Captain Richard Budd Vincent, C.B. joined the Royal Navy and saw his first action at the relief of Gibraltar in 1782. Between then and 1790, when he was made Lieutenant, he served in several ships and, after his promotion, went into the anti-smuggling sloop Wasp until the outbreak of war (in 1793) when he joined the 74-gun Terrible. After some colourful exploits in Terrible and then Triumph, another '74, he transferred into the Zealand, thereby missing the battle of Camperdown, and was promoted Commander in April 1802. On 17th May the same year he was given the 28-gun sloop Arrow and, after prolonged service in the Mediterranean, was ordered to escort a convoy home from Malta late in December 1804. Eventually getting away in January 1805, the convoy was attacked by two large French frigates off the North African coast on 3rd February. A running fight involving the two Frenchmen, Arrow and her consort Acheron then lasted into the next day and, once Acheron had been sunk, Arrow found herself pounded mercilessly until she too foundered with significant loss of life. Subsequently court-martialled, Vincent was not only exonerated but promoted Captain for his bravery during the unequal fight. Also presented with a £100 sword from the Patriotic Fund for his efforts to protect his convoy, his career continued to prosper and in 1815, when the War ended, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (C.B.) just before his last ship, Aquilon, was paid off in April 1816.