The Albyn Line was founded as a private company in Sunderland in 1901 with Sir William Allan (1837-1903) as its chairman. After his death, Sir James (later Lord) Joicey (1846-1936) succeeded him. From then until the dissolution of the company in 1966 the office of chairman was filled by members of the Joicey family. Following a management contract in 1901 between the new company and the already existing firm of Allan Black and Company, the latter's managing director and managers took over these posts in the new company as well. The pattern of Albyn Line trade was South Welsh or Tyne coal outwards to the Continent or Port Said, and after discharge in ballast through the Dardanelles to Odessa to load grain for London or the Continent. Other areas served occasionally were the River Plate and the Gulf of Mexico. At the outbreak of the First World War the company owned four vessels. Apart from one which was detained by the Turks for the duration of the war, all the others were lost in 1917. Until 1924 the Albyn Line operated with only one ship and the voyages tended to be of longer duration. During this period its income was supplemented by the profits of its shipping agency business. Two ships were built in 1924 and 1925, and in 1928 and 1929 four more new ships were immediately laid up because of the depression. As in 1914, the Albyn Line entered the Second World War with four ships, only one of which survived. In the 1950s three motor ships were built and they were chartered to liner or tramp companies. From 1961 trading conditions became less and less profitable and in 1966 the firm went into voluntary liquidation.
Aldrich entered the Navy in 1859 in the Marlborough, Mediterranean Station, later serving in the Scout, 1865 to 1867, on the South American Station. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1866 and was First Lieutenant in the CHALLENGER between 1872 and 1874. He then joined the ALERT, 1875 to 1876, as senior lieutenant during the British Arctic expedition led by Sir G.S. Nares (q.v.). In the spring of 1876 he explored the northern coast of Ellesmere Island with the sledge CHALLENGER. For service in this expedition he was promoted to commander. He was employed in the surveying vessels SYLVIA and FAWN in the Far East and off Africa between 1879 and 1884, being promoted to captain in 1883. He continued to serve until 1908 when he retired with the rank of admiral.
Roger Charles Anderson (1883-1976), was a founder member of the Society for Nautical Research and, from its foundation until 1962, a Trustee of the Museum and Chairman of Trustees from 1959 to 1962. He was a frequent contributor to The Mariner's Mirror, of which he was editor for several periods and the author of numerous publications on maritime subjects.
The Company was formed in 1878, under the auspices of the Liverpool house of Turner and Co and their Calcutta associates, Turner Morrison and Company, to develop steam communication in the Bay of Bengal. It received the active support of Thomas Ismay and William Imrie of the White Star Line.
The ships were cross traders, not based in the UK, serving the coastal trade between Calcutta and Bombay: between Calcutta, Chittagong, Rangoon and Moulmein: and later between Calcutta and Java, via Malayan ports. Another departure was the acquisition and continuous operation of the Indian Government mail contract between Calcutta and the Andaman Islands, which included responsibility for the transport of convicts to port Blair.
Relations with British India, many of whose ships were employed on the same route, were competitive throughout, although dialogue over freight rate levels and sailings was generally maintained.
In 1931 the company was restructured in order to cope with the slump. In 1934, in recognition of the growth of nationalism in both Burma and India, locally based companies were set up in both of these countries. At this time negotiations with British India broke down and there was a rate war which was resolved after about six months by a tripartite agreement between Asiatic, B. I. and Scindia (the Indian national line).
British India achieved a 51% interest in Asiatic by the end of 1934, at which time Ismay's connection terminated.
The company was absorbed into the P and O group in 1971 and effectively ceased trading in 1977.
Colin Atkinson appears to be a researcher into the HMS BOUNTY mutineers.
See sub-fonds level descriptions for individual biographies.
Austen, brother of Charles John Austen (q.v.) and of Jane Austen, the novelist, entered the Royal Naval Academy in 1786 and in 1788 joined the Perseverance in the East Indies He was made lieutenant in 1792, commander in 1799 and captain in 1800, while in the PETEREL. In 1805 he was Flag-Captain to Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Louis (q.v.) in the CANOPUS and was at the battle of San Domingo in 1806. Whilst on convoy to the East Indies in 1809 he successfully settled a dispute with the Chinese, which earned the approval of the Admiralty and the award of a thousand pounds by the East India Company. He was Flag-Captain to Admiral Lord Gambier (1756-1833), then commanding the Home Fleet, in 1810 and, from 1811 to 1814, was in the ELEPHANT in the North Sea and the Baltic. In 1830 Austen was promoted to rear-admiral and to vice-admiral in 1838. He was Commander-in-Chief, West Indies, 1844 to 1848, and was made Admiral of the Fleet in 1863.
Austen, younger brother of Francis William Austen (q.v.) and of Jane Austen, the novelist, entered the Navy in 1794, was promoted to lieutenant in 1797 and to captain in 1810. After service on the North American and Mediterranean Stations, he was from 1815 engaged in the suppression of piracy in the Aegean until his ship, the PHEONIX, was lost in a heavy gale off Smyrna in February 1816. He served as second-in-command of the Jamaica Station from 1826 to 1828 and his success in the suppression of the slave trade led to his nomination as Flag-Captain of the WINCHESTER, North American and West Indies Station, 1830. He was invalided after an accident in 1830 and was not re-employed until appointed to the BELLEROPHON in 1838. He served in her in the Mediterranean, where he was present at the bombardment of Acre in November 1840, until she was paid off in 1841. He was made rear-admiral in 1846 but saw no further employment until 1850 when he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, flying his flag in the HASTINGS. He died in Burma while still in this command.
Barlow entered the Navy in 1862, serving first in the Scylla, China Station, 1863 to 1867, and then in the Pacific. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1872 and joined the Immortalite, Detached Squadron, 1874 to 1877, followed by service in the Flamingo in the East Indies, 1877 to 1880. Promoted to commander in 1884, he was appointed to the Bacchante, flagship of the East Indies Station, 1885 to 1888, and was involved in the Burma War, 1885 to 1886. After his promotion to captain in 1889, he commanded the Orlando on the Australian Station and then the Empress of India and the Jupiter, both in the Channel, until 1899. He became Admiral Superintendent of Pembroke Dockyard, 1899 to 1902, and of Devonport, 1906 to 1908.
Edward Bates (d 1896) spent a number of years in India where he established himself as a merchant in Bombay. In 1848 he left this business in charge of an agent, returned to England and opened an office in Liverpool as an importer of Indian produce. He also began a regular service to Bombay with chartered vessels, and in 1850 he started building up a fleet of sailing ships. Trading was soon extended to include first Calcutta and then the Far East and, when the gold rush began, passenger ships sailed direct to Australia and returned via India or South America. In 1870 the firm was renamed Edward Bates and Sons. Edward went to live in Hampshire and the eldest of his four sons, Edward Percy Bates (d 1899), took over the management of the Liverpool office. The next year Edward became an MP and a regular attender at the House; in 1886 he received a baronetcy. In earlier years Bates had bought steamers and converted them into sailing vessels, but from 1870 the partners began adding steamers to their fleet. They continued to acquire sailing ships as well up to 1884, but in 1886 they had a steel-screw steamer built to their own design, which heralded a change of direction to a smaller number of large modern steamships engaged in general tramping. The Bombay office was closed in 1898 and the business there amalgamated with Killick Nixon and Co. When Edward Percy Bates died in 1899 his son Edward Bertram Bates (d 1903) succeeded to the title and the management of the family business. He in turn was succeeded by Percy Elly Bates (1879-1946), who in 1910 joined the board of the Cunard Company. In 1911 he and his two brothers joined the board of Thomas and John Brocklebank and exchanged their largest vessel for half of the Brocklebank family's shares. By 1916 Sir Percy Elly Bates was running the Commercial Services branch of the Ministry of Shipping and his two brothers had gone to the war; as there was no one in the office to manage their ships they sold them to Brocklebank's. This was the end of their shipowning activities, but the partnership of Edward Bates and Sons continued in business as merchants and private bankers. In 1916 Bates and Brocklebank's both moved their offices into the new Cunard Building and in 1919 Cunard bought all the shares in the Brocklebank Line owned by the Brocklebank and Bates families. Sir Percy Bates became deputy chairman of the Cunard Shipping Co in 1922 and was chairman from 1930 until his death in 1946. His brother Denis (1886-1959) became chairman of Brocklebank's when Sir Aubrey Brocklebank died in 1929. The remaining Brocklebank shares (owned by the Anchor Line) were bought by Cunard in 1940.
Henry Bonham Bax was in the Navy from 1813 to 1817, after which he entered the service of the East India Company. In 1844 he became an Elder Brother of Trinity House. See Arthur Nesham Bax, A Bax family of east Kent (published privately, 1951).
Captain Bonham Ward Bax was the son of Henry Bonham Bax (q.v.). He entered the Navy in 1851 and specialized in surveying. From 1871 to 1875 Bax commanded the survey ship DWARF on the China Station and published an account of the voyage. From December 1876 until his death in July 1877, he commanded the SYLVIA, also on the China Station. He published The Eastern Seas (London, 1875).
Robert Nesham Bax was the son of Bonham Ward Bax (q.v.). He joined the Britannia in 1889, rose to captain in 1913 and saw active service in World War One. He was promoted to admiral on the retired list in 1932.
Bax was in the Navy from 1813 to 1817, after which he entered the service of the East India Company. In 1844 he became an Elder Brother of Trinity House. See Arthur Nesham Bax, A Bax family of east kent ( published privately, 1951).
Bax was the son of Henry Bonham Bax (q.v.). He entered the Navy in 1851 and specialized in surveying. From 1871 to 1875 Bax commanded the survey ship DWARF on the China Station and published an account of the voyage. From December 1876 until his death in July 1877, he commanded the SYLVIA, also on the China Station. He published The 'Eastern Seas' (London, 1875).
Bax was the son of Bonham Ward Bax (q.v.). He joined the BRITANNIA in 1889, rose to captain in 1913 and saw active service in World War One. He was promoted to admiral on the retired list in 1932.
See sub-fonds level descriptions for individual biographies.
Baynes, son of Robert Lambert Baynes (q.v.), joined the Navy in 1866 and became a lieutenant in 1877. He served in the Pembroke, 1893 to 1895, and was promoted to captain in 1897. After attending gunnery and torpedo courses, his first active service as captain was briefly in the Minerva, 1899, and then in the Mildura, Australian Station, in 1900. He retired in 1902, advancing to the rank of rear-admiral in 1907.
Nias entered the Navy in 1807 and served during the remaining years of the Napoleonic wars. During the next few years he took part in three Arctic expeditions, being promoted to lieutenant in 1820. In 1826 he was appointed to the Asia, flagship of Sir Edward Codrington. Following the battle of Navarino in 1827 he was promoted to commander and appointed to the HMS ALACRITY, remaining in the Aegean until 1830. Nias was promoted to captain in 1835 and in 1840 commissioned the HMS HERALD for service in the East Indies. After a period in New Zealand, he took part in the First Chinese War 1839 to 1842, and was involved in operations leading to the capture of Canton. After his return home in 1843, he was on half-pay until 1850 when he was appointed to the HMS AGINCOURT and then to the HMS ST GEORGE, guardship of the reserve at Devonport. From 1854 to 1856 he was Superintendent of the Victualling Yard and Hospital at Plymouth. He saw no further service. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1857, to vice-admiral in 1863 and admiral in 1867, being knighted in the same year. He was placed on the retired list in 1866.
Baynes entered the Navy in 1810, serving in the BLAKE under Sir Edward Codrington (q.v.) and in the TONNANT and TARTER in North America. He was commissioned as lieutenant in 1818, serving as First Lieutenant in the VIGO in South America until 1826 when he joined the ASIA, flagship of Admiral Sir Edward Codrington (q.v.). It was in the Asia that he was present at the Battle of Navarino. In 1828 he was promoted to captain. After ten years on half-pay he joined the ANDROMACHE in Nova Scotia during the rebellion in Canada, after which he commanded on the Cape Station, 1840 to 1841. In 1847 he was in the BELLEROPHON off the coast of Tuscany, when Leghorn was taken by the Austrians, and in 1855 was on Particular Service with the blockading fleet in the Baltic. He became Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific in 1857, remaining there until 1860 and was promoted to admiral in 1865.
Brackenbury entered the Navy in 1857, served in the MARLBOROUGH on the Mediterranean Station, 1862 to 1863, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1865, to Commander in 1876 and in 1879 commanded the SHAH's naval brigade during the Zulu war. He became a Captain in 1881 and served in the THALIA during the Egyptian campaign of 1882. From 1886 until 1887 he commanded the HYACINTH, South American Station, and the TURQUOISE, East Indies, from 1888 until 1891, during which time he took part in the operations against the Sultan of Vitu. In 1893 he was Captain of the EDINBURGH and witnessed the collision of the VICTORIA and CAMPERDOWN. From 1894 to 1896 he was in charge of Naval establishments at Bermuda. He was promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1896 and in 1898 served as second-in-command of the Channel Squadron in the MAGNIFICENT. Brackenbury received his commission as Admiral in 1905. Be married Frances Mary Francklyn in 1880.
Bedford entered the Navy with a cadetship awarded by the Naval School at New Cross. In 1854 he was at the Crimea as a midshipman in the Sampson. However, he went to the Baltic in March 1855, when he was appointed to the Vulture, and he took part in the destruction of the Russian fortress at Sveaborg. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1859, to commander in 1871 and to captain in 1875 into the SERAPIS, which took the Prince of Wales to attend ceremonies proclaiming Queen Victoria Empress of India. Bedford was next appointed to the SHAH, 1876, as Flag-Captain to Rear Admiral de Horsey (1827-1922), Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station. In this ship he was engaged in the duel with the Peruvian ironclad HUASCAR. As a consequence of this action, the ironclad TRIUMPH replaced the SHAH and Bedford transferred to her. In 1880, on his return home, he attended the torpedo course at Portsmouth. Bedford then joined the Board of Admiralty, 1889 to 1892. In 1895 he became Second Sea Lord and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the North American and West Indies Station, 1899 to 1903. From 1903 to 1909 he was Governor of Western Australia. See F.G.H. Bedford, The life and letters of Admiral Frederick George Denham Bedford (published privately, 1960).
See sub-fonds level descriptions for individual biographies.
Oliver entered the Navy in 1779. He served in the West Indies and was promoted to lieutenant in 1790, commander in 1794 and captain in 1796. After the battle of Trafalgar he was appointed to the MARS, whose captain, George Duff, had been killed. He continued to serve until 1814 and was promoted to rear-admiral in 1819, vice-admiral in 1830 and admiral in 1841.
Oliver entered the Navy in 1869. He served in the BRISTOL, 1870 to 1871, and was rated midshipman in 1871. He was in the Mediterranean from 1871 to 1874, in the ARIADNE and then for two years in the flagship LORD WARDON. From 1874 to 1876 he served in the AUDACIOUS, flagship on the China Station. He was promoted to sub-lieutenant in 1876 and served in the SHANNON, 1877 to 1880, on the same station. In 1880 he was promoted to lieutenant and appointed to the PELICAN, Pacific Station, 1880 to 1882. From 1882 to 1884 he was in the Indian troopship JUMA and served in operations in the Sudan in 1884. Between 1885 and 1887, Oliver served in three Coast Guard ships based at Southampton, the HECTOR, NORTHAMPTON and INVINCIPLE. He returned to China in the WANDERER between 1888 and 1891. During the 1890s Oliver served in various posts, in a training ship, in the dockyard reserve and the coastguard. He retired with the rank of commander in 1900.
Oliver-Bellasis entered the Navy in 1918. He became a lieutenant in 1920 and specialized in torpedoes. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander in 1928 and commander in 1933. From 1932 to 1934 he served in the RENOWN, Home Fleet, and, after a spell at the Admiralty, was in the EAGLE, China Station, 1937 to 1939. During the Second World War, Oliver-Bellasis held both posts ashore and at sea, being promoted to captain in 1941. He was Director of Underwater Weapons from 1947 to 1950 and retired in 1953.
Oliver was the son of Admiral Robert Oliver. He entered the Navy in 1825 and became a lieutenant in 1838. He was in the QUEEN in the Mediterranean from 1842 to 1844 and was promoted to commander in 1844. In 1847 he was appointed to command the FLY in Australian and New Zealand waters. Following his return home in 1851 he served during the Crimean War and was promoted to captain in 1854 but from then had no further service. He retired in 1864 and rose to the rank of admiral on the retired list.
Berry went to sea as a volunteer in 1779 and served in the guardship Magnificent between 1787 and 1788. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1794. He later served in the AGAMEMNON and the Captain with Nelson (q.v.), 1796 to 1797 and was then promoted to captain. After service with Nelson at the battle of the Nile, 1798, he commanded the FOUDROYANT and captured the GENEREUX and GUILLAUME TELL. He was appointed to the AGAMEMNON in 1805 and fought at Trafalgar. Subsequent commands took him to the West Indies and in 1812 he was appointed to the Barfleur. Berry commanded the royal yacht ROYAL SOVEREIGN, 1813 to 1814. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1821.
Bethune entered the Navy in 1871 and served from 1873 to 1877 in the TOPAZE, Detached Squadron. In 1878 he was appointed to the ALEXANDER, flagship in the Mediterranean, leaving her in order to join the AGINCOURT, flagship, Channel, 1881 to 1882. He was commissioned lieutenant in 1882, in the CONSTANCE, remaining in her on the Pacific Station until 1886. Still a lieutenant, he retired in 1903 and was promoted on the retired list.
Biography - documents
Robert Barrie was born in 1774 or 1775. His mother was a sister of Admiral Lord Gardner. After the death of Barrie's father she married George Clayton of Lostock Hall, Preston, Lancashire. Barrie entered the navy in his uncle's ship in 1786. He sailed on Vancouver's expedition 1791-1794, and was promoted lieutenant in 1795 and to captain in 1802. He commanded the BRILLIANT on the Irish Station between 1804 and 1805 and the POMONE in the Channel and the Mediterranean between 1806 and 1811. In 1810 he was responsible for apprehending Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino, one of Bonaparte's brothers, and his family who were subsequently sent to England where they remained until 1814. In 1811 the POMONE was wrecked but Barrie was acquitted at his court martial. He commanded the DRAGON on the North American Station 1813 to 1815. From 1819 to 1834 he was Superintendant of HM Dockyard Kingston, Canada. See: biographical article by T L Brock with a family memoir and notes on Barrie's ancestry, and transcripts of his Canadian letters in BGY/19. See also: Section 4 (DXN) diaries of Anne Dixon, nee Gardner (1733-1803), sister of Admiral Lord Gardner and Barrie's aunt.
The founder of the company was William Mackinnon (1823-1893) who, in partnership with William Mackenzie (c 1810-1853) was in business as a general merchant near Calcutta. In the mid-1850s they secured the East India Company's mail contract between Calcutta and Rangoon, for which purpose Mackinnon founded the Calcutta and Burmah Steam Navigation Company Limited, registered in Glasgow in 1856. Within five years of its founding the company had expanded considerably; from Burma, its ships were serving Penang and Singapore: by coasting from Calcutta to Bombay, dozens of small ports along the Indian coasts were being opened up to large-scale traffic.
In 1861 Mackinnon founded the British India Steam Navigation Company Limited, which superseded the Calcutta and Burmah Company. The mercantile firm of Mackinnon, Mackenzie and Company, Calcutta, became the managing agents, a function which they were to fulfil for well over a hundred years. As, until the opening of the Suez Canal, British India operated exclusively in eastern waters, and thereafter had a large part of its fleet employed in 'foreign-to-foreign' trades, it developed a distinctive organization. The Calcutta office had wide decision-making powers as managing agents, and were the operators of the eastern services. All but the most complicated repairs and overhauls were carried out at the Company's establishments at the Garden Reach workshops at Calcutta or the Mazagon Dock at Bombay. In Britain, the Secretary, based in Glasgow until 1892 and thereafter in London, was the link between Calcutta and the Board of Directors. Entry into the Dutch East Indies internal trade was achieved by the formation in 1865 of a Dutch flag company, the Netherlands India Steam Navigation Company. A connection with China was made in 1868, in conjunction with the Messageries Maritimes of France. There was also westward expansion, British India taking a share of the Moslem pilgrim traffic to Jeddah from 1869, and from 1872 carrying P and O mails, passengers and cargo from Aden to Zanzibar. The first 'Home Line' (in B I terminology a service to and from the United Kingdom) was inaugurated in 1874, as a result of the opening of the Suez Canal. In 1881 a mail contract was arranged with the Queensland government, although it lasted only until 1895. British India ships on the Australian run were grouped under the British India Associated Steamers, to differentiate them from vessels earmarked for the company's main trading routes.
Throughout the period the company had been consolidating its position with the Indian and home governments as a partner in the business of moving troops and military stores by sea. The British India involvement in East Africa was strengthened in 1890 by a regular service from London to Zanzibar via Aden and Mombasa. It was at this point that Mackinnon took part in the formation of the Imperial British East Africa Company, investing a quarter of the capital in it; however, the government was not prepared to back it. Japan was included in the B I itineraries in 1907 and participation in the trade was strengthened in 1912 by the purchase of the Apcar Line, which since 1901, had had a cargo pooling agreement with British India. Another British India service was the transport of Indian workers from the Coromandel Coast to Burma, Malaya, East Africa and Mauritius, 1892 to 1932. Sir William Mackinnon was succeeded by James Macalister Hall (d 1904) in 1893 and Duncan Mackinnon (d 1914). The appointment in 1913 of James Lyle Mackay (later Earl of Inchcape, 1852-1932) as chairman foreshadowed the amalgamation of B I with P and 0 (q.v.) in 1914, of which combination he was to become the chairman. Lord Inchcape was, however, careful to maintain a great degree of autonomy for British India. First World War losses were partially offset by the acquisition in 1917 of the Ham Line and the Nourse Line (q.v.). A massive replacement of tonnage after the war led to B I's becoming in 1922.
Sir Gilbert Blane studied medicine in Edinburgh and, in 1779, sailed to the West Indies. It was during this and subsequent expeditions to the West Indies that he impressed upon the Admiralty the importance and the success of anti-scorbutic measures. He was appointed Physician Extraordinary to the Prince of Wales in 1785, the year in which he produced the first edition of his work on the diseases of seamen. From 1795 until 1803 he was one of the Commissioners for Sick and Wounded Seamen. See Christopher Lloyd ed., The Health of Seamen (Navy Records Society, 1965), pp. 132-211.
Arthur Rodney Blane, a grandson of Sir Gilbert Blane (q.v.), entered the Navy in 1848. In the Niger he served in the Second Chinese War, 1857 to 1859, and on receiving his commission as lieutenant in 1858, transferred to the Drake as her commander. He retired from active service in 1866 and was promoted to captain on the retired list in 1881.
Blane, a grandson of Sir Gilbert Blane (q.v.), entered the Navy in 1848. In the NIGER he served in the Second Chinese War, 1857 to 1859, and on receiving his commission as lieutenant in 1858, transferred to the DRAKE as her commander. He retired from active service in 1866 and was promoted to captain on the retired list in 1881.
Blane studied medicine in Edinburgh and, in 1779, sailed to the West Indies. It was during this and subsequent expeditions to the West Indies that he impressed upon the Admiralty the importance and the success of anti-scorbutic measures. He was appointed Physician Extraordinary to the Prince of Wales in 1785, the year in which he produced the first edition of his work on the diseases of seamen. From 1795 until 1803 he was one of the Commissioners for Sick and Wounded Seamen. See Christopher Lloyd ed., The Health of Seamen (Navy Records Society, 1965), pp. 132-211.
Belcher entered the Navy in 1812, became a lieutenant in 1818 and a commander in 1829. After early experiences surveying in Arctic regions and a lengthy survey of the Pacific, he was given post-rank and a knighthood in 1841. From 1842 to 1847 he commanded the SAMARANG, in which he surveyed the coasts of Borneo, the Philippines and Formosa (Taiwan). In 1852 he was appointed to the Assistance to search for Sir John Franklin (q.v.). He was court-martialled for abandoning his ships but acquitted; one, however, was recovered the following year. He saw no more active service and reached the rank of admiral in 1872.
Blake entered the Navy in 1897, was made a lieutenant in 1904, specialising in gunnery and was promoted to commander in 1914. Between 1914 and 1918 he served in the Grand Fleet flagships IRON DUKE and QUEEN ELIZABETH as Fleet Gunnery Commander and Executive Officer respectively. In 1918 he was promoted to captain and served as Naval Attache in Washington between 1919 and 1921. From 1921 to 1923 he commanded QUEEN ELIZABETH and from 1923 he served on the staff of the War College for two years. Between 1925 and 1929 he was Deputy Director and then Director of the Royal Naval Staff College, after which, for three years, he was Commodore in command of the New Zealand Station and First Naval Member of the New Zealand Naval Board. In 1931 he was made rear-admiral. He became Fourth Sea Lord in 1932 and was promoted to vice-admiral in 1935. His last active command was that of the Battle Cruiser Squadron. He retired because of ill-health in 1938, was recalled in 1940 and served on the Board of Admiralty as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff. From 1942 to 1945 he was Flag Officer, Liaison, with the United States Navy in Europe.
Blake entered the Navy as a cadet in 1846, was promoted to Lieutenant in 1854 and to Commander in 1860 After two years in the ALECTO in South America, 1863 to 1865, he was on the Pacific Station in the MUTINE in 1865, when Chile was at war with Spain. He then commanded the FALCON, 1866 to 1867, on the Australian Station. Blake was promoted to Captain in 1867 and, as Captain of the DRUID, was in command of the Naval Brigade during the Second Ashanti War, 1873 to 1874, when he died.
Bond, whose mother, Catherine, was a half-sister of William (later Admiral) Bligh (1754-1817), entered the Navy as a captain's servant in 1774. In 1779 he was promoted to midshipman and in 1782 to lieutenant. On the recommendation of Bligh he was appointed First Lieutenant of the PROVIDENCE in 1791 and accompanied him on the second breadfruit voyage, 1791 to 1795. He held various further appointments as lieutenant, was made a commander in 1800 and a captain in 1802. He was made a rear-admiral in the general promotion of 1837.
Brent entered the Navy as a cadet in 1848, was promoted to lieutenant in 1854 and to commander in 1866. Between 1867 and 1870 he served in the BELLEROPHON in the Channel and the Mediterranean. He was promoted to captain in 1875 and commanded the troopship HIMALAYA from 1879 to 1881, running between Great Britain and the Mediterranean. For a short period he was Director of the Royal Indian Marine but resigned and after further seagoing appointments, retired in 1889. He was made a vice-admiral in 1896.
Bayntun was a lieutenant of 1783. Apart from a short interval in 1796, he served in the West Indies from 1794, the year in which he was promoted to captain, until 1804. On his return to England he was appointed to the LEVIATHAN and sent to the Mediterranean to join Nelson. He then took part in the pursuit of the French to the West Indies and in the Battle of Trafalgar, 1805. From 1806 to 1808 he served in the AFRICA on the Cape Station, returning for a period in home waters in 1808. In 1809 he was appointed to the MILFORD and three years later reached the rank of rear-admiral, after which he saw no more active service. He was made an admiral in 1837.
Bougainville served in the French army in Canada, where he was aide-de-camp to Montcalm (1712-1759). In 1763 he sailed on a private enterprise to colonise the Falkland Islands with French Canadian refugees but when France sold her interest in the islands to Spain in 1766, he sailed to the South Seas and in the next three years circumnavigated the world. He subsequently proposed undertaking a voyage towards the North Pole hut his scheme was dropped when the Duc de Choiseul (1719-1785) was dismissed in 1770. In 1775 Bougainville was granted naval rank and was second-in-command to de Grasse (1722-1788) in the West Indies during the American War of Independence. In 1791 he was offered the post of Ministre de la Marine but refused it. He narrowly escaped the guillotine and he later enjoyed the patronage of Napoleon. In 1796 he was elected to the Institut National. He was also a member of the Bureau des Longitudes and a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. See Jean Etienne Martin-Allanic, Bougainville, navigateur et les decouvertes de son temps (Paris, 1964).
Bond spent the whole of his seafaring career in the employ of the British India Steam Navigation Company. He joined as a cadet in 1918 on the ship CHAKRATA. His next ship was the CHUPRA, carrying troops from India home and from London to New Zealand. He next served on the Indian coast until 1925. He passed for Second Mate in Bombay and did tours of duty in several ships. After passing as mate, he returned to indian waters as Second Officer of the SIRDHANA, and remained in her for three and a half years. He got his Master's Certificate in 1930. His first command of a ship was in 1938, and in December 1939 was given command of the VASNA, in which he remained for the whole of World War Two. The VASNA was fitted-out in Bombay as a naval hospital ship and served in Indian Waters, with the Home Fleet in the Mediterranean, with the Eastern Fleet and with the Pacific Fleet. In 1945, the VASNA was sent to Tokio Bay to help in the repatriation of prisoners of war from Japanese camps and as a Fleet hospital ship, and was the sole British Hospital Ship in Japanese waters. Capt Bond was awarded the OBE for his services during the war. In 1947, Bond was given command of the SANGOLA and in1949 the EMPIRE TROOPER, in which he stayed for over five years. In 1956, he took command of the NEVASA, which was hired by the Ministry of Transport as a troopship. He retired in June 1962 at the age of 60.
Bosanquet entered the Navy in 1883 and served on the Cape of Good Hope Station, 1885 to 1887, in the RALEIGH, going out in the WYE and returning in the HIMALAYA. Between 1888 and 1892 he served in the IRON DUKE, ACTIVE, THAMES and ANSON, all in home waters. He became a lieutenant in 1892. In the PALUMA he went to Australia and there joined the CRESCENT, KATOOMBA and IPHIGENIA, returning to England in 1894. Because of ill-health he retired as lieutenant in 1898. During the two World Wars he worked at the Admiralty and was advanced to captain on the retired list. He was Secretary of the Marine Society, 1900 to 1914, was then on the Committee between 1917 and 1948 and was also active in the Society for Nautical Research.
By the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, the responsibility for maintaining a systematic wreck register was taken over by the Marine Department of the Board of Trade; for a short period before this date it had been the responsibility of the Admiralty. Between 1864 and 1867 the Wreck Department was created to deal with wrecks, salvage and related matters.
Stuart was a lieutenant in 1797, was promoted to commander in 1798 and to captain in 1799. As Senior Officer he served at Gibraltar in LE GRENIER, 1800, and then successively in the CHAMPION, Adriatic, 1801 to 1803, and off Flushing in the CRESCENT, 1804 to 1806. He was in the LAVINIA from 1806 to 1810, during which time the frigate squadron under his command during the Walcheren expedition contributed to the surrender of Flushing, 1809. Stuart was Member of Parliament for Cardiff from 1802 to 1814. His last service was in the CONQUISTADOR, in home waters from 1811 until 1814
Edward Eden Bradford joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet in 1872, serving on HMS HERCULES in the channel. Promoted to Midshipman in 1876, he then served aboard HMS DORIS, HMS DANAE and HMS RALIEGH, before taking up position on the schooner HMS SANDFLY as her Sub-Lieutenant. It was during his time on th SANDFLY that Bradford was forced to take charge of the vessel, following the murder of her Commanding Officer and five crew by natives whilst surveying ashore in the Solomon Islands. Bradford's subsequent actions in recovering the bodies of his shipmates and the punishment of the natives earned him a special promotion to Lieutenant in December 1880. Bradford then joined HMS ACHILLES in 1881 and took part in the bombardment of Alexandria, for which he was decorated. He served in the China Station from 1883 to 1891 aboard HMS SAPPHIRE and HMS MUTINE, after which he joined HMS BOADICEA, flagship of the East Indies Squadron as a Commander. Promoted to Captain in 1899, Bradford then served under Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson as his Flag-Captain in HMS MAJESTIC, HMS REVENGE and HMS EXMOUTH. Commodore of Chatham Naval Barracks from 1907 to 1908, Bradford was then made Rear-Admiral of the Home Fleet, with his flag in HMS HIBERNIA. He then commanded the Training Squadron aboard HMS LEVIATHAN from 1911 to 1913, before being promoted to Vice-Admiral and given command of the 3rd Battle Squadron, with which he supported Admiral Beatty at Dogger Bank. At his own request, Bradford retired in 1918 with the rank of Admiral.
Bridges joined the Navy as an assistant clerk on 15 July 1912 and shortly afterwards took up a position in the NEPTUNE, transferring to the PRINCESS ROYAL in November 1912. In July 1913 he was promoted to clerk and a year later he joined the 4th Battle Squadron in the DREADNOUGHT as clerk to the Flag Officer's secretary and moved to the BENBOW soon afterwards from which ship he was lent to the ERIN in August 1915. Bridges became a paymaster sub-lieutenant in October 1915. In January 1916 he joined the HERCULES and was promoted to paymaster lieutenant in October 1917. In May 1918 he joined the LORD NELSON as clerk to the secretary of the Rear-Admiral second-in-command of the Mediterranean fleet and he served in this capacity, mainly in the EMPEROR OF INDIA, until 1920 when he retired. His brother William M Bridges became a midshipman in January 1917 and in February joined the NEW ZEALAND. He was promoted to sub-lieutenat in May 1918 and subsequently joined the VEGA. He retired in 1920 and saw further active service in the Second World War.
Bridge joined the Navy in 1851, was commissioned lieutenant in 1859 and from 1874 until 1877, when he was promoted to captain, served in the AUDACIOUS on the China Station. He went to Australia in command of the ESPIEGLE, 1881 to 1885, and when he was promoted to rear-admiral in 1894 became Commander-in-Chief there. As a vice-admiral he was Commander-in-Chief of the China Station, 1901 to 1904, during which time the Anglo-Japanese treaty was signed. At the end of this commission he retired. He published Some Recollections (London, 1918).
Robert Edward Barker (c 1820-1910) served with the General Steam Navigation Company before becoming a customs official in 1866.