A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Rich, Edwin Ludlow
RICH. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 15; h-p., 28.)
Edwin Ludlow Rich., is fifth son of the late Rev. Sir Chas. Bostock Rich, Bart., LL.D., of Shirley House, Hants, by Mary Frances, only daughter and heir of Lieut.-General Sir Robt. Rich, Bart., of Rose Hall, co. Suffolk, and niece of the first Earl of Ludlow. He is brother of Sir Geo. Rich, who was Chamberlain of the Household to the Viceregal Court of Ireland during the government of the Marquis of Wellesley; and uncle of Lieut. F. D. Rich, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 Feb. 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Monarch 74, Capt. John Clarke Searle, bearing the flag in the Downs of Lord Keith, whom he followed into the Edgar 74. Removing, in Aug. 1805, to L’Egyptienne 40, Capt. Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming, he was present in that ship, and in company with the Loire 38, at the capture, 24 Dec. in the same year, after an obstinate resistance, of La Libre French frigate of 40 guns and 280 men. In April, 1806, he became Midshipman of the Seahorse of 42 guns and 281 men Capt. John Stewart, attached to the force in the Mediterranean, where, besides assisting at the reduction of the islands of Gianuti and Pianosa, he contributed, on the night of 5 July, 1808, to the defeat of the Turkish frigate Alis-Fezan of 26 guns and 230 men, and the capture, after a memorably furious engagement and a loss to the Seahorse (30 of whose crew were absent) of 5 killed and 10 wounded, of her consort the Badere Zaffer, mounting 52 guns, with a complement of 543 men, of whom 170 were killed and 200 wounded. Quitting the Seahorse in Jan. 1810, Mr. Rich, during the next two months, served on board the Excellent 74 Capt. Edw. Griffith. In the following Oct. he was received as Master’s Mate on board the St. Fiorenzo troop-ship, Capt. Hon. Edm. Sexton Pery Knox; and on 4 Sept. 1812, at which period he had been for a few weeks borne as a Supernumerary on the books of the Impétueux 74, flag-ship of Vice- Admiral Geo. Martin off Lisbon, he was nominated Acting-Lieutenant of the Scorpion, bearing the broad pendant of Commodore Chas. Vinicombe Penrose at Gibraltar. He was confirmed 15 Oct. ensuing; and was afterwards appointed – 31 Dec. 1812, to the Onyx 10, Capt. Smith Cobb, also on the Gibraltar station – 2 Feb. 1813, to the Volontaire 38 [errata 1], Capt. Hon. Granville Geo. Waldegrave, with whom he served in the Mediterranean and off Lisbon until obliged, in July, 1814, to invalid – 22 July, 1819, to the Falmouth 20, Capts. Henry Theodosius Browne Collier and Edw. Purcell, employed on the Cork and Leeward Island stations – and, 13 Feb. 1822, as First-Lieutenant, to the Surinam 18, Capt. Wm. M‘Kenzie Godfrey, likewise in the West Indies. On 24 Sept. 1822 he was promoted to the command of the Bustard 10, on the station last named, where he removed, 1 May, 1823, to the Ringdove 16. He returned to England about the commencement of 1826, and has not been since afloat. He attained his present rank 23 Nov. 1841.
Capt. Rich married, 6 July, 1829, Sophia, youngest daughter of Capt. G. F. Angelo, of Hill, Southampton. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.