传记
He was the son of Captain George Spencer Richards RN. The American Civil War ended in 1865. Canada Confederated in 1867 and the United States purchased Alaska from Russia. Richards commented on the need for delineating a water boundary in the North Pacific.
He disagreed with the Commander-in-Chief that the survey of British Columbia waters should be broken off even though the colony could no longer afford the 500 pounds sterling per annum contribution to the budget that Richards had negotiated while he was on the coast.
He continued the survey and it continued after December 1862 when the Hecate left for home until 1871 with Pender in charge using a hired vessel.
军事服役
He entered the Royal Navy in 1833, serving in H.M.S. Rhadamanthus 1833-35 and was appointed as Midshipman RN in 1835. While serving in H.M.S. Sulphur under Captain Beechey he undertook survey duties all over the world including the Chinese War service (1838-1841) and a voyage to the west coast of North America.
He returned to England in ill-health in 1841.
He was appointed as a Lieutenant RN in 1842. While in H.M.S. Philomel as Second Lieutenant and Assistant Surveyor 1842-1845 he surveyed the southeast coast of South America.
He was appointed as a Commander RN for gallantry in storming the forts in the Parana River.
In 1847-1852 he was employed in H.M.S. Acheron surveying the coast of New Zealand.
He served in H.M.S. Acheron as Second Lieutenant on the New Zealand coast.
He compiled the New Zealand Pilot while serving as Senior Assistant to Captain Stokes 1847-1851.
He was appointed to H.M.S. Assistance in 1852 and together (under Sir Edward Belcher) he sailed with HMS Resolute, HMS North Star, HMS Intrepid and HMS Pioneer in search of Sir John Franklin in the Arctic, making an amazing long distance sled journey during this time. In October 1854 he was appointed as a Captain RN.
He served in the steam sloop H.M.S. Plumper (In command) 1856 arriving at Esquimalt on November 09, 1857.
He surveyed the disputed boundary area in H.M.S. Plumper in 1857 and undertook coastal BC surveys in the paddle sloop H.M.S. Hecate from 1861 to 1863.
He surveyed around the Gulf Islands and in the Fraser River.
He served in Burrard Inlet, Victoria and Esquimalt.
He surveyed Vancouver Island circumnavigating in an anti-clockwise direction.
He commented on the need for surveying the water boundary with the United States in the north Pacific. This caused a disagreement with the Commander-in-Chief who felt that the survey of British Columbia waters should be broken off because the colony could not afford the 500 Pounds annual costs contribution. Richards continued the survey until he left the coast leaving Daniel Pender to complete the work using a hired vessel. Richards voyaged home in H.M.S. Hecate leaving a large number of named places on the coast which endure to this day - a great contribution to the amalgam of the cultural identity of Canada's west coast.
He was appointed Hydrographer of the Royal Navy in 1864.
He was appointed as a Rear Admiral RN in 1870.
He retired in 1874.
He was appointed as a Vice-Admiral (Retired) RN in 1877 and Admiral (Retired) RN in 1884.
命名地物
Mount Richards (BC)
参考文献
- Walbran, Captain John T. (1909)
- Dawson, L.S. (1885)
- Markham, Clements R. (1875)
- Karamitsanis, Aphrodite. (1991)
- Brissenden, Constance with Larry Loyie (1997) Greater Vancouver Hall of Fame. In The Greater Vancouver Book: an urban encyclopedia. Ed. Chuck Davis. Vancouver BC: Linkman Press
- Day, Vice-Admiral Sir Archibald (1967)
