Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Sir Richard Pearson (March 1731 – January 1806) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer who was captain of the ship HMS ''Serapis'' during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. As a lieutenant in the East Indies he served in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, where he was severely wounded. He was subsequently unable to obtain a commission because his senior officers twice died before they could fulfil their promises. He finally became

post-captain Post-captain or post captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy. The term "post-captain" was descriptive only; it was never used as a title in the form "Post-Captain John Smith". The term served to dis ...

in 1773. In 1779, in command of the 44-gun frigate ''Serapis'' and escorting a large convoy from the Baltic, he was attacked off Flamborough Head by a Franco-American squadron under

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

in the 42-gun '' Bonhomme Richard''. The battle ended in Pearson surrendering ''Serapis'' to Jones but not before his spirited defence had covered the escape of the valuable convoy. ''Bonhomme Richard'' ended up sinking following the capture of ''Serapis'', forcing Jones to lose his own ship and return to port in Pearson's captured vessel. Pearson was considered a hero in Britain after the battle.Sherburne, John Henry (1825). ''Life and Character of the Chevalier John Paul Jones: A Captain in the Navy of the United States, During Their Revolutionary War.'' Wilder & Campbell He was knighted, received presents from the merchants and the freedoms of several towns. Jones was later asked how he felt about Pearson being knighted, and reportedly replied: "I'd like to meet him on the high seas again; I'll make him a lord!" Captain Sir Richd Pearson Knt

Pearson's second son was Henry Shepherd Pearson who was Governor of Penang in 1808.

In film

Pearson was portrayed by

Peter Cushing Peter Wilton Cushing (26 May 1913 – 11 August 1994) was an English actor. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage and radio roles. He achieved recognition f ...

in the film ''

'' (1959).

References

External links

*
Portrait of Sir Richard Pearson
1731 births 1806 deaths Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War Royal Navy captains {{UK-navy-bio-stub