Richard Keats, the curate, later Rector of Bideford and King's Nympton in Devon and Headmaster of Blundells School, Tiverton, by his wife, Elizabeth.

[citation needed] In April 1777 he was promoted to lieutenant under Captain Robert Digby in HMS Ramillies in which he took part in the First Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778.

[3] In 1780 Keats was on Prince George with Admiral Rodney's fleet when the San Julien struck to her at the Moonlight Battle before they proceeded to the relief of Gibraltar.

[4] On 18 January 1782 Keats was put in command of the store ship HMS Rhinoceros[5] which was later fitted out as a floating battery in the defense of New York City.

Keats played a pivotal role in the engagement, taking responsibility for his ship when the pilot refused to proceed in shallow waters, chasing the French up the Delaware river for two whole days before they grounded and were forced to surrender.

[9] On 24 June 1789 he was promoted to post-captain in HMS Southampton, possibly at the behest of the Duke of Clarence (Prince William Henry) as a royal favour to a friend.

[7] Being based in Portsmouth under the orders of Lord Hood he sat under his lordship's presidency on the famous Court Martial of the mutineers who had taken HMS Bounty from Lieutenant William Bligh in the Pacific Ocean in 1789.

[15] Exploits such as this, demonstrating Keats's character in the face of shoal waters, set him apart as one of the few suitable for inshore blockade work off dangerous shores.

As the French and Spanish made to escape Ageciras Bay for Cádiz, Admiral Sir James Saumarez hailed Superb and ordered Keats to catch the allied fleets rear and engage.

When not watching the French they were sent on a variety of missions – to Naples to secure supplies, during which voyage they surveyed a passage through the Straits of Bonifacio, separating Corsica and Sardinia and three diplomatic missions to Algiers to negotiate with Mustafa Baba, Dey of Algiers to secure reinstatement of British consular representation, the release of ships taken contrary to treaty, and the freedom of enslaved sailors.

Keats, keenly aware the crew had missed Trafalgar and been denied an engagement with Willaumez, silently fixed a portrait of Nelson to the mizzen stay before addressing the men in a manner intended to lend enthusiasm for the cause.

[35] Duckworth was fortunate to have with him captains who had been part of Nelson's Mediterranean squadron, used to acting instinctively together without waiting for central direction as little was forthcoming.

Keats was entrusted with the command of a flying squadron of five-six sail of the line employed in the Bay of Biscay and watching the port of Rochefort.

Keats then took command of HMS Ganges and was promoted commodore with Admiral Gambier's squadron in the Baltic, where between 16 August and 7 September, he took part in the Second Battle of Copenhagen.

For some time thereafter he was engaged as commander in the Belt and Sound arranging his squadron to best protect British commerce from Danish gun-boats in what became known as "the gun -boat war".

Napoleon attempted to prevent the northern army learning of events back home and ensured the various regiments were separated and always accompanied by French or Dutch forces.

On 23 July secret instructions were sent from the Admiralty to Keats as commander in the Belt and Sound to open negotiations with the Spanish with a view to removing the troops by sea.

By lengthy secret communication with La Romana it was agreed the Spanish regiments would each move by land on the port town of Nyborg under the pretext of joining together to swear allegiance to Joseph Napoleon.

From there it was intended the troops be temporarily housed on nearby Langeland, thought to be both defensible and[46] the best able to provision and water the men while waiting for transport capacity and supplies to be sent from England.

An inspection of the defences with La Roman showed the town could not be held against an advancing French army and it was determined to immediately evacuate the men.

On 13 August, the troops evacuated from Nyborg joined 2,000 more who had independently crossed to Langeland via Tassinge to the south and overpowered the local Danish regiment, so there were now more than 9,000 men temporarily camped on the island.

The removal of the northern army from the Baltic meant Sweden was safe for a period as the troops remaining to Napoleon were insufficient to mount an invasion.

Whilst the French had been aware of discontent they were unprepared for such an audacious and large scale operation undertaken with such alacrity as gave them no opportunity to mount an adequate response.

Keats had demonstrated the capacity of the British navy to implement foreign policy and particularly to deploy large numbers of troops where required, thousands of miles from home.

He accepted terms of capitulation of Zierikzee and Browershaven together with the whole of the islands of Schouwen and Duiveland and ultimately took the fortress of Batz so as to command the navigation of both East and West Scheldt.

[57] Unfortunately due to the lengthy delays suffered by the army at Flushing the enemy had time to arrange reinforcements and for its shipping to retreat up river to Antwerp which was now well defended.

[citation needed] On 7 May 1818 Keats was awarded the additional rank of Major-General of His Majesty's Royal Marine Forces[70] – an honorary position described as reserved for those officers foremost in the catalogue of those who have rendered brilliant and glorious public service, and who had most perilously served their country under the hottest fire.

On formation of the Royal Thames Yacht Club King William became Patron and Keats Vice-patron – a position passed to his successor as Governor of the hospital – Rear-Admiral Hardy in due course.

[76] Keats was tasked by King William with investigating the supposed inventions of one Samuel Alfred Warner who claimed to have conceived devices that would forever change naval warfare.

William IV ordered a bust of his friend to be erected in the chapel and it remains there, under the organ loft on the left hand side of the main entrance.