D'Arcy Preston

Admiral D'Arcy Preston (1765 – 21 January 1847) was a British naval officer of the 18th and 19th centuries. He served throughout the French Revolutionary War, most notably commanding HMS Blanche at the action of 19 December 1796. He became a rear-admiral in 1819 and died in 1847 as an admiral of the white.

Early life D'Arcy Preston was born in 1765, the son of the Reverend John Preston and his wife Jane Consitt.

Naval career Preston entered the Royal Navy on 10 May 1781 as a volunteer on board HMS Portland on the Newfoundland Station. This was a short command as Preston was promoted to post-captain on 13 June. Preston moved from Mignonne to Blanche on the orders of Admiral Jervis after Blanches previous captain, Charles Sawyer, was court martialled and removed from his command. On 19 December Blanche was sailing in company with HMS Minerve, the flagship of Commodore Horatio Nelson, when they encountered the Spanish 40-gun frigates Sabina and Ceres.

On 4 July 1803 Preston took command of the sea fencibles between Flamborough and the River Tees; he held this position until 28 February 1810. Preston was made a superannuated rear-admiral on 24 August 1819, meaning he held the rank of rear-admiral but could not receive further promotion by seniority or command at sea.

Other work Preston served for many years as a deputy lieutenant of the North and West Ridings of Yorkshire. The couple had five sons and two daughters, including:

Reverend John D'Arcy Jervis Preston, clergyman (died 5 August 1867) Edward Preston, Royal Navy officer Captain William Preston, Royal Navy officer (died 12 December 1851) Lieutenant Charles Edward Preston, Army officer Lieutenant D'Arcy Preston, East India Company army officer (died at Barrackpore, India 20 August 1827)

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