Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v3p1.djvu/106

  of the late Admiral Sir Thomas Rich (who died at Sonning, near Reading, April 6th, 1804), and brother to Commander Charles Rich.

This officer served as midshipman and lieutenant under Commodore (now Sir Edward W. C. R.) Owen, by whom he was entrusted with the command of a division of gun-boats, at the evacuation of Walcheren, in Dec. 1809. His first commission bears date Dec. 30, 1805, from which period we find no other mention of him than the above, until his promotion to the rank of commander, Oct. 26, 1813. Since the peace, he has commanded the Racoon, Falmouth, and Ringdove sloops, on the Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, and West India stations. He was made post, July 1st, 1823.

Agents.– Messrs. Stilwell. 

 born at Sandwich, of which borough his father is a magistrate. He obtained the rank of lieutenant. Mar. 19th, 1805 ; and commanded the boats of the Dreadnought 98, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Thomas Sotheby, at the recapture of a Spanish merchant ship, under the following disastrous circumstances, Sept. 9th, 1810.

On the 7th of that month, the Dreadnought fell in with the Snapper schooner, and was informed by her commander that a ship was amongst the rocks on the west side of Ushant. On the morning of the 8th, Vice-Admiral Sotheby made sail towards that spot, and, in the evening, discovered the object of his search in a small creek, surrounded by rocks, but apparently not so well protected as to prevent her being taken possession of. The Dreadnought then stood off, without shewing the least appearance of intending an attack, until night, when she again bore up. On the 9th, at 5, seven boats were manned, armed, and sent away under the command of Lieutenant Pettman, who proceeded to the 