A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Parrey, Edward Iggulden
PARREY. (Captain, 1843.)
Edward Iggulden Parrey is a relative of Lieut. Robt. Parrey, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy 20 Feb. 1809; and in the following summer was present, in the Royal Oak 74, Capt. Lord Amelius Beauclerk, in the expedition to the Walcheren. He was subsequently employed in the same ship on the coast of North America; where, on becoming attached to the Shannon of 50 guns, throwing a broadside weight of 538 lbs., and 306 men, Capt. Philip Bowes Vere Broke, he assisted, 1 June, 1813, at the capture of the American ship Chesapeake, of 50 guns, yielding a broadside of 590 lbs., and 376 men – an exploit achieved after a close and desperate action of 15 minutes, a loss to the British of 24 killed and 59 wounded, and to the enemy of 47 killed and 115 wounded. At the close of 1819, while acting as Lieutenant of the Liverpool 50, Capt. Fras. Aug. Collier, he accompanied an expedition sent to the Persian Gulf for the purpose of crushing a race of notorious pirates whose head-quarters lay at Ras-al-Khyma, which place was in a short time destroyed, and all the vessels lying in its vicinity burnt or sunk. In an attack made on one of the latter in the Liverpool’s barge, Mr. Parrey was severely wounded. He was confirmed a Lieutenant in the same ship 28 Nov. 1820, and, returning home in 1822, was afterwards appointed, in the capacity of Senior Lieutenant – 20 Sept. 1824, to the Chanticleer 10, Capt. Chas. Jas. Hope Johnstone, fitting for the Mediterranean – and 9 Aug. 1827, to the Primrose 18, Capt. Thos. Saville Griffinhoofe, with whom he sailed for the coast of Africa. In the early part of 1829 Mr. Parrey, in command of a boat belonging to the latter vessel, boarded and took a Portuguese vessel (formerly the Saucy Jack American privateer) of 4 guns and 40 men, with 225 slaves. On proceeding up the river Noonaz he found two schooners, one French and one Spanish, quite ready for slaves; and he also discovered, in the same stream, an English brig, the Lochiel of Liverpool, without a living soul on board, the Captain, Mate, and all the crew being found dead below. With much praiseworthy exertion he brought the vessel down the river, a very dangerous one, to the Primrose, by whom she was carried to Sierra Leone, where her Agent allotted a salvage of 190l. Mr. Parrey subsequently made prize, in the pinnace, of a galliot (at one time a yacht belonging to Alderman Sir Wm. Curtis) with 38 slaves on board, lying in the river Cachao. On 10 Feb. 1830 he was advanced to the rank of Commander. He afterwards, from 26 June, 1835, until 1838, and from 4 July, 1839, until Dec. 1841, officiated as an Inspecting-Commander in the Coast Guard. On 22 of the month last mentioned he obtained command of the Sappho on the North America and West India station, whence, in the summer of the following year, he returned to England and was paid off. He has since been on half-pay. His advancement to Post-rank took place 7 July, 1843.
Capt. Parrey married, 7 Dec. 1830, at Abbot’s Rippon, Huntingdonshire, Miss Burn.