Difference between revisions of "Hedworth Meux"

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[[Admiral of the Fleet]] S<small>IR</small> '''Hedworth Meux''' (formerly '''Hedworth Lambton'''), G.C.B., K.C.V.O. ([[5 July]], [[1856]] &ndash; [[20 September]], [[1929]]) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]] during the [[First World War]].
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[[File:Hedworth Meux, June, 1917.jpg|thumb|350px|Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux, June, 1917.]]
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[[Admiral of the Fleet]] {{HONSIR}} '''Hedworth Meux''' (pronounced ''mews'', to rhyme with ''sluice''),<ref>Reaney; Wilson.  ''A Dictionary of English Surnames''.  p. 307.</ref> G.C.B., K.C.V.O., H<small>ON.</small> L.L.D. (Durham), Royal Navy (5 July, 1856 &ndash; 20 September, 1929) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]] in the period leading up to the [[First World War]].  An officer of noble birth, he enjoyed an active career which saw him become a household name during the Second Boer War for his actions during the Siege of Ladysmith.  His career culminated in the [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth|Command-in-Chief at Portsmouth]] and promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.
  
 
==Early Life & Career==
 
==Early Life & Career==
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Meux was born '''Hedworth Lambton''' in London 5 July 1856, the third son of George Frederick D'Arcy Lambton, second Earl of Durham, by his wife, Lady Beatrix Frances, second daughter of James Hamilton, first Duke of Abercorn [q.v.] . He was educated at Cheam School and entered the Britannia as a naval cadet in 1870. He went to sea in December 1871 in the Endymion, frigate, of the Channel squadron, being transferred to the flagship Agincourt, under Sir Beauchamp Seymour, in August 1874. At the beginning of 1875 he went to the Undaunted, flagship, in the East Indies until his promotion to sub-lieutenant at the end of that year. From the end of 1876 to March 1879 he served in the Alexandra, flagship, in the Mediterranean under Sir Geoffrey Hornby. He was promoted lieutenant in February 1879, and in 1880 returned to the Alexandra as flag-lieutenant to his old chief, Sir Beauchamp Seymour, under whom he was present at the bombardment of Alexandria (11 July 1882) and took part in the ensuing operations on the coast of Egypt. Admiral Seymour (created Lord Alcester for his services), on leaving his command to join the board of Admiralty in March 1883, secured a ‘haul-down’ promotion for his flag-lieutenant. On returning home, Commander Lambton went to Dublin as aide-de-camp to the lord-lieutenant, the fifth Earl Spencer. In July 1886 he returned to the Mediterranean in command of the Dolphin, sloop; and in February 1888 he was appointed to the command of the royal yacht Osborne, a post which he held until his promotion to captain in 1889. From 1890 to 1892 he was flag-captain to (Sir) Charles Hotham in the Warspite on the Pacific station.
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Meux was born '''Hedworth Lambton''' in London 5 July 1856, the third son of George Frederick D'Arcy Lambton, Second Earl of Durham, by his wife, Lady Beatrix Frances, second daughter of James Hamilton, First Duke of Abercorn. His father asked for a nomination from H. C. E. Childers, [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], and Hedworth received a nomination in October, 1869.<ref>The National Archives. ADM 6/447. f. 16.</ref>
  
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In July 1894 Earl Spencer, then first lord of the Admiralty, appointed Lambton his naval private secretary, and Lambton retained the post under Spencer's successor, Viscount Goschen, until 1897. In this important office both ministers placed the greatest reliance on his independent and fearless judgement on the claims of senior officers for appointments; indeed, on more than one occasion Lambton advised his chief to make high appointments to which the sea lords objected, but which in the event were fully justified. He failed, however, to make himself popular with the officers with whom he had to deal through the lack of consideration which he showed them, although he was far junior to most of them in rank and to all of them in age.
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He was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 27 February, 1879.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/24686/pages/1793 no. 24686.  p. 1793.]  28 February, 1879.</ref>
  
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In 1897 Lambton went to the China station in command of the cruiser Powerful, and on his voyage home in her in October 1899 he was sent to Durban, at a critical moment in the early stages of the South African War. On his way thither he called at Mauritius, and on his own initiative embarked the 2nd battalion of the South Yorkshire Regiment. Sir George Stuart White [q.v.] , in command of the defence of Ladysmith, had been sending urgent messages for the supply of more powerful guns. Captain (Sir) Percy Scott [q.v.] in the cruiser Terrible, which had arrived at the Cape on its way to replace the Powerful on the China station, devised gun-carriages for 12-pounder and 4.7 naval guns, and with these powerful reinforcements Lambton landed with a naval brigade and arrived at Ladysmith on 30 October just in time. The naval guns kept down the Boer artillery throughout the subsequent siege; and Lambton was, in Sir George White's words, ‘the life of the garrison’ until its ultimate relief (28 February). Lambton was awarded a C.B. for his services, and on the arrival of the Powerful in England was welcomed with great popular enthusiasm. At the end of that year he was persuaded by Lord Rosebery and by his brother, Lord Durham, to stand at the general election, in the liberal interest, for Newcastle-upon-Tyne; but he was unsuccessful. In April 1901 he was appointed to the command of the royal yacht Victoria and Albert, and three months later he was made commodore in charge of the king's yachts; he retained this command until April 1903, having been promoted to rear-admiral in October 1902. From June 1903 he had a year's service afloat as second in command to Lord Charles Beresford in the Channel fleet, and from November 1904 to December 1906 he commanded the cruiser division of the Mediterranean fleet. In January 1908 he was appointed vice-admiral and commander-in-chief in China, returning home in April 1910.
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On 5 February, 1880, Lambton was appointed Flag-Lieutenant to Sir F. Beauchamp P. Seymour, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, flying his flag in the Alexandra.{{NLMar80|pp. 188, 193}}
  
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At this stage in Lambton's career occurred a great change in his private affairs. A few days after hauling down his flag he married Mildred, third daughter of the first Baron Alington [q.v.] and widow of Viscount Chelsea (died 1908), second son of the fifth Earl Cadogan [q.v.] . In the following December he came into a large fortune under the will of Valerie Susie, widow of Sir Henry Brent Meux, brewer, third baronet, of Theobald's Park, Waltham Cross. During the South African War Lady Meux, on hearing of the landing of the naval guns for the defence of Ladysmith, had ordered six naval 12-pounder guns, mounted on travelling carriages, to be made at Elswick and sent out to the commander-in-chief in South Africa, Lord Roberts. They were known as the Elswick battery. On his return to England later in that year, Lambton had called upon Lady Meux, described the work of his guns at Ladysmith, and praised her patriotic action in sending similar guns to the front. Touched by this tribute, Lady Meux, after making many wills, decided to make Lambton her heir on the sole condition that he changed his name to Meux. This he did by royal licence in September 1911. He was promoted admiral in March 1911 and remained on half-pay until his appointment in July 1912 to be commander-in-chief at Portsmouth, an office which he retained until February 1916, having been selected for the rank of admiral of the fleet in March 1915.
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He was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 10 March, 1883.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25211/pages/1385 no. 25211.  p. 1385.]  13 March, 1883.</ref>
  
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On the outbreak of the European War, Meux's principal duty was to secure the safe passage of the transports conveying the British Expeditionary Force to France, and to guard the army's main line of communication from Southampton to Havre. This anxious work was carried out with complete success; moreover, on his own initiative, Meux organized a life-saving patrol service composed of yachts and other small craft, sailing under the blue ensign with a red cross at the main. On giving up his command he was persuaded to enter parliament, without contest, as conservative member for Portsmouth, in the vacancy caused by Lord Charles Beresford's elevation to the peerage. He was a popular figure in the House of Commons and several times intervened with vigorous speeches on naval subjects; but he was not really interested in parliamentary work, and retired at the general election of 1918.
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==Captain==
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[[File:Sir-Hedworth-Meux-n-Lambton-Men-of-the-Day-No-781, NPG D45019.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Captain Lambton as depicted in Vanity Fair, June 1900.<br><small>Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.</small>]]
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Lambton was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 30 June, 1889.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25969/pages/4738 no. 25969.  p. 4738.]  30 August, 1889.</ref>  On 4 February, 1890, he was appointed in command of the cruiser [[H.M.S. Warspite (1884)|''Warspite'']], and as Flag Captain to Rear-Admiral [[Charles Frederick Hotham|Charles F. Hotham]], on the [[Pacific Station (Royal Navy)|Pacific Station]].{{NLMar91|p. 266}}
  
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Meux was now free to devote himself to the turf, which since his boyhood had been his greatest interest outside the navy. He had started breeding blood stock in 1882, and had had some good horses trained by Tom Green at Stapleton Park, Pontefract. He won the Grand Military gold cup with ‘Ruy Lopez’ in 1895, and was elected to the Jockey Club in 1906. On inheriting Theobald's Park, where Lady Meux had a racing stable, he bred his own horses there, and with them won the Hardwicke stakes at Ascot three times, the Manchester November Handicap (top weight), the Liverpool cup, the Chester cup, and many other races. He was a very shrewd judge of racing and breeding and of all turf matters, and would have been an even more successful owner had he not been too fond of his horses to part with them.
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On 3 July, 1894, he was appointed [[Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty|Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[John Poyntz Spencer, Fifth Earl Spencer|Earl Spencer]]. He was reappointed as Private Secretary to Spencer's successor, [[George Joachim Goschen, First Viscount Goschen|George J. Goschen]].<ref>{{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 774.</ref>
  
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Meux was a man of strong and independent character, though by no means a typical naval officer; in fact, the service was for him an interest rather than a profession. He carried out his duties with marked ability and won the confidence not only of King Edward VII but of all his associates in the service. He was created C.V.O. in 1901 and K.C.V.O. in 1906. He was promoted K.C.B. in 1908 and G.C.B. in 1913. He died 20 September 1929 at Danebury, an estate which he had bought near Stockbridge. His will was proved at £910,465 gross, with net personalty £734,265. He had no children, and he left his fortune, subject to his widow's interest, to her grandson, Ian Hedworth Gilmour.
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He ceased duty as Private Secretary on 26 April, 1897, and on the same day was appointed to ''Victory'' for service in {{UK-Powerful|f=t}}, and took command of her on the [[China Station]] on 8 June.<ref>ADM 196/39.  f. 774.</ref>
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In the General Election of 1910 Lambton stood in the Liberal interest for Parliament in the two-member provincial borough of Newcaslte-upon-Tyne. He placed fourth out of four candidates, with 10,453 votes, and was not elected.<ref>"The Polls" (News).  ''The Times''.  Friday, 5 October, 1900.  Issue '''36265''', col F, p. 8.</ref>
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He was appointed a [[Naval Aide-de-Camp]] to Queen Victoria on 1 January, 1901, vice [[Wilmot Hawkesworth Fawkes|Fawkes]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27265/pages/229 no. 27265.  p. 229.]  11 January, 1901.</ref>  He was reappointed in the same capacity to King Edward VII on 25 February.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27289/pages/1417 no. 27289.  p. 1417.]  26 February, 1901.</ref>  On 1 April he was appointed in command of the Royal Yacht ''Victoria and Albert'', and on 1 July was appointed {{Com2RN}} whilst in command of her.<ref>ADM 196/39.  f. 774.</ref>
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==Flag Rank==
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On 3 October, 1902, Lambton was promoted to the rank of {{RearRN}}, vice [[Charles William de la Poer Beresford, First Baron Beresford|Lord Charles Beresford]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27483/pages/6569 no. 27483.  p. 6569.]  17 October, 1902.</ref>
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On 5 June, 1903, he was appointed Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet, striking his flag on 24 June, 1904. On 10 November he was appointed succeed [[Baldwin Wake Walker, Second Baronet|Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, Bart.]] in command of the Mediterranean Cruiser Division, which in December became the [[Third Cruiser Squadron (Royal Navy)|Third Cruiser Squadron]]. On the occasion of the King's visit to Corfu Lambton was appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 16 April, 1906.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27908/pages/2875 no. 27908.  p. 2875.]  27 April, 1906.</ref>  He was superseded in command of the squadron on 10 November and struck his flag at Portsmouth on 1 December.
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Lambton was promoted to the rank of {{ViceRN}} on 1 January, 1907, vice [[Albert Baldwin Jenkings|Jenkings]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27982/pages/30 no. 27982.  p. 30.]  1 January, 1907.</ref> 
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On 1 January, 1908, he was appointed [[China Station|Commander-in-Chief on the China Station]], and hoisted his flag in H.M.S. ''President''.  He assumed command of the Station on 21 March, vice [[Arthur William Moore|Moore]].  On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, of the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 26 June.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28151/supplements/4641 (Supplement) no. 28151.  p. 4641.]  26 June, 1908.</ref>
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Lambton was superseded on the China Station on 25 January, 1910.  He struck his flag at Portsmouth on 15 April.  On 18 April he married Mildred Cecilia Harriet, Viscountess Chelsea, in a small ceremony at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge.  Among those present were Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hotham and his Flag Captain in China, Captain [[Lewis Clinton-Baker]].<ref>"Marriage" (Marriages).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 19 April, 1910.  Issue '''39250''', col A, p. 13.</ref>  She was the third daughter of Lord Alington (1825 &ndash; 1904), and widow of Viscount Chelsea (1868 &ndash; 1908).
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In December he was left a fortune by Lady Valerie Susie, widow of Sir Henry Brent Meux, brewer, Third Baronet, of Theobald's Park, Waltham Cross.  During the Second Boer War Lady Meux, on hearing of the landing of the naval guns for the defence of Ladysmith, had ordered six naval 12-pounder guns, mounted on travelling carriages, to be made at Elswick and sent out to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in South Africa, Lord Roberts. They were known as the Elswick battery.  On his return to England later in that year, Lambton had called upon Lady Meux, described the work of his guns at Ladysmith, and praised her patriotic action in sending similar guns to the front.  Touched by this tribute, Lady Meux, after making many wills, decided to make Lambton her heir on the sole condition that he changed his name to Meux. This he did by Royal Licence on 2 September, 1911.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28530/pages/6729 no. 28530.  p. 6729.]  12 September, 1911.</ref>  He had been promoted to the rank of {{AdmRN}} on 1 March.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28473/pages/1958 no. 28473.  p. 1958.]  7 March, 1911.</ref>  Meux, as he now was, succeeded Sir Arthur W. Moore as [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] on 30 July, 1912.<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 16 July, 1912.  Issue '''39952''', col D, p. 13.</ref>  On the occasion of the King'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 3 June, 1913.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28724/supplements/3903 (Supplement) no. 28724.  p. 3903.]  3 June, 1913.</ref>  He was promoted to the rank of {{FleetRN}} on 5 March, 1915, vice [[Gerard Henry Uctred Noel|Noel]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/29094/pages/2365 no. 29094.  p. 2365.]  9 March, 1915.</ref>
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==Post-War & Retirement==
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He was installed as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in a ceremonial investiture at Westminster Abbey, the first since 1913, on 18 May, 1920.<ref>"Order of the Bath" (News).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 19 May, 1920.  Issue '''42414''', col B, p. 11.</ref>
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He was placed on the Retired List for age on 5 July, 1921.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/32394/pages/5733 no. 32394.  p. 5733.]  19 July, 1921.</ref>
  
 
There are portraits of Meux, painted by P. A. de László and Ambrose McEvoy, in the possession of his widow, who subsequently married Lord Charles Montagu. A cartoon of him by ‘Spy’ appeared in Vanity Fair 28 June 1900.
 
There are portraits of Meux, painted by P. A. de László and Ambrose McEvoy, in the possession of his widow, who subsequently married Lord Charles Montagu. A cartoon of him by ‘Spy’ appeared in Vanity Fair 28 June 1900.
  
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==
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<small>
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{{refbegin}}
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*"Admiral of the Fleet Sir H. Meux" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Saturday, 21 September, 1929.  Issue '''45314''', col B, pg. 12.
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*"Admiral of the Fleet Sir H. Meux" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Saturday, 21 September, 1929.  Issue '''45314''', col B, p. 12.
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</small>
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{{refend}}
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==Papers==
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{{refbegin}}
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*Papers in the possession of the Lambton family.
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{{refend}}
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==Service Records==
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{{refbegin}}
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*{{ADM196|86|D8115156}}  Volume 1.  f. 80.
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*{{ADM196|39|D7601412}}  Volume 2.  ff. 774-775.
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*{{ADM196|19|D7590176}}  Volume 7.  ff. 364, 500.
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{{refend}}
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<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
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{{TabNaval}}
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{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Wilmot Hawkesworth Fawkes|Wilmot H. Fawkes]]'''|'''[[H.M.Y. Osborne (1870)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Osborne'']]'''<br>16 Jan, 1888{{NLFeb88|p. 222}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Archibald Berkeley Milne, Second Baronet|Archibald B. Milne]]'''}}
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{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Warspite (1884)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Warspite'']]'''<br>4 Feb, 1890{{NLMar91|p. 266}}<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 364.</ref> &ndash; 24 Jun, 1893<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 364.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Robert Frederick Hammick|Robert F. Hammick]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Richard Horace Hamond|Richard H. Hamond]]'''|'''[[Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty|Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty]]'''<br>3 Jul, 1894<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 774.</ref> &ndash; 25 Apr, 1897<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 364.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Wilmot Hawkesworth Fawkes|Wilmot H. Fawkes]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Powerful (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Powerful'']]'''<br>8 Jun, 1897{{NLOct98|p. 282}}<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 774.</ref> &ndash; 8 Jun, 1900<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 364.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[James Startin|James Startin]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.Y. Victoria and Albert (1899)|Captain of H.M.Y. ''Victoria and Albert'']]'''<br>1 Apr, 1901{{NLMay02|p. 309''a''}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Archibald Berkeley Milne, Second Baronet|Sir. Archibald Berkeley Milne, Bart.]]'''}}
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{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[John Reginald Thomas Fullerton|Sir John R. T. Fullerton]]'''<br><small>as '''Vice-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts'''</small>|'''[[H.M. Yachts (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts]]'''<br>1 Apr, 1901<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 774.</ref> &ndash; 23 Apr, 1903<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 500.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Archibald Berkeley Milne, Second Baronet|Sir A. Berkeley Milne, Bart.]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[Channel Fleet (Royal Navy)|Second-in-Command, Channel Fleet]]'''<br>5 Jun, 1903<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 774.</ref> &ndash; 25 Jun, 1904<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 500.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman|Francis C. B. Bridgeman]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[Third Cruiser Squadron (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral Commanding, Third Cruiser Squadron]]'''<br>10 Nov, 1904<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39}}.  f. 774.</ref> &ndash; 1 Dec, 1906<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}}  f. 500.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Deacon Barry|Sir Henry D. Barry]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Arthur William Moore|Sir Arthur W. Moore]]'''|'''[[China Station|Commander-in-Chief, China Station]]'''<br>1 Jan, 1908{{UKCeased|Unnumbered page}}<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 500.</ref> &ndash; 6 Mar, 1910<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 500.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Alfred Leigh Winsloe|Sir Alfred L. Winsloe]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Arthur William Moore|Sir Arthur W. Moore]]'''|'''[[Portsmouth Station|Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Station]]'''<br>30 Jul, 1912<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 16 July, 1912.  Issue '''39952''', col D, p. 13.</ref> &ndash; 17 Feb, 1916<ref>Meux Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/19.}} f. 500.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Stanley Cecil James Colville|The Hon. Sir Stanley C. J. Colville]]'''}}
 +
{{TabEnd}}
 +
</div name=fredbot:appts>
 +
 
 +
==Footnotes==
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{{reflist}}
  
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==Service Record==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Meux, Hedworth}}
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*[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7916895&queryType=1&resultcount=1 ADM 196/39]
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[[Category:1856 births|Meux]]
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{{CatPerson|UK|1856|1929}}
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[[Category:1929 deaths|Meux]]
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{{CatBritannia|January, 1870}}
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[[Category:Personalities|Meux]]
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{{CatAdmOfTheFleet|UK}}
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[[Category:Commodores of the Royal Yachts|Meux]]
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[[Category:Commanders-in-Chief of the China Station|Meux]]
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[[Category:Commanders-in-Chief, Portsmouth|Meux]]
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[[Category:Royal Navy Admirals of the Fleet|Meux]]
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[[Category:Royal Navy Flag Officers|Meux]]
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Revision as of 09:12, 28 April 2020

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux, June, 1917.

Admiral of the Fleet THE HONOURABLE SIR Hedworth Meux (pronounced mews, to rhyme with sluice),[1] G.C.B., K.C.V.O., HON. L.L.D. (Durham), Royal Navy (5 July, 1856 – 20 September, 1929) was an officer of the Royal Navy in the period leading up to the First World War. An officer of noble birth, he enjoyed an active career which saw him become a household name during the Second Boer War for his actions during the Siege of Ladysmith. His career culminated in the Command-in-Chief at Portsmouth and promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.

Early Life & Career

Meux was born Hedworth Lambton in London 5 July 1856, the third son of George Frederick D'Arcy Lambton, Second Earl of Durham, by his wife, Lady Beatrix Frances, second daughter of James Hamilton, First Duke of Abercorn. His father asked for a nomination from H. C. E. Childers, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Hedworth received a nomination in October, 1869.[2]

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 27 February, 1879.[3]

On 5 February, 1880, Lambton was appointed Flag-Lieutenant to Sir F. Beauchamp P. Seymour, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, flying his flag in the Alexandra.[4]

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 10 March, 1883.[5]

Captain

Captain Lambton as depicted in Vanity Fair, June 1900.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Lambton was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1889.[6] On 4 February, 1890, he was appointed in command of the cruiser Warspite, and as Flag Captain to Rear-Admiral Charles F. Hotham, on the Pacific Station.[7]

On 3 July, 1894, he was appointed Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Earl Spencer. He was reappointed as Private Secretary to Spencer's successor, George J. Goschen.[8]

He ceased duty as Private Secretary on 26 April, 1897, and on the same day was appointed to Victory for service in first class protected cruiser Powerful, and took command of her on the China Station on 8 June.[9]

In the General Election of 1910 Lambton stood in the Liberal interest for Parliament in the two-member provincial borough of Newcaslte-upon-Tyne. He placed fourth out of four candidates, with 10,453 votes, and was not elected.[10]

He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria on 1 January, 1901, vice Fawkes.[11] He was reappointed in the same capacity to King Edward VII on 25 February.[12] On 1 April he was appointed in command of the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert, and on 1 July was appointed Commodore, Second Class whilst in command of her.[13]

Flag Rank

On 3 October, 1902, Lambton was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, vice Lord Charles Beresford.[14]

On 5 June, 1903, he was appointed Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet, striking his flag on 24 June, 1904. On 10 November he was appointed succeed Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, Bart. in command of the Mediterranean Cruiser Division, which in December became the Third Cruiser Squadron. On the occasion of the King's visit to Corfu Lambton was appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 16 April, 1906.[15] He was superseded in command of the squadron on 10 November and struck his flag at Portsmouth on 1 December.

Lambton was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 1 January, 1907, vice Jenkings.[16]

On 1 January, 1908, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief on the China Station, and hoisted his flag in H.M.S. President. He assumed command of the Station on 21 March, vice Moore. On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, of the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 26 June.[17]

Lambton was superseded on the China Station on 25 January, 1910. He struck his flag at Portsmouth on 15 April. On 18 April he married Mildred Cecilia Harriet, Viscountess Chelsea, in a small ceremony at St. Paul's Church, Knightsbridge. Among those present were Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hotham and his Flag Captain in China, Captain Lewis Clinton-Baker.[18] She was the third daughter of Lord Alington (1825 – 1904), and widow of Viscount Chelsea (1868 – 1908).

In December he was left a fortune by Lady Valerie Susie, widow of Sir Henry Brent Meux, brewer, Third Baronet, of Theobald's Park, Waltham Cross. During the Second Boer War Lady Meux, on hearing of the landing of the naval guns for the defence of Ladysmith, had ordered six naval 12-pounder guns, mounted on travelling carriages, to be made at Elswick and sent out to the Commander-in-Chief of the Army in South Africa, Lord Roberts. They were known as the Elswick battery. On his return to England later in that year, Lambton had called upon Lady Meux, described the work of his guns at Ladysmith, and praised her patriotic action in sending similar guns to the front. Touched by this tribute, Lady Meux, after making many wills, decided to make Lambton her heir on the sole condition that he changed his name to Meux. This he did by Royal Licence on 2 September, 1911.[19] He had been promoted to the rank of Admiral on 1 March.[20] Meux, as he now was, succeeded Sir Arthur W. Moore as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth on 30 July, 1912.[21] On the occasion of the King'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 3 June, 1913.[22] He was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on 5 March, 1915, vice Noel.[23]

Post-War & Retirement

He was installed as a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in a ceremonial investiture at Westminster Abbey, the first since 1913, on 18 May, 1920.[24]

He was placed on the Retired List for age on 5 July, 1921.[25]

There are portraits of Meux, painted by P. A. de László and Ambrose McEvoy, in the possession of his widow, who subsequently married Lord Charles Montagu. A cartoon of him by ‘Spy’ appeared in Vanity Fair 28 June 1900.

Bibliography

  • "Admiral of the Fleet Sir H. Meux" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 21 September, 1929. Issue 45314, col B, p. 12.

Papers

  • Papers in the possession of the Lambton family.

Service Records

  • The National Archives. ADM 196/86. Volume 1. f. 80.
  • The National Archives. ADM 196/39. Volume 2. ff. 774-775.
  • The National Archives. ADM 196/19. Volume 7. ff. 364, 500.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Wilmot H. Fawkes 		Captain of H.M.S. Osborne
16 Jan, 1888[26] 		Succeeded by
Archibald B. Milne
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Warspite
4 Feb, 1890[27][28] – 24 Jun, 1893[29] 		Succeeded by
Robert F. Hammick
Preceded by
Richard H. Hamond 		Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty
3 Jul, 1894[30] – 25 Apr, 1897[31] 		Succeeded by
Wilmot H. Fawkes
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Powerful
8 Jun, 1897[32][33] – 8 Jun, 1900[34] 		Succeeded by
James Startin
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.Y. Victoria and Albert
1 Apr, 1901[35] 		Succeeded by
Sir. Archibald Berkeley Milne, Bart.
Preceded by
Sir John R. T. Fullerton
as Vice-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts
1 Apr, 1901[36] – 23 Apr, 1903[37] 		Succeeded by
Sir A. Berkeley Milne, Bart.
Preceded by
? 		Second-in-Command, Channel Fleet
5 Jun, 1903[38] – 25 Jun, 1904[39] 		Succeeded by
Francis C. B. Bridgeman
Preceded by
? 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, Third Cruiser Squadron
10 Nov, 1904[40] – 1 Dec, 1906[41] 		Succeeded by
Sir Henry D. Barry
Preceded by
Sir Arthur W. Moore 		Commander-in-Chief, China Station
1 Jan, 1908[42][43] – 6 Mar, 1910[44] 		Succeeded by
Sir Alfred L. Winsloe
Preceded by
Sir Arthur W. Moore 		Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Station
30 Jul, 1912[45] – 17 Feb, 1916[46] 		Succeeded by
The Hon. Sir Stanley C. J. Colville

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Reaney; Wilson. A Dictionary of English Surnames. p. 307.
  2. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 6/447. f. 16.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24686. p. 1793. 28 February, 1879.
  4. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1880). pp. 188, 193.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25211. p. 1385. 13 March, 1883.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25969. p. 4738. 30 August, 1889.
  7. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1891). p. 266.
  8. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  9. ↑ ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  10. ↑ "The Polls" (News). The Times. Friday, 5 October, 1900. Issue 36265, col F, p. 8.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27265. p. 229. 11 January, 1901.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27289. p. 1417. 26 February, 1901.
  13. ↑ ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27483. p. 6569. 17 October, 1902.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27908. p. 2875. 27 April, 1906.
  16. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27982. p. 30. 1 January, 1907.
  17. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28151. p. 4641. 26 June, 1908.
  18. ↑ "Marriage" (Marriages). The Times. Tuesday, 19 April, 1910. Issue 39250, col A, p. 13.
  19. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28530. p. 6729. 12 September, 1911.
  20. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28473. p. 1958. 7 March, 1911.
  21. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 16 July, 1912. Issue 39952, col D, p. 13.
  22. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28724. p. 3903. 3 June, 1913.
  23. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29094. p. 2365. 9 March, 1915.
  24. ↑ "Order of the Bath" (News). The Times. Wednesday, 19 May, 1920. Issue 42414, col B, p. 11.
  25. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32394. p. 5733. 19 July, 1921.
  26. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1888). p. 222.
  27. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1891). p. 266.
  28. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 364.
  29. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 364.
  30. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  31. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 364.
  32. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1898). p. 282.
  33. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  34. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 364.
  35. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1902). p. 309a.
  36. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 774.
  37. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 500.
  38. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  39. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 500.
  40. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 774.
  41. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 500.
  42. ↑ Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. Unnumbered page.
  43. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 500.
  44. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 500.
  45. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 16 July, 1912. Issue 39952, col D, p. 13.
  46. ↑ Meux Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/19. f. 500.

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