Captain (later Admiral) Edward Edwards, RN
Christened in 1742 in the same church (St Remegius) in Water Newton where he is buried. He was the fifth of six children to Richard Edwards of Water Newton (Hunts) and Mary Fuller of Caldecot. Nothing is known about his early life-he must have gone to sea at approximately 11 years of age, probably as a captain's servant and then as a midshipman. He was 17 when he passed his lieutenant's exam and was commissioned; he would have required at least six years sea experience to do so. He was never married.
Naval career*
- September 1759, commissioned Lt
- Nassau 3rd Rate (64), (4th Lt)
- Lowestoft (32), (2nd Lt)
- Zephyr, Sloop (Lt), Capt. John Inglis
- Ferret, Sloop (14), (Lt),
- Active, (28), (2nd Lt)
- Pembroke, (60) (3rd, promoted to 1st Lt)
- Augusta, (64), (1st Lt) Capt Francis Reynolds
- Carcass Bomb (8) (22 Apr 1778-5 Dec 1780)
- Hornet Sloop (14) (6 Dec 1780-9 May 1781) Post Captain (25 Apr 1781)
- Narcissus (20) (25 May 1781-27 Mar 1784)
- Six years on the half-pay list until 6 August 1790
- Pandora (24) (6 Aug 1790-29 Aug 1791)
- Court-martialled for the loss of the Pandora in 1792. Exonerated, but never given another seagoing command. That could just be coincidence-i.e. it does not imply any doubts within the Admiralty about Edwards' abilities as a seagoing commander. Maybe he was just considered too old at 50 in 1792! (Or too frail for the rigours of life at sea-see obituary below.)
- Appointed a Regulating Captain (i.e. in charge of recruiting) for Argyle in Scotland. He was based at Inverary.
- September 1796: reappointed, as a Regulating Captain for Hull (The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office ADM 1/1765).
- A series of honorary promotions followed-to Rear Admiral in 1799 and Vice Admiral in 1805-as per the Royal Navy's post captain's seniority list. These promotions saw Edwards eventually advance to Admiral of the White Squadron on 4 June 1814-the third most senior officer in the Royal Navy.
He died on 13 April 1815. He was buried on 15 April at Water Newton in the parish church of St Remegius. Edwards' obituary (in the Lincoln, Stamford & Rutland Mercury of 21 April 1815) mentions that as a result of the hardships suffered in the open boat voyage to Timor after the wreck of the Pandora, Edwards felt the effects "to the latest period of his life".
Edwards owned a small estate at Water Newton and farms in Norfolk and Huntington (TNA: PRO PROB 11/1569). His brother Samuel's house, where Edwards was living when he died, is located at 13 Barn Hill, Stamford (National Trust Monument). Edwards was later remembered by his niece as a "sweet old man", often out on a walk in the country lanes around Uppingham.
* Extracted partially from research notes compiled by Ron Coleman (QM Research File).