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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Russell, Edward

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1911038A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Russell, EdwardWilliam Richard O'Byrne

RUSSELL. (Captain, 1833.)

The Right Honourable Lord Edward Russell, born in 1805, is second son of the late Duke of Bedford, by his second wife, Georgiana, daughter of Alexander, fourth Duke of Gordon; and half-brother of the present Duke of Bedford, of Major-General Lord Geo. Wm. Russell, G.C.B., A.D.C. to the Queen (some time Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at the Court of Berlin), and of Lord John Russell, M.P., First Lord of the Treasury.[1] Of his own brothers, one, Charles James Fox, is a Major in the Army, and another, Francis John, a Commander R.N.; a third, Henry, also a Commander R.N. (1841), died 2 May, 1842; and a fourth and fifth, Cosmo George and Alexander George, are officers in the army. His Lordship is brother-in-law of the Marchioness of Abercorn; and first-cousin of Commander John Russell, R.N. (1822), who died in 1835.

This officer entered the Navy 13 Jan. 1819; passed his examination in 1825; was made a Lieutenant, 18 Oct. 1826, into the Philomel 10, Capt. Lord Viscount Ingestre; removed, subsequently to the battle of Navarin, to the Dartmouth 42, Capt. Thos. Fellowes; and, after having again served, as First-Lieutenant, in the Philomel 10, under Capts. Hon. Wm. Keith and Edw. Hawes, was advanced to the rank of Commander 15 Nov. 1828. His next appointments were – 22 Nov. 1830, to the Britomart 10 – 10 Jan. 1831, to the Savage 10, on the coast of Ireland – and, 9 April, 1832, to the Nimrod 20, on the Lisbon station, whence he invalided in Aug. 1833. He attained his present rank 19 Nov. following; and from 17 Nov. 1834 until the early part of 1838 commanded the Actaeon 26 in South America.

Lord Edw. Russell has sat in Parliament for Tavistock since 1841. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.


  1. An elaborate history of the house of Russell is given in the Bedfordshire part of the ‘Representative History of Great Britain and Ireland,’ by Robt. H. O’Byrne, Esq.