A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Aitchison, Edward
AITCHISON. (Lieut., 1816. f-p., 15; h-p., 24.)
Edward Aitchison was born 15 Oct. 1794. This officer entered the Royal Naval College 16 Feb. 1808; and embarked, 21 Dec. 1810, as a Volunteer, on board the Crescent 38, Capt. John Quilliam, with whom he continued to serve, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, on the Baltic, Newfoundland, and West India stations, until April, 1815. During that period he saw a good deal of boat service, was often in collision with the enemy’s batteries, and assisted at the capture, 16 Sept. 1813, of the Elbredge Gerry, American privateer, of 14 guns and 66 men. He afterwards joined the Tigre 74, Capt. John Halliday, and Ville de Paris and Leander, bearing the respective flags of Admirals Lord Keith and David Milne. On his return, in the latter ship, from Algiers, where, during the bombardment, he had been intrusted with the charge of a boat, for the purpose of burning one of the enemy’s frigates, and had been wounded, Mr. Aitchison was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, by commission dated 16 Sept. 1816. His next appointment appears to have been, 13 Sept. 1819, to the Brisk 10, Capts. John Wm. Montagu and Edw. Stewart; in which sloop, of whose boats he had command on the river Tyne during a serious dispute between the colliers and the civil authorities, he remained until transferred, 22 Sept. 1321, to the Coast Blockade, as Supernumerary-Lieutenant of the Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch. With his name afterwards on the books of the Ramillies 74, and Hyperion 42,Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye, he continued to be employed on the Coast Blockade until Aug. 1326; but since that period he has not held any further appointment.
Lieut. Aitchison married in March, 1825.