by Keith Retallick
HMS Retalick was named after Richard Retalick. Richard was made Royal Navy Lieutenant on 6th September 1779, promoted to Commander 12th August 1794 and Captain on 24th December 1798. He served at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, commanding HMS Defiance. This was the tenth Royal Navy ship bearing this name.
The tenth “Defiance” was a 74 gun ship, a 3rd rate of the Elizabeth Class, launched on the Thames in 1783. She was of 1645 tons, and carried a crew of 600 men. Her length, beam, and draught were 169 ft., 47 ft., and 18 ft respectively. Armaments were 28 x 32 pounders, 28 x 18 pounders, and 18 x 9 pounders.
In 1797 her crew were involved in the mutiny at Spithead. The men complained of low wages, insufficient leave, poor provisions, neglect of the sick, and that they were not paid while suffering in hospital. The Admiralty granted most of the requests, and the King pardoned the offenders.
In 1798, 25 men of the “Defiance” were tried by court martial for mutiny. Their design was to take possession of the ship, murder all the officers and all Protestants on board, and take her into Brest. Eleven were hanged, and the remainder were either flogged or imprisoned.
In 1801 the ” Defiance,” commanded by Captain Richard Retalick, and flying the flag of Rear Admiral Thomas Graves, was in a fleet of 21 ships, 7 bombs, 2 fireships, and 6 gun brigs, commanded by Vice Admiral Lord Nelson with his flag in “Elephant”, which took part in the battle or bombardment of Copenhagen. The fleet forced a passage of the Öre Sound on March 30th, and after encountering various navigational difficulties anchored under fire opposite Copenhagen on April 3rd. The Danish defences, besides forts, consisted of 18 men of war, armed hulks, and floating batteries, moored in a 1½ mile line opposite the town. Two British men of war ran aground, and the six brigs were unable to get into action owing to the tide. The action began at 10 and was general at 11.30. A furious cannonade followed, during which time Nelson put his blind eye to his telescope when advised by the Commander in Chief four miles away to discontinue the action. By 3.30 p.m. letters were exchanged under flags of truce, and the fighting ceased, most of the Danish ships and forts being silenced. The Danes lost in killed, wounded, and prisoners about 6000 men. The British fleet lost 255 killed and 688 badly wounded, to which the “Defiance” contributed 24 killed and 51 wounded. Fourteen Danish ships were captured, burned, blown up, driven on shore, or otherwise taken from the enemy. A fourteen weeks’ armistice was then agreed to, and the British forces withdrew. During the withdrawal the “Defiance” ran ashore, and remained hard and fast for nearly eight hours. The Danes mounted 696 guns on this occasion against the British 1014 guns and cannonades. Nelson was elevated to the dignity of Viscount for this victory, and Rear-Admiral Graves was made a K.B.
Defiance later fought at the Battle of Trafalgar under the command of Capt Philip Charles Durham.
— Source : “The King’s Ships” by Halton Stirling Lecky, 1913
Richard Retalick died in 1803 at Padstow. According to his will he had a wife Phoebe and a sister Betty Retalick to both of whom he left his possessions in equal shares. Betty died a spinster at Padstow in 1834. It is probable that his wife was Phoebe Downwell who he married at Portsea, Hants in 1790. It appears he also had a “natural” daughter, Betsy Dolphina Fuller of Gosport, Hants, to whom he bequeathed an annuity of £20. Information on this will, dated 14th November 1803, can be found at the Devon Record Office.