He was promoted rear - admiral of the white on 1 February 1793 and vice - admiral on 4 July 1794 . In 1796 , he was made port admiral at Portsmouth , and in November , he went aboard the " Nassau " to act as second - in - command of the North Sea Fleet under Admiral Duncan . During the Spithead and Nore mutinies , Onslow suppressed a rising aboard the " Nassau " , and was sent by Duncan to quell the " Adamant " . When the " Nassau " refused to sail on 26 May 1797 , Onslow moved his flag to the " Adamant " and until the end of the mutiny , Duncan ( in the " Venerable " ) and Onslow maintained the blockade off the Texel alone , making signals to an imaginary fleet over the horizon . Onslow moved his flag again to the " Monarch " on 25 July 1797 , and it was aboard her that he took part in the Battle of Camperdown on 11 October 1797 . His flag captain , Edward O ' Bryen , supposedly warned him that the Dutch ships were too close together to get between , to which Onslow replied " The " Monarch " will make a passage . " Indeed , " Monarch " was the first to break the Dutch line and attack the " Jupiter " of 72 guns , flagship of Vice - Admiral Reyntjes , who subsequently surrendered to Onslow . For his exertions at Camperdown , Onslow was created a baronet and presented with the Freedom of the City of London . He became Commander - in - Chief , Plymouth in 1796 . He went on sick leave on 10 December 1798 and retired as Commander - in - Chief , Plymouth a few weeks later . He was promoted Admiral of the Red on 9 November 1805 and received the GCB in 1815 . He died in 1817 at Southampton . Family . In 1765 , Onslow , known for his conviviality , was a founder of the Navy Society dining club . On 18 January 1766 , he was appointed to command the frigate " Aquilon " in the Mediterranean , which he did until 1769 , and from 12 October 1770 , commanded the " Diana " in the West Indies . Admiral Rodney gave him command of " Achilles " on 18 January 1773 , in which he returned to England , where he acquired an estate and married Anne , daughter of Commodore Matthew Michell . They had three sons and four daughters :