Sir Astley Cooper Key | |
|---|---|
Sir Astley Cooper Key | |
| Born | (1821-01-18)18 January 1821 London, England |
| Died | 3 March 1888(1888-03-03) (aged 67) Maidenhead,Berkshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1833–1886 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | First Naval Lord North America and West Indies Station Royal Naval College, Greenwich HMS Sans Pareil HMS Amphion HMS Bulldog HMS Admiralty |
| Battles / wars | Anglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata Crimean War Second Opium War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
AdmiralSir Astley Cooper Key,GCB, ADC, FRS (18 January 1821 – 3 March 1888) was aRoyal Navy officer. As a junior officer he saw action at theBattle of Vuelta de Obligado in November 1845 during theAnglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata and took part at theBattle of Bomarsund in August 1854 and theBombardment of Sveaborg in August 1855 during theCrimean War. He also went ashore with thenaval brigade to take part in theBattle of Canton in December 1857 during theSecond Opium War. He later commanded a specially-formed Baltic Fleet created in February 1878 to intimidate Russia from enteringConstantinople during the closing stages of theRusso-Turkish War. He becameFirst Naval Lord in August 1879 in which role he was primarily interested in administration and technology rather than strategy: he kept the cost of running the Navy within budgets, sanctioned the construction of sixAdmiral-classbattleships and ensured the Navy was properly prepared for thePanjdeh Incident in 1885 whenRussian forces seizedAfghan territory atPanjdeh.

Astley Cooper Key was the son ofCharles Aston Key, a well-known surgeon, and Anne Key (née Cooper). His father was a pupil of the pioneering surgeonAstley Cooper.[1] Key joined theRoyal Navy in August 1833.[2] After initial training at theRoyal Navy College atPortsmouth, he spent his early career in thethird-rateHMS Russell in theMediterranean Fleet and then, from 1839, in thesixth-rateHMS Cleopatra on theNorth America and West Indies Station.[3]
Promoted tolieutenant on 22 December 1842, Key was posted to thefifth-rateHMS Curacoa on theSouth America Station.[4] In February 1844 he transferred to thesteam frigateHMSGorgon and was in acting command of theschoonerHMSFanny at theBattle of Vuelta de Obligado in November 1845 during theAnglo-French blockade of the Río de la Plata.[4] Promoted tocommander on 18 November 1845,[5] he was given command of the paddlesloopHMS Bulldog in the Mediterranean Fleet in May 1847.[4] Promoted tocaptain on 11 October 1850, he then took command of thesteam frigateHMS Amphion in November 1853 and saw service in theCrimean War.[4] In May 1854, HMSAmphion and the steam screw frigateHMS Conflict captured the town ofLiepāja, a town of some 10,000 inhabitants, inLatvia without a shot being fired.[6] He also took part at theBattle of Bomarsund in August 1854 and theBombardment of Sveaborg in August 1855.[4] He was appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath on 5 July 1855.[7]
Key took command of thesecond-rateHMS Sans Pareil on theEast Indies and China Station in January 1856 and went ashore with thenaval brigade to take part in theBattle of Canton in December 1857 during theSecond Opium War.[4] He was appointed a member of theRoyal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom in August 1859,[8] became captain of the steam reserve atDevonport in July 1860 and went on to be captain ofHMS Excellent and superintendent of the Royal Navy College at Portsmouth in July 1863.[4]
Key had a considerable share in advising as to the reorganization of naval administration.[9] Promoted torear admiral on 20 November 1866,[10] Key was madeDirector of Naval Ordnance and became an expert onmuzzle-loading guns, this being recognised when he was elected aFellow of the Royal Society on 4 June 1868.[11] He went on to be Admiral Superintendent ofPortsmouth Dockyard in July 1869 and Admiral Superintendent ofMalta Dockyard in June 1870[4] and subsequentlysecond-in-command in theMediterranean.[1]
Key was made President-designate of the proposedRoyal Naval College, Greenwich, which was established by him and which opened the following year.[4] He was promoted tovice admiral on 30 April 1873[12] and advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 24 May 1873.[13] He becameCommander-in-Chief of theNorth America and West Indies Station in December 1875 and was then asked to command a specially-formed Baltic Fleet created in February 1878 to intimidate Russia from enteringConstantinople during the closing stages of theRusso-Turkish War.[4] Promoted to fulladmiral on 21 March 1878,[14] he was appointedFirst and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp tothe Queen on 15 June 1879.[4]
Key becameFirst Naval Lord in August 1879 and advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 24 November 1882.[15] As First Sea Lord he was primarily interested in administration and technology rather than strategy: he kept the cost of running the Navy within budgets, sanctioned the construction of sixAdmiral-class battleships and ensured the Navy was properly prepared for thePanjdeh Incident in 1885 whenRussian forces seizedAfghan territory atPanjdeh.[2] Having been made a member of thePrivy Council on 11 August 1884,[16] he retired in June 1885 and died at his home, Laggan House, inMaidenhead on 3 March 1888.[2]
On 28 April 1856 at Gonville,Jersey, Key married Charlotte Lavinia McNeil,[17] daughter of Edmund and Rose McNeil. Astley and Charlotte's daughter was artist and authorRose Champion de Crespigny.[18] Lady Charlotte died on 30 December 1874.[18]
In October 1877 at Halifax, Key married, secondly, Evelyn Bartolucci, niece of the Governor of Bermuda, Major GeneralJohn Lefroy, the daughter of Vincenzo Bartolucci of Rome, and the granddaughter of General Luigi Bartolucci.[19]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Admiral Superintendent, Malta Dockyard 1870–1872 | Succeeded by |
| New office | President, Royal Naval College, Greenwich 1873–1875 | Succeeded by Sir Edward Fanshawe |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station 1875–1878 | Succeeded by Sir Edward Inglefield |
| First Naval Lord 1879–1885 | Succeeded by | |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1879–1886 | Succeeded by |