Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Sir Archibald Dickson, 1st Baronet (c.1739–1803) 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.

Naval career

He was born around 1739, the son of Archibald Dickson. He initially entered the merchant navy in 1752. He moved to the

in 1755 and passed the lieutenant exam in 1759. In 1765, he was given command of HMS Egmont, and in 1771, he took command of HMS Thunder. Promoted to captain on 31 January 1774, Dickson was given command of the fourth-rate HMS ''Antelope'' in January 1774 and the sixth-rate HMS ''Greyhound'' in October 1775. In Greyhound, he took part in the action against the Penobscot Expedition in July 1779 and fought at the Battle of Martinique in April 1780 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 ...

. He was next given command of the third-rate HMS ''Dublin'' and saw action at the Battle of Cape Spartel in October 1782. After that, he was given command of the third-rate HMS ''Goliath'' in 1786, of the third-rate HMS ''Captain'' in 1790, and of the third-rate HMS ''Egmont'' in 1793. Promoted to

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

on 12 April 1794, and vice-admiral on 1 June 1795, Dickson became Commander-in-Chief, North Sea in 1800. In August 1800, a diplomatic mission was sent to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

under Lord Whitworth, accompanied by a fleet under Dickson's command. He was promoted to full

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

on 1 January 1801, with at Yarmouth serving as his flagship. She was paid off in April 1802.

Baronetcy and death

In honour of his service, Dickson was created Sir Archibald Dickson, 1st Baronet, on 21 September 1802. He died near

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of the county of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. It lies by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. The population of the Norwich ...

in May 1803.

Family

Dickson had married twice: firstly to Elizabeth Porter, who died in 1779, and (after a 20-year wait), in 1800, he married Frances Anne Willis. He had a daughter, Elizabeth Dickson (d.1856), but no male heir. Therefore, the baronetcy passed to his nephew, Archibald Collingwood Dickson.

References

Sources

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Dickson, Archibald Royal Navy admirals 1803 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Royal Navy personnel of the Seven Years' War Royal Navy personnel of the American Revolutionary War Royal Navy personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars Royal Navy personnel of the Napoleonic Wars