CRUISE, RICHARD ALEXANDER (1784-1832) belonged to a county Meath family. He received his commission as ensign in the 44th Foot (1804), was promoted lieutenant (1807), transferred to the 84th Foot (1808) and promoted captain (1819), and major (1823), retiring as lieut-colonel (1826). He served in the Peninsula and was wounded at the passage of the Nive (Basses Pyrénées) in 1813. In July 1819 Cruise sailed in H.M.S. Dromedary for New South Wales, with a guard of the 84th Regiment (including Ensign McCrea). He spent 10 months in New Zealand (Feb-Dec 1820) and published in 1823 one of the most important of the early works on the country and people, Journal of a Ten Months' Residence in New Zealand. Cruise died on 6 May 1832.

Family information from C. J. O'Keefe; Cruise, op. cit.; Thomson

Reference: Volume 1, page 109

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