A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Sayer, Robert Richard
SAYER. (Lieut., 1815. f-p., 16; h-p., 25.)
Robert Richard Sayer is son of the late Thos. Sayer, Esq., of the High Wood, co. Hereford.
This officer entered the Navy, in May, 1806, as a Volunteer, on board the Belleisle 74, Capt. Wm. Hargood, under whom he went in pursuit of Jerome Buonaparte to the coast of America, and witnessed, 14 Sept. following, the destruction, off Cape Henry, of the French 74-gun ship Impétueux. Being discharged from the Belleisle in Nov. 1806, he was next, from 6 Oct. 1808 until 25 July, 1817, employed on the East India station, as Midshipman, Master’s Mate, and Lieutenant, in the Cornelia 32, Capt. Henry Folkes Edgell, Caroline 36, Capt. Sir Christopher Cole, Modeste 36, Capt. Hon. Geo. Elliot, and Hecate 16 and Volage 22, Capts. Joseph Drury, Henry Warde (Acting), and John Reynolds. He assisted in the Cornelia at the capture of the Isle of France; in the Caroline, at the reductioa of Java; in the boats of the Modeste, at the capture of a Malay pirate; and in the Hecate, at the destruction of the piratical settlement of Sambas, in Borneo. He was created a Lieutenant, while serving in the Volage, 8 June, 1815. His last appointments were – in Dec. 1822, to the Jupiter 50 and Clio 18, Capts. Geo. Augustus Westphal and Chas. Strangways, both fitting out – 11 March and 23 June, 1823, and 21 Aug. 1825, to the Isis 50, Spartiate 76, and Wellesley 74, all commanded by Capt. Gordon Thos. Falcon, the two latter as flag-ships to Sir Geo. Eyre and Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy on the coast of South America and in an expedition to Lisbon – 18 July, 1828 (17 months after he had left the Wellesley), to the Victory 104, bearing the flag of Sir Robt. Stopford at Portsmouth, where he had charge for some time of the Speedy cutter – 17 Feb. 1829, as First, to the Seringapatam 46, Capt. Hon. Wm. Waldegrave, employed among the South Sea Islands – 14 Sept. 1830, to the acting-command, in consequence of the death of Capt. Arthur Batt Bingham, of the Thetis frigate – between the following Nov. and May, 1831, as a Supernumerary, to the Warspite 76, flag-ship of Sir Thos. Baker, and Clio 18, Capts. Chas. Talbot and John Jas. Onslow, both on the South American station – and, in the course of the month last mentioned, again as First, to the Seringapatam, in which ship he returned to England and was paid off in Aug. 1832. While commanding the Thetis he collected a large amount of specie in the Pacific for England, and conducted the ship from Calao to Rio de Janeiro. A few days after he had left her she was wrecked, and he in consequence lost nearly 800l. of freight-money. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.