Edward Ryan

Sir Edward Ryan PC FRS (28 August 1793 – 22 August 1875) was an English lawyer, judge, reformer of the British Civil Service and patron of science. He served as Chief Justice of Bengal from 1833–43.

Early life Ryan was the second son of William Ryan. He graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge in 1814 and while at Cambridge, he became friends with John Herschel, Charles Babbage, and George Peacock. Ryan took his MA in 1817 and was called to the bar by Lincoln's Inn in the same year. It was Herschel's sharing of his scientific interests and enthusiasms that encouraged Ryan to join the Royal Astronomical Society in 1820.

He practised on the Oxford Circuit and published a volume of law reports jointly with William Oldnall Russell titled Crown cases reserved for consideration; and decided by the Twelve judges of England, from the year 1799 to the year 1824 before being appointed a puisne judge in the Calcutta supreme court in Bengal, then an English colony (see: Company Rule in India, 1757–1857: Justice system), an appointment which carried the customary knighthood.

However, he would complete another book, this time with William Moody, titled Reports of cases determined at Nisi Prius, in the Courts of King's Bench and Common Pleas: and on the Oxford and Western circuits from the sittings after Michaelmas term, 4 Geo. IV. 1823 to the sittings after Trinity term, 7 Geo. IV. 1826, inclusive before he left for India.

Family On 13 December 1814, Ryan married Louisa Whitmore (1789–1866) the daughter of William Whitmore and Frances Barbara Lyster. The Ryans had eight sons and three daughters:

Honours and offices Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, (1820); Bencher of Lincoln's Inn, (1844); Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, (1846); Member of the senate of the University of London, (1846–1875); Vice-chancellor, (1871–1874); Member of the council of University College London; Member of the Council of Legal Education, (1852); Fellow of the Royal Society, (1860).