Captain Sir Richard Spencer KCH (9 December 1779 – 24 July 1839) the son of Richard Spencer, a London merchant. He was a captain of the Royal Navy who served in a number of battles, particularly against the French. In 1833 he was appointed Government Resident at King George's Sound, now Albany, Western Australia. He was born in Southwark, London, and died at Strawberry Hill Government Farm, Mira Mar in Albany, Western Australia. Naval career Spencer joined the ship's complement of the 38-gun frigate HMS Arethusa, in 1793, as captain's servant. He joined the 74-gun in 1794. He took part in the 4th Battle of Ushant, also known as the Glorious First of June, in 1794. He transferred to after she was captured in the battle. He was wounded in action on 23 June. Spencer was appointed a midshipman in 1795 and moved to , a 16-gun sloop, under Robert Larkan. He went with Larkan to the latter's new command, the 20-gun , in September 1797. In 1799, Spencer was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was commissioned into , a 100-gun ship of the line. However, she blew up in an accident before he could join her. He joined the 80-gun , one of the few French ships to escape Nelson at the Battle of the Nile. She had, however, subsequently been captured. She was then renamed . He then joined the sloop , as lieutenant to the captain. This vessel supported the campaign to oust Napoleon's troops from Egypt. Spencer was captured in Genoa in 1803, having been put ashore after hostilities had again broken out after the Treaty of Amiens. He escaped in the Danish vessel Enighiden and was rescued by . From here, he was transferred to , Nelson's flagship in the Mediterranean. He gave Nelson what information he had gleaned from his stay in Genoa. Nelson appointed him to command the captured French 12-gun privateer schooner ; her name was changed to HMS Crafty. He was injured by an oar on board Craftys jolly boat, which may have left a permanent mark on his health. He did not take part in the Battle of Trafalgar but he had lost a useful friend in Nelson. In 1806, he captured vessels running sulphur from Sicily to Toulon, France, for making gunpowder. He took part in the Battle of Maida, in which his vessel harassed the retreating