A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Ellicott, Edward

1702488A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Ellicott, EdwardWilliam Richard O'Byrne

ELLICOTT. (Rear-admiral, 1846. f-p., 20; h-p., 46.)

Edward Ellicott was born 29 May, 1768, and died 24 Jan. 1847.

This officer entered the Navy, 14 July, 1781, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Mackworth 16, Capt. Thos. Louis, attached to the Channel fleet; and, in 1783, became Midshipman of the Perseus 20, Capt. Geo. Palmer, on the Irish station. He afterwards, from 1788 to 1791, served with Capt. John Macbride in the Cumberland 74, to which ship he was re-appointed, from the Boyne 98, Capt. Wm. Albany Otway, as Acting-Lieutenant, 16 Sept. 1793. Having further, in the latter capacity, commanded the Penelope cutter, and been employed, under Rear-Admiral Macbride and Capt. Sir Rich. John Strachan, in the Minotaur 74, and Concorde 36, Mr. Ellicott was officially promoted, 22 June, 1794, to a Lieutenancy in the Eurydice 24, Capt. Fras. Cole. On subsequently accompanying that officer into the Révolutionnaire 38, he assisted, and was lauded in high terms for his conduct, at the capture, 13 April, 1796, of the French 36-gun frigate Unité.[1] Assuming the rank of Commander 12 June, 1797, he afterwards took charge, on the North Sea station – 16 Oct. 1804, of the Wellington defence-ship – 14 Dec. 1804, of the Explosion bomb, in which, through the ignorance of his pilot, he was wrecked, near Heligoland, 10 Sept. 1807 – and, 19 Oct. 1807, of the Hebe hired armed ship, employed in the protection of convoys between Orkney and Sweden. He obtained his Post-commission 12 Aug. 1812, and accepted Flag-rank 1 Oct. 1846. The Rear-Admiral married, 1 Aug. 1821, and has left issue an only daughter.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1796, p. 387.