Background
Frederick Irby was born on 18 April 1779, the second son of Frederick, 2nd Baron Boston and his wife Christian (née Methuen).
Frederick Irby was born on 18 April 1779, the second son of Frederick, 2nd Baron Boston and his wife Christian (née Methuen).
Rear Admiral The Honorary He entered the Royal Navy on 2 January 1791, serving on the Home and North America and West Indies Stations. As a midshipman in HMS Montagu he was present at the Glorious First of June in 1794.
On 6 June 1797 he was promoted lieutenant and appointed to HMS Circe, in which he was present at the Battle of Camperdown.
He was wrecked off the Texel in HMS Apollo on 7 January 1799. Promoted to commander on 22 April 1800, he became the captain of HMS Volcano, a bomb vessel, moving in 1801 to HMS Jalouse operating in the North Sea.
Promoted post-captain on 14 April 1802, he appears to have been placed on half pay. He returned to sea to command HMS Amelia in December 1807, serving under Rear Admiral Stopford on the Home Station.
On 24 February 1809 he took part in the Battle of Les Sables-d"Olonne, which drove three large French frigates aground and destroyed them, gaining the special approval of the Admiralty.
In 1811, in company with HMS Berwick and HMS Niobe, he destroyed the French frigate Amazone near Barfleur. He became the senior officer on the West Africa Squadron in later the same year, and this ended in the Action of 7 February 1813 between Amelia and the French frigate Aréthuse. Captain Irby was seriously wounded and after 1813 he saw no further active service.
In 1831 he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (Central Bank) and in 1837 promoted to rear admiral.
He served as a Magistrate and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, and died on 24 April 1844 aged 65.