Richard James Meade, Fourth Earl of Clanwilliam

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Admiral of the Fleet the Earl of Clanwilliam.
Admiral the Earl of Clanwilliam in 1896
Photograph: Navy & Army Illustrated.

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

  1. The London Gazette: no. 22104. p. 1028. 26 February, 1858.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 24400. p. 5. 2 January, 1877.
  3. The Navy List (June, 1881). p. 188.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 25600. p. 3033. 25 June, 1886.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 25712. p. 3361. 21 June, 1887.
  6. Hamilton. p. 125.
  7. The London Gazette: no. 26601. p. 1066. 22 February, 1895.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 26628. p. 3079. 25 May, 1895.
  9. The 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, p. 11.

Papers

  • Papers in the possession of the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Service Records


Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Arthur W. A. Hood
Second Naval Lord
1879 – 1880
Succeeded by
The Rt. Hon. Lord John Hay

Preceded by
New Command
Vice-Admiral Commanding
Detached Squadon for Particular Service

1880 – 1881
Succeeded by
Sir Francis W. Sullivan

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

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