Percy Royds

Who was Percy Royds?

Admiral Sir Percy Molyneux Rawson Royds CB CMG ADC was a British admiral and politician.

Royds was born in Rochdale, the son of Ernest Royds and the older brother of Charles Royds, also later an admiral. He was educated at Eastman's Royal Naval Academy in Southsea and joined HMS Britannia, Dartmouth as a Naval Cadet in 1887. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1895 and joined HMS Excellent as a gunnery officer. In 1899 he served in the Boxer Rebellion in China as the First Lieutenant of HMS Arethusa.

In 1904, Royds joined Devonport Barracks as a gunnery officer. In 1905 he was promoted Commander at the unusually early age of thirty and joined the cruiser HMS Europa. He later transferred to another cruiser, HMS Argyll. In 1908, he was appointed Superintendent of Physical Training at Portsmouth. This was appropriate, since he had once played rugby union for Blackheath, the Barbarians and the Royal Navy and had appeared three times for England. In 1910 he was elected naval representative on the Rugby Football Union and served for many years, latterly as a selector representing Kent. He also served on the committee of the Royal Tournament and the Olympic Council.