RICHERY, Joseph de (reesh-ree), French naval officer, born in Alons, Provence, 13 September, 1757; died there, 21 March, 1799. He enlisted as a cabin-boy in 1766, became midshipman in 1774, and lieutenant in 1778, and co-operated in the capture of Newport by Count d'Estaing, taking part in the engagement with the English fleet as commander of the long boats that were ordered to destroy the fire-ships at the entrance of the bay. He served afterward at Savannah in October, 1779, was present at the capture of St. Vincent and Grenada, and took part in mesh of the engagements in the West Indies till 1781, when he was attached to the squadron of Bailli de Suffren, and served in the Indian ocean till the conclusion of peace, He was promoted captain in 1793 and rear-admiral in 1795, and appointed to the command of a fleet to destroy the fisheries of Newfoundland. Sailing from Toulon, 14 September, 1795, with five ships of the line and two frigates, he attacked, on 7 October, an English met-chant fleet escorted by three ships of the line, took one of the latter and captured thirty other vessels, which he sold at Cadiz. He left Cadiz, 2 August, 1796, and, arriving on 28 August upon the great bank of Newfoundland, ruined all the fisheries, not only upon the coast but also at Saint Pierre and Miqueion island, while he detached Captain Georges Allemand with two ships and one frigate to destroy the fishing stations along the coast of Labrador. In fifteen days he sank or captured upward of 100 vessels, destroyed the settlements in Hull bay, and when he left for France the fishing industry was ruined in Newfoundland for several years. He arrived safely with his prizes at Rochefort on 5 November in time to take part in the expedition to Ireland. Declining health compelled him to retire from active service in 1797.