Sir Edward Seymour | |
|---|---|
 Sir Edward Seymour | |
| Born | (1840-04-30)30 April 1840 |
| Died | 2 March 1929(1929-03-02) (aged 88) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1852–1910 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands | China Station SS Oregon HMS Inflexible HMS Iris HMS Orontes HMS Vigilant HMS Growler HMS Waterman |
| Conflicts | Crimean War Second Opium War Taiping Rebellion Boxer Rebellion |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Member of the Order of Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order |
Admiral of the FleetSir Edward Hobart Seymour,GCB, OM, GCVO, PC (30 April 1840 – 2 March 1929) was aRoyal Navy officer. As a junior officer he served in theBlack Sea during theCrimean War. He then took part in the sinking of war junks, theBattle of Canton and theBattle of Taku Forts during theSecond Opium War and then saw action again at theBattle of Cixi during theTaiping Rebellion.
Seymour went on to be Second-in-Command of the Channel Squadron and then Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves. After that he becameCommander-in-Chief, China Station. During theBoxer Rebellion, he led anexpedition of 2,000 sailors and marines from Western and Japanese warships to relieve thebesieged diplomatic legations in Peking. The expedition was defeated by Chinese and Boxer forces and had to return toTianjin. Although the mission had failed, when Seymour arrived back at Portsmouth he and his men were welcomed by thousands of people lining the beach and pier.
Born the son of the Reverend Richard Seymour and Frances Seymour (née Smith), Seymour was educated atRadley College andEastman's Royal Naval Academy,Southsea and joined theRoyal Navy atPortsmouth in 1852.[1] He was appointed to thecorvetteHMS Encounter and, having been promoted tomidshipman, then transferred to the paddlefrigateHMS Terrible in 1853.[2] He served in HMSTerrible in theBlack Sea throughout theCrimean War.[2] He was appointed to thesecond-rateHMS Calcutta, flagship of his uncleSir Michael Seymour, Commander-in-Chief,China Station in 1857 and took part in the sinking of the war-junks in June 1857, theBattle of Canton in December 1857 and theBattle of Taku Forts in May 1858 during theSecond Opium War.[2]
Seymour returned to Portsmouth and joined the steam frigateHMS Mersey after which he attended the training shipHMS Illustrious and then the gunnery schoolHMS Excellent.[2] Promoted tosub-lieutenant on 4 May 1859, he returned to China and, during the voyage, was awarded theRoyal Humane Society medal for an unsuccessful attempt to save a marine who had fallen overboard.[2] Promoted tolieutenant on 11 February 1860, he joined the frigateHMS Chesapeake, flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, China Station, and saw action again at theBattle of Taku Forts in August 1860.[2] He became commanding officer of the paddle steamerHMS Waterman atCanton and then transferred to the paddle sloopHMS Sphynx before joining the frigateHMS Imperieuse, the new flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, China Station, and took part in theBattle of Cixi in September 1862 during theTaiping Rebellion.[2]
Seymour became flag lieutenant to theCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1863 and then joined the Royal YachtHMY Victoria and Albert in 1865.[2] Promoted tocommander on 5 March 1866,[3] after a tour in a whaling ship to obtain experience of arctic waters, he joined theCoast Guard inIreland in 1868 and then became commanding officer of thegunboatHMS Growler on theWest Coast of Africa Station in June 1869.[4] After taking part in operations against African pirates in 1870, he became commanding officer of the despatch vesselHMS Vigilant in theChannel Squadron in January 1872 and then of the despatch vesselHMS Lively later that year, also in the Channel Squadron.[4]
Promoted tocaptain on 13 March 1873,[5] Seymour spent a year at theRoyal Naval College, Greenwich and then became commanding officer of the troopshipHMS Orontes.[4] He went on to be commanding officer of thecruiserHMS Iris in theMediterranean Fleet in April 1880 and commanding officer of thebattleshipHMS Inflexible in the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1882.[4] He briefly commanded the converted linerSS Oregon whenRussian forces seizedAfghan territory in March 1885 during thePanjdeh Incident.[4] He went on to be flag captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in May 1886 and, having been appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath on 21 June 1887,[6] he became assistant to the Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves in December 1887.[4]
Promoted torear-admiral on 14 July 1889,[7] Seymour became Second-in-Command of the Channel Squadron, with his flag in the battleshipHMS Anson, in April 1894.[4] Promoted tovice-admiral on 9 November 1895,[8] he became Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves later that year.[4] He was advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 22 June 1897.[9]
Seymour became Commander-in-Chief,China Station, with his flag in the battleshipHMS Centurion, on 18 February 1898.[10] In early 1900 the Boxers, a rural mass movement, decided to rid China of Western influence and in June 1900 they advanced onPeking, initiating theBoxer Rebellion. The diplomatic legations in Peking requested military support. On 9 June 1900Sir Claude MacDonald the British Minister cabled Seymour, reporting that the situation in Beijing "was hourly becoming more serious" and that "troops should be landed and all arrangements made for an advance to Peking at once."[11] In response Seymour assembled a lightly armed force of 2,000 sailors and marines from Western and Japanese warships inTianjin. Theexpedition headed for Beijing by train.[12] Seymour's force consisted of 916 British, 455 Germans, 326 Russians, 158 French, 112 Americans, 54 Japanese, 41 Italians, and 26 Austrians.[13]
On the first day the allied force travelled twenty five miles without incident, crossing a bridge at Yancun over theHai River unopposed although Chinese GeneralNie Shicheng and thousands of his soldiers were camped there. The next few days went slowly as Seymour had to repair railroad track and fight off Boxer attacks as his trains advanced. On 14 June 1900, several hundred Boxers armed with swords, spears, and clumsygingals attacked Seymour twice and killed five Italian sailors who had been acting as pickets. The Americans counted 102 Boxer bodies left on the battlefield at the end of one battle.[14]
On 16 June 1900 there was an allied European and Japanese attack on theDagu Forts. As a result of the attack in Dagu, the Chinese government decided to resist Seymour's expedition and kill or expel all foreigners in northern China.[15] So, on 18 June 1900, Seymour's force was suddenly attacked by several thousand well-armed Chinese Imperial soldiers – who had not opposed Seymour's passage a few days earlier. The expedition fought off the attack, reportedly killing hundreds of Chinese at a loss of seven dead and 57 wounded. However, the need to care for the wounded, a shortage of supplies and ammunition, and the likelihood of additional Chinese attacks forced Seymour and his officers to decide on a retreat to Tianjin.[16]
Seymour turned his trains around and headed back toward Tianjin. But, he found the bridge across the Hai River he had crossed a few days before now destroyed by the Boxers or the Chinese army. The sailors, perhaps more comfortable near water, chose to follow the river – although the railroad route was shorter and ran through open country. Along the heavily populated river banks were Boxer-infested villages every one-half mile.[17] Seymour's retreat down the Hai River was slow and difficult, covering only three miles the first day. Additional casualties includedJohn Jellicoe who suffered a near fatal wound.[18] By 22 June 1900, the allies were out of food and down to less than 10 rounds of ammunition per man – except for the Americans who had brought ample ammunition. But, "there was no thought of surrender," said Lieutenant Wurtzbaugh. "The intention was to fight to the last with the bayonet."[19] On 23 June 1900, six miles from Tianjin, Seymour came across theXigu fort and arsenal which inexplicably was nearly undefended by Chinese soldiers. The foreign sailors and marines took refuge in the arsenal which contained a wealth of arms and ammunition and some food. Realizing its mistake in leaving the arsenal undefended, the Chinese army attempted to dislodge Seymour, now well-armed, but were unsuccessful.[20]
A Chinese servant of the British slipped through to Tianjin and requested rescue for Seymour. Two thousand allied soldiers marched out of the city to the arsenal on 25 June 1900 and the next day escorted Seymour's men back to Tianjin. The Chinese did not oppose their passage. A missionary reported their arrival in Tianjin. "I shall never forget to my dying day, the long string of dusty travel-worn soldiers, who for a fortnight had been living on quarter rations, and fighting every day…the men were met by kind ladies with pails of tea which the poor fellows drunk as they had never drunk before – some bursting into tears."[21] Seymour's casualties were 62 dead and 232 wounded.[22]
Promoted to fulladmiral on 24 May 1901,[23] Seymour arrived back at Portsmouth where he was welcomed by thousands of people lining the beach and pier[24] and honoured by a visit by theLords of the Admiralty to his flagship.[25] He had been advanced to Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Bath (GCB) on 9 November 1900;[26] in late September 1901 he was received in a personal audience by KingEdward VII, who presented him with the insignia of the order.[27] He was also awarded the PrussianOrder of the Red Eagle, First class, with the crossed swords in April 1902.[28]
In May 1902, he was part of a delegation led by theDuke of Connaught to take part in the enthronement ceremonies inMadrid for the youngKing Alfonso XIII of Spain, and he was awarded the SpanishCrosses of Naval Merit.[29]
Seymour was among the original recipients of theOrder of Merit (OM) in the1902 Coronation Honours list published on 26 June 1902,[30] and received the order from KingEdward VII atBuckingham Palace on 8 August 1902.[31][32] He was also appointedFirst and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp tothe King on 3 October 1902.[33]
Promoted toAdmiral of the Fleet on 20 February 1905[34] and appointed aKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order on 15 May 1906,[35] Seymour became commander of a squadron, with his flag in thebattlecruiserHMS Inflexible, sent to attend celebrations inBoston in 1909.[36] In November 1909 he was sworn in thePrivy Council.[37] He retired from the Navy in April 1910[38] and died at his home inMaidenhead on 2 March 1929.[36]
Seymour neither married nor had any children.[1]
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| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, China Station 1897–1901 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by new post | Military Commissioner ofWeihaiwei 1898–1899 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1902–1903 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
