Edw. Rodney, fitting for the East Indies; where he was made full Lieutenant, 21 March, 1812, into the Illustrious 74, flag-ship of Sir Sam. Hood, and next, 8 Jan. 1813, appointed to the Phoenix 36, Capts. Wm. Henry Webley and Chas. John Austen. Under the latter officer, on proceeding to the Mediterranean, he was actively employed in the suppression of piracy until wrecked in a hurricane near Smyrna, 20 Feb. 1816. He has since been on half-pay.
Lieut. Bigmaiden married, 14 July, 1830, Frances Ann, only child of the late Geo. Brumwell, Esq. Agent – J. Hinxman.
RILEY. (Commander, 1838. f-p., 29; h-p., 11.)
Charles Wilson Riley entered the Navy, 24 Dec. 1807, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Vanguard 74, Capts. Thos. Fras. Chas. Mainwaring, Thos. Baker, and Henry Rich. Glynn, on the Baltic station; where, during nearly four years, he was actively employed, the greater part of the time in the capacity of Midshipman, in affording protection to the trade, was in almost daily collision with the Danes, either in destroying their commerce or in chasing their gun-boats, and on one occasion assisted in repelling, with considerable loss to the enemy, the attack of a large flotilla. Removing, at the close of 1811, to the Malta 80, bearing the flag in the Mediterranean of Rear-Admiral Benj. Hallowell, he served in that ship, in 1813, at the siege of Tarragona, at the destruction of the fort of St. Philippe, and in other operations on the coast of Catalonia. He continued employed with Rear-Admiral Hallowell, as Master’s Mate, in the Tonnant 80, at Cork, until Nov. 1818. From Feb. 1822 until about the year 1827 he was employed in the Coast Blockade as Admiralty-Midshipman and Mate and Supernumerary-Lieutenant (commission dated 21 Jan. 1824) of the Severn 40, Ramillies 74, and Hyperion 42, Capts. Wm. M‘Culloch and Wm. Jas. Mingaye. His succeeding appointments were – 15 Feb. 1828, to the Erebus bomb, Capt. Philip Broke, in the Mediterranean – 4 May, 1830, for a few months, to the Revenge 76, Capt. Hon. Chas. Orlando Bridgeman, on the same station – and, 1 Nov. 1832 and 9 Jan. 1834, to the command of the Sparrow cutter at Portsmouth, and Espoir Falmouth packet. He paid the latter vessel off in the summer of 1837; and on 28 June, 1838, was advanced to his present rank. He obtained, 4 July, 1839, a five-years’ appointment in the Coast Guard; and since 24 Jan. 1848 has been in command of the Star sloop on the coast of Africa.
Commander Riley married, in 1836, a daughter of the late Mr. Gibbon, Commander of H.M. packet Lady Louisa.
RISK. (Lieutenant, 1840.)
John Erskine Field Risk entered the Navy 8 Sept. 1826; passed his examination in 1832; and for his services on the coast of Syria, including the bombardment of St. Jean d’Acre, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 5 Nov. 1840. His succeeding appointment were – 14 Jan. 1841, as Additional, to the Princess Charlotte 104, flag-ship of Sir Robt. Stopford in the Mediterranean – 4 May following, to the Carysfort 26, Capt. Henry Byam Martin, on the same station, whence he returned to England and was paid off – 7 Jan. 1842, to the Fly 18, Capt. Fras. Price Blackwood, with whom he was for upwards of four years employed on surveying service in the East Indies – and 12 May, 1847, to the Caledonia 120, which ship, bearing the flag of Sir John Louis, Admiral-Superintendent at Devonport, he left in Jan. 1848.
He married, 1 Dec. 1841, Emily, daughter of Major Tudor, of the Ordnance Department.
RISK. (Lieutenant, 1844.)
Richard Hawkins Risk passed his examination 5 Oct. 1836; served for some time in the Inconstant 36, Capt. Fred. Thos. Michell, and Locust steamer, Lieut.-Commander John Lunn, on the Mediterranean station; and obtained his commission 8 Nov. 1844. His appointments have since been – 11 Dec. 1844, as Additional-Lieutenant, to the Caledonia 120, bearing the flag of Sir David Milne at Devonport – 6 March, 1845, to the Apollo troop-ship, Capt. Wm. Badcliffe, with whom he appears to have visited every quarter of the globe – 28 Jan. 1847, to the Birkenhead steam-frigate of 556-horse power, Capt. Aug. Henry Ingram, employed on particular service – and 13 Jan. and 10 May, 1848, to the command of the Lucifer and Trident steamers of 180 and 350-horse power, in the latter of which he continues.
RITCHIE. (Lieut., 1812. f-p., 11; h-p., 32.)
Thomas Ritchie entered the Navy, 4 Nov. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Diligence sloop, Capt. Alex. Robt. Kerr, on the Leith station. In Aug. 1805 he followed Capt. Kerr, as Midshipman, into the Combatant, another sloop, in which he continued employed in the Channel and Baltic under Capt. Alex. Rich. M‘Kenzie, until taken prisoner, 17 Sept. 1807. On being exchanged in the spring of 1809, he joined the Courageux 74, Capts. Robt. Plampin, Wm. Butterfield, and Philip Wilkinson; under the first-mentioned of whom we find him, in the course of the same year, accompanying the expedition to the Walcheren. He subsequently proceeded to the Baltic; where, after serving for about 12 months in the Victory 100, flag-ship of Sir Jas. Saumarez, he was nominated, 4 May, 1812, Acting-Lieutenant of the Ariel sloop, Capt. Dan. Ross. He was confirmed to that vessel 10 July, 1812; and was lastly, from 24 May, 1813, until Feb. 1816, employed at Leith in the Cherokee 10, Capt. Wm. Ramage. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
RIVERS. (Lieut., 1806. f-p., 22; h-p., 30.)
William Rivers was born some time between the years 1786 and 1788.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 May, 1795, os Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Victory 100, in which ship, commanded by Capts. John Knight, Robt. Calder, Geo. Grey, Thos. Sotheby, and Wm. Cuming, and, as a dépôt for prisoners of war at Chatham, by Lieut. John Rickman, he continued employed as Midshipman until paid off in Nov. 1799. He was in consequence present under the flag of Rear-Admiral Robt. Mann, and received two splinter-wounds in the right arm, in Hotham’s second partial action, 13 July, 1795; and, under Sir John Jervis, in the battle off Cape St. Vincent 14 Feb. 1797. On 9 April, 1803, he again embarked on board the Victory, then the flag-ship of Lord Nelson, under whom, after pursuing the combined squadrons of France and Spain to the West Indies and back, he shared, as one of his lordship’s Aides-de-Camp, in the glories of Trafalgar, 21 Oct. 1805. On that occasion he received a severe contusion by a splinter, which knocked out three of his teeth, and he had the misfortune to have his left leg carried away by a shot.[1] As a reward, however, for his valour and his sufferings he was made Lieutenant, 8 Jan. 1806, into the Princess of Orange 74, Capt. Thos. Rogers, was presented with a gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, and was subsequently, 4 April, 1816, allotted a pension of 91l. 5s. per annum. His appointments, after he had been discharged from the Princess of Orange, were – 1 April, 1806, to the Otter sloop, Capt. John Davies (a), stationed in the Channel, where he served until Jan. 1807 – 11 April in the latter year, to the Cossack 24, Capt. Geo. Digby, part of the force employed in Admiral Gambier’s expedition to Copenhagen – 18 Oct. 1809 (seven months after he had left the Cossack), as First, to the Cretan 16, Capt. Chas. Fred. Payne, off Flushing – 19 Sept. 1810 (having quitted the Cretan in the preceding Jan.), to the Raisonnable 64, Capts. Thos. New, Chas. Hewitt, and Edw. Sneyd Clay, lying at Sheerness – and 16 June, 1814, and 26 Aug. 1815, to the Namur and Bulwark 74’s, bearing the flags of Sir Thos. Williams and
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1805, p. 1484.
