A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rich, Charles
RICH. (Captain, 1838. f-p., 16; h-p., 30.)
Charles Rich entered the Navy, 21 Nov. 1801, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Nemesis 28, Capt. Edw. W. C. R. Owen, with whom he continued almost uninterruptedly employed as Midshipman in the Immortalité 36 and Clyde 38, until transferred, in Dec. 1808, to the Doterel sloop, Capt. Anthony Abdy. The very active nature of his services during that period will be seen by a reference to our Memoir of the gallant and distinguished officer under whose command he was. After he had again been for a short time attached to the Clyde on the Downs station, he there, in June, 1809, became Acting-Lieutenant of the Cherokee 10, Capt. Rich. Arthur. Returning at the end of three months to a Midshipman’s berth in the Clyde, he took part in Sir Rich. Strachan’s attack upon Flushing. On the occasion of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 28 June, 1810, Mr. Rich was nominated Flag-Lieutenant, in the Trident, to Rear-Admiral Chas. Boyles at Malta. His succeeding appointments were – in Jan. and Sept. 1811 and Oct. 1812, to the Success 32, Ville de Paris 110, and Unité 36, Capts. John Ayscough, Geo. Burlton, and Edwin Henry Chamberlayne, all in the Mediterranean – 13 Dec. 1814 to the St. Lawrence 98, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Edw. W. C. R. Owen on the lakes of Canada and 24 March, 1815, to the command, for three months, of the gun-boats on the river St. Lawrence. Attaining the rank of Commander 27 Jan. 1816, he served in that capacity in the Harpy 10, at Jamaica, from 18 Jan. 1828 until superseded in Sept. 1829; and in the Coast Guard from 29 March, 1837, until posted 28 Jan. 1838. He has since been on half-pay. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.