A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ryves, George Frederick
RYVES, C.B. (Capt., 1830. f-p., 17; h-p., 26.)
George Frederick Ryves, born 25 Sept. 1792, is eldest son of the late Rear-Admiral Geo. Fred. Ryves,[1] of Shroton House, co. Dorset, by his first wife, Catherine Elizabeth, third daughter of the Hon. Jas. Everard Arundell, of Ashcombe, co. Wilts, and aunt of the present Lord Arundell, of Wardour. He is half-brother of Lieut. Herbert Thos. Ryves, R.N.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 Sept. 1804, as a Volunteer, on board the Merlin sloop, Capt. Edw. Pelham Brenton, with whom, after serving off Havre, he removed, early in 1805, to the Amaranthe 18, on the Leith station. He next, in Jan. 1808, joined the Medusa 32, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, employed in the Bay of Biscay; and on 24 Nov. 1810 he was made Lieutenant into the Alfred 74, Capt. Joshua Rowley Watson. Previously to following that officer, in April, 1811, into the Implacable 74, he appears to have landed with the naval brigade on the north coast of Spain, and to have served with the flotilla at the defence of Cadiz. He left the Implacable in Nov. 1812; and was subsequently appointed – 2 Feb. and 15 Dec. 1813, to the Pomone 38 and Magicienne 36, Capts. Philip Carteret and Hon. Wm. Gordon, both on the Lisbon station – 10 Sept. 1814, to the Clorinde 38, Capt. Sam. Geo. Pechell, under whom we find him in attendance upon the unfortunate consort of George IV. during her visit to the Mediterranean in 1815-16 – 24 Dec. 1818, as First, to the Morgiana 18, Capts. Chas. Borough Strong and Wm. Finlaison, fitting for the coast of Africa, whence he invalided at the commencement of 1821 – 16 May, 1822, in a similar capacity, to the Alligator 28, Capt. Thos. Alexander, whom he accompanied to the East Indies – and 8 April, 1823, to the acting-command, on that station, of the Sophie 18, to which vessel he was confirmed 22 Oct. in the same year. During the war in Ava, where he remained until his health, in April, 1825, obliged him to return to England, Capt. Ryves, one of the chief performers in the scenes that occurred, rendered himself famous by the brilliancy and importance of his services.[2] He was in consequence nominated a C.B. 26 Dec. 1826; and advanced to Post-rank 22 July, 1830. He has since been on half-pay.
He married, 27 June, 1827, Charity, third daughter of Thos. Theobald, Esq., of Grays, co. Essex, by whom he has issue. Agents – Goode and Lawrence.
- ↑ Rear-Admiral Ryves was born 8 Sept. 1758. Entering the Navy 15 Feb. 1774, he attained, in 1779, the rank of Lieutenant, and in Oct. 1795 was advanced to that of Commander. After serving in that capacity in the Bulldog sloop, and on shore, in a conspicuous manner at the reduction of Ste. Lucie, in 1796, he was made Post, 29 May, 1798, into the Medea frigate. He afterwards commanded the Agincourt 64, Gibraltar 80, and Africa 64. In the Agincourt he accompanied the expedition to Egypt in 1801, and in the following year was sent, with a small squadron under his orders, to take possession of Corfu. He died 20 May, 1826.
- ↑ For an account of the Burmese war, and of the part taken by Capt. Ryves in it, see “Narrative of the Naval Operations in Ava,” by Lieut. John Marshall, R.N.