Richard Edmund Biddulph [1852 - 1931]

  Richard Edmund Biddulph was the fifth son of Nicholas Biddulph of Congor House, Borrisokane, County Tipperary and Fortal, King’s County. His mother was Nicholas’ second wife Isabella La Touche, daughter of James Digges La Touche, of Sans Souci, Dublin. He married Gertrude Charlotte Allen in 1885. They had three daughters.

Violet Emma Isabelle was born in 1888 in Weymouth, Dorset. She married Leonard Havelock Wheatley.

Hyacinth Ellen Gertrude was also born in Weymouth Dorset, 1890. She married William Richard Fenwick Ryan. They had one son, Anthony Richard Biddulph Ryan, who died in WW2 in Germany in 1945. He was a member of the Grenadier Guards [Foot Guards] having originally enlisted with the Sherwood Foresters.  He is buried in Sage War Cemetery, Lower Saxony. Hyacinth died in 1984.

Muriel Grace, known as ‘Boo’, was born in Bermuda in 1893. She married Charles Chevin Cumming. Muriel died in 1982.

Richard Biddulph studied at Trinity College Dublin, graduating with a BA and MB [1876] and BCh [1877].  Having joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon, he became Fleet Surgeon in 1895. He later became Deputy Inspector General of Hospitals, finally retiring in 1907.

Admiralty, 29^th April, 1907.

In accordance with the provisions of Her late Majesty’s Order in Council of 1^st April, 1881 – Fleet Surgeon Richard Edmund Biddulph, M.B., B. A., has been placed on the retired List, with permission to assume the rank of Deputy  Inspector –General of Hospitals and Fleets. Dated 28^th April 1907.  [The London Gazette, April 30, 1907]

Gertrude died in Malta in January 1931. The following obituary is from an unknown source.

With deep regret we chronicle the death of Mrs. G.C. Biddulph (nee Allen) the beloved wife of Deputy Inspector General R. E. Biddulph, R. N. (Rtd) which took place on Thursday last at the Blue Sisters' Hospital, after a very short illness, at the age of 65 years. The deceased lady had been a resident in Malta for a considerable number of years, and was a highly esteemed member of the English community. Affable and kindly the deceased lady had won the regard of all who knew her, and she will be greatly missed by a large circle of friends. She is survived by her bereaved husband and daughter, Mrs Cumming wife of Col C. C. Cumming, C. B., M.B. to whom we tender our heartfelt sympathy in their loss. The funeral, attended by many who paid their last tribute to the deceased lady, took place yesterday morning at Ta-Braxia cemetery.

Richard died in the same year as his wife Gertrude, in July, and both are buried in Ta Braxia Cemetery, Malta.