Norwich Duff

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Norwich Duff
15 August 1792(1792-08-15) – 21 April 1862 (aged 69)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Place of death	Bath, Somerset, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1805-1862
Rank	Vice-Admiral
Relations	Captain George Duff RN

Admiral Norwich Duff (15 August 1792 – 21 April 1862) was a Royal Navy officer.

The son of Captain George Duff RN, and Sophia Dirom, he was born at 9 South Castle Street, Edinburgh. He entered the Royal Navy in July 1805, just before his 13th birthday, serving aboard his father's ship HMS Mars as a midshipman. In October 1805 at the Battle of Trafalgar his father was killed.

Duff was promoted to Lieutenant in September 1811 and was appointed Flag-Lieutenant to the commander-in-chief in February 1814. He served on HMS Euralyus. He was promoted to Commander on 15 June 1814 and appointed to command of the 18-gun brig-sloop HMS Espoir, part of the naval force in the Chesapeake during the War of 1812, and later took part in the attack on New Orleans.^[1]

In October 1816 Duff was appointed to command of the 10-gun brig-sloop HMS Beaver and sent to the Caribbean ^[2], where he assumed command of the 18-gun HMS Rifleman in September 1817. He returned to England in August 1818. ^[3]

He undertook an extensive continental European tour in 1819 of which he kept a journal. He was promoted to Post captain on 23 April 1822.

On the 10 June 1833 he married Helen Mary Shoolbred (daughter of East India Company Surgeon John Shoolbred 1766-1831) at Bath, Somerset and by her had issue.

He was promoted to Rear Admiral on 8 October 1852, and to Vice Admiral on 28 November 1857.

Duff died at Bath, Somerset, England on 21 April 1862. There is a portrait of him by Sir Henry Raeburn, and a metal plaque commemorates him in Bath Abbey. ^[4]