Title: Hero in the Footnotes: The Life and Times of Richard Cadman Etches: Entrepreneur and British Spy
Author: Michael Etches
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1665584579
Genre: History & Adventure
Pages: 200
Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Read Book Review

A diligently discovered ancestor becomes the central character in this lively historical examination by writer Michael Etches.

Etches began his exploration of Richard Etches, his third cousin, five times removed, while reading a book about the exploits of Captain James Cook and seeing a reference to the family name. He was later able to pursue his interest in this intriguing man, enlisting the help of a professional genealogist along with fellow family members. Richard Etches hailed from Ashbourne, a market town between London and Manchester, son of a wine merchant. As a young man, Richard, with his brother William, moved to London, the city of opportunity, establishing their own trade in ”Liquors of the best Vintages and Flavors.” But that venture was not enough to satisfy this clearly very daring young man.

Hearing of the success of Captain James Cook in trading lush fur otter pelts found in the Pacific Northwest of America, Richard commissioned ships to follow Cook’s route. This enterprise was waylaid when a Spanish vessel captured one of his ships, resulting in complex international negotiations to avoid war between Britain and Spain. Subsequently, Richard became a British spy, spending ensuing years moving around the European continent, making multiple important contacts. Based on information gleaned from his own memoir and other materials, he played a key role in the escape of the renowned Sir Sidney Smith from The Temple, a Paris jail, during the Napoleonic War.

Etches has composed this tribute to his ancestor with great care, drawing together many historic threads to create a fascinating tapestry that combines what is known and chronicled with what can be reasonably speculated and surmised. Richard Etches was a bold man of his times, caught up in the excitement of venturing into lesser-known parts of the globe such as Russia and Turkey. His forays into international trade could have led him to financial success and security; his work for the English during the war years could have led to public recognition of his deeds. But instead, he was perhaps, as one writer suggests, “forgotten when his services were less needed,” and consigned to a debtor’s prison. Author Etches commends his forebear for his risk-taking and his association with many influential figures in the Age of Enlightenment. With an elaborate chronology, lengthy bibliography and a few relevant photos, Etches offers students of genealogy like himself a sound basis for investigating their own ancestry. And with his sincere admiration for Richard, he establishes his firm belief that a forgotten hero may leave the footnotes and become part of the larger picture. Hero in the Footnotes: The Life and Times of Richard Cadman Etches: Entrepreneur and British Spy is a book which will enthrall fans of history, culture and adventurous lifestyles.