Richard James Meade, Fourth Earl of Clanwilliam
Admiral of the Fleet THE RIGHT HONOURABLE Richard James Meade, Fourth Earl of Clanwilliam, G.C.B., K.C.M.G., F.R.G.S., Royal Navy (3 October, 1832 – 4 August, 1907) was an officer of the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
For services in Canton, Gilford was promoted to the rank of Commander on 26 February, 1858.[1]
Gilford was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 31 December, 1876.[2]
On 7 October, 1879, Gilford succeeded to the earldom, becoming the Earl of Clanwilliam. On 6 September, 1880, he was appointed in command of the Detached Squadron for Particular Service, flying his flag in the Inconstant.[3]
He was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 22 June, 1886, vice Cochrane.[4]
On the occasion of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 21 June, 1887.[5]
Lord George Hamilton recounts an amusing incident from when a French squadron visited Portsmouth, and its officers were entertained by the Queen at Osborne:
He was very dark and swarthy, and he had a strain of foreign blood in him, his grandmother having been a Russian. He
also spoke French very well. One of the Queen's equerries, in his zeal to welcome all foreigners, seeing this dark, distinguished-looking Admiral standing alone, went up to him and had an animated conversation in French with him. Finally he said to him, "I hope you are enjoying your stay at Portsmouth," whereupon Lord Clanwilliam turned round and said, "Who the devil do you take me for? Don't you know that I am the Queen's Commander-in-Chief?" The Queen was immensely amused on learning how her injunctions to her suite
to make themselves pleasant to the foreign officers had been carried out.[6]
Clanwilliam was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on 20 February, 1895.[7] On the occasion of the Queen's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the First Class, or Knight Grand Cross, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (G.C.B.) on 25 May.[8]
In accordance with the provisions of the Order in Council of 22 February, 1870, he was placed on the Retired List on 3 October, 1902.[9]
Footnotes
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 22104. p. 1028. 26 February, 1858.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 24400. p. 5. 2 January, 1877.
- ↑ Navy List (June, 1881). p. 188.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 25600. p. 3033. 25 June, 1886.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 25712. p. 3361. 21 June, 1887.
- ↑ Hamilton. p. 125.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 26601. p. 1066. 22 February, 1895.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 26628. p. 3079. 25 May, 1895.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 27483. p. 6568. 17 October, 1902.
Bibliography
- "Death of Lord Clanwilliam" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 5 August, 1907. Issue 38403, col F, pg. 11.
Service Records
- The National Archives. ADM 196/86.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/36.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/1.
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Arthur W. A. Hood |
Second Naval Lord 1879 – 1880 |
Succeeded by The Right Hon. Lord John Hay |
| Preceded by Sir John E. Commerell |
Commander-in-Chief on the North America and West Indies Station 1885 – 1886 |
Succeeded by Algernon McL. Lyons |
| Preceded by Sir John E. Commerell |
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth 1891 – 1894 |
Succeeded by Sir Nowell Salmon |
