Robert Dudley Oliver Admiral Robert Dudley Oliver ( 31 October 1766 – 1 September 1850 ) was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy during the early nineteenth century , who served in the American Revolutionary War , the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars with distinction , seeing action several times during his career , particularly with the fleet in the Caribbean during 1782 . After briefly serving in the War of 1812 off the coast of Virginia , Oliver retired from the Navy , settling near Dublin , where he was an active member of religious societies until his death in 1850 . Life . Oliver was born in 1766 and entered the Navy aged 15 , joining in 1779 as a shipmate of the young Prince William . " Prince George " was the flagship of Rear - Admiral Robert Digby , and in 1781 was sent to the coast of North America during the American Revolutionary War . Oliver remained in the Americas aboard " Prince George " until the end of the war seeing action at the Battle of St . Kitts and the large Battle of the Saintes in 1782 , at which " Prince George " was heavily engaged . Oliver was not employed in the interwar years , but in 1790 he was promoted to lieutenant during the Spanish Armament and remained in service in the frigate in the North Sea . In 1794 he moved to the frigate under Captain Edmund Nagle that formed part of the squadron under Commodore Sir John Borlase Warren . " Artois " was heavily engaged at the Action of 21 October 1794 , when the French frigate Révolutionnaire was captured . In recognition of his service in the battle , Oliver was promoted to commander , serving first on the sloop off Ireland and then in the guardship in the Humber in 1796 . In February 1798 , Oliver was promoted to post captain and took command of the small frigate , escorting a convoy to Quebec . The following year he took command of the larger frigate operating in the Mediterranean and in 1802 he convoyed General Lord Hutchinson back to Britain . During the Peace of Amiens he was unemployed , but he returned to sea in 1803 as captain of the frigate , operating off the French coast until 1805 , when he was sent to the Spanish coast to join the fleet under Vice - Admiral Lord Nelson at Cadiz . " Melpomene " was not engaged at the Battle of Trafalgar , but assisted in the aftermath of the battle by towing damaged prizes away from the battlesite . In recognition of his assistance at Trafalgar , Oliver was given command of the ship of the line , whose captain , George Duff had been killed in the battle . " Mars " joined the blockade of the French Atlantic coast , and in July 1806 successfully chased down and captured the French frigate " Rhin " following Lamellerie ' s expedition . In September 1806 , Oliver was placed in reserve , returning to service in May 1810 aboard , ordered to operate off the coast of the United States . Following the outbreak of the War of 1812 , " Valiant " was detached to Virginia , operating along the coastline against local shipping . In 1814 , Oliver resigned his command and returned to Britain . He never served at sea again , although he continued to be promoted in rank on the Navy list , becoming a full admiral in 1841 . He lived with his wife Mary , daughter of Sir Charles Saxton whom he married in 1805 , and their five sons and one daughter in the town of Dalkey , near Dublin in Ireland . Oliver spent his time in retirement as an active member of various religious societies in Dublin , including the local Bible Society . He died at his home in September 1850 , 36 years after his retirement from the Navy .