{{short description|English Admiral}} {{for|the Australian cricketer|Richard Spry (cricketer)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Rear-Admiral |name= Sir Richard Spry |birth_date=1715 |death_date= 25 November 1775 |birth_place= |death_place=Place House, Cornwall |image= |caption= |nickname= |allegiance={{flag|Kingdom of Great Britain}} |service_years= |rank= Rear-Admiral of the Red |commands=North American Station<br>Mediterranean Fleet<br>Plymouth Command |branch ={{navy|Kingdom of Great Britain}} |unit= |battles=War of the Austrian Succession<br>Seven Years' War |awards= |other_work= }} Rear-Admiral '''Sir Richard Spry''' (1715<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Spry, Richard}}</ref>– 25 November 1775<ref>:File:Memorials to the Spry family in St Anthony's church, St Anthony in Roseland-8952.jpg</ref>) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, North American Station.
==Naval career== After an education at Truro Grammar School<ref>Richard Polwhele, ''The History of Cornwall, Civil, Military, Religious, Architectural, Agricultural, Commercial, Biographical, and Miscellaneous'', vols. 4-7 (Michel & Co., 1816), [https://books.google.com/books?id=qEQQAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA66 p. 66]</ref> Spry joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1733.<ref name=odnb>[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/26186 Richard Spry at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]</ref> Following the sinking of his ship by the Spanish Navy he was taken prisoner in 1745 but released two months later.<ref name=odnb/>
He took part in the siege of Pondicherry in India in 1750.<ref name=odnb/>
From 17 October 1753 to 5 June 1754 he was captain of the frigate {{HMS|Garland|1748|6}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_crewman&id=1538|title=Richard Spry|publisher=Three Decks|accessdate=8 October 2020}}</ref>
In 1755 he became senior officer at Halifax, Nova Scotia,<ref name=odnb/> and in 1758 took part in the successful Siege of Louisbourg.<ref name=odnb/> He was given command of {{HMS|Orford|1749|6}} in 1760.<ref name=odnb/> In 1762 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, North American Station.<ref name=odnb/> In 1766 he was promoted to the rank of Commodore and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station.<ref name=odnb/><ref name=Hardy>Hardy 1783, p. 56</ref>
thumb|Memorial in St Anthony's church, St Anthony in Roseland Spry returned to England in 1769.<ref name=odnb/> In 1770 he was promoted to rear admiral and went on to be Port Admiral at Plymouth<ref name=Hardy/><ref>{{cite book | last1=Burke | first1=J. | last2=Colburn | first2=H. | last3=Bentley | first3=R. | last4=Cumming | first4=J. | last5=Whittingham | first5=C. | author6=Bell & Bradfute | title=A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Enjoying Territorial Possessions Or High Official Rank: But Uninvested with Heritable Honours | publisher=Henry Colburn | issue=v. 4 | year=1838 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KikAAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA695 | page=695}}</ref> in 1771.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thepeerage.com/p16656.htm#i166559 |title=Vice-Admiral William Bligh |work=The Peerage |date=20 April 2009 }}</ref>
Spry was knighted at Portsmouth on 24 June 1773 and retired to Place House in St Anthony in Roseland, Cornwall.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/722655/Cornwall-Walking-along-the-Roseland-peninsula.html Cornwall: Walking along the Roseland peninsula] Daily Telegraph, 12 August 2000</ref> He died there in 1775.<ref name=odnb/><ref name=Hardy/> His memorial in St Anthony's Church there is by Humphrey Hopper.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851|first=Rupert|last= Gunnis|year=1953|publisher=Odhams}}</ref>
==References== {{Portal|Cornwall}} {{reflist}}
===Bibliography=== *{{cite book|last=Hardy|first=John|title=A Chronological List of the Captains of His Majesty's Royal Navy|publisher=T. Cadell|location=London|year=1783|oclc=8908960|url=http://dbooks.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/books/PDFs/590461463.pdf}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{succession box | title=Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth | years=1771–1775 | before=Sir George Edgcumbe| after=John Amherst}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spry, Richard}} Category:1715 births Category:1775 deaths Category:Royal Navy rear admirals Category:People educated at Truro Cathedral School