Sir Edward Southwell Sotheby | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1813-05-14)14 May 1813 Clifton, Bristol, England |
| Died | 6 January 1902(1902-01-06) (aged 88) Green Street, Mayfair, London, England |
| Spouse | Lucy Elizabeth Adeane |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | William Sotheby (uncle) Rear-AdmiralCharles Sotheby (cousin) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1832-1870 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Unit | HMS Dido HMS Racehorse HMS Sealark HMS Pearl Pearl's Naval Brigade HMS Conqueror |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | Mentioned in dispatches CB KCB |
AdmiralSir Edward Southwell SothebyKCB (14 May 1813 – 6 January 1902) was an English naval officer in theRoyal Navy.[1][2]
Sotheby was born atClifton, Bristol, the second son ofAdmiral of the Blue Thomas Sotheby (1758–1831), and his second wife, Lady Mary Anne (d. 1830), fourth daughter ofJoseph Bourke, 3rd Earl of Mayo and Archbishop of Tuam. The poetWilliam Sotheby (1757–1833) was his uncle and Rear-AdmiralCharles Sotheby his cousin. He was from the southern branch of the famedSotheby family from Yorkshire, which found success as auctioneers.[3] He attended theRoyal Naval College, Portsmouth,[1] entering the Royal Navy on 3 August 1826, aged 13.[4]
Sotheby passed the Royal Navy examination in 1832 before going to sea. He was commissioned as alieutenant, 3 October 1835.[4] He served onHMS Dido during the 1840 operations off the coast ofSyria during theEgyptian–Ottoman War. For his services during the conflict, he was promoted tocommander on 30 October 1841.[2]
He saw conflict again onDido in 1842 during theFirst Opium War, when the British unleashed "gunboat diplomacy" to defeat the Chinese. In 1846–1847, he commandedHMS Racehorse against theMāori in theNew Zealand Wars. In 1850, he took command ofHMS Sealark and exerted himself in the suppression of the slave trade along the west coast of Africa. He was promoted tocaptain in September 1852.[2]
From 1855 to 1858, Sotheby was captain ofHMS Pearl, a 21-gun screw corvette which he commanded in the Pacific Ocean, China, and India. While on route to India for theIndian Rebellion of 1857,Pearl rescued the crew of the wrecked transport HMSTransit, which wrecked offBangka Island,Sumatra. Sotheby was called to shore and took command of thePearl's Naval Brigade for 10 months. For his assistance in suppressing the Indian uprising, Sotheby received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, the Governor-General of India, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and the Naval and Military Commanders-in-Chief in India for services rendered.[2]
In 1860, Sotheby was captain of the battleshipHMS Conqueror, a 101-gunConqueror-class screw-propelledfirst-rateship of the line of the Royal Navy. He served in the English Channel until late 1861, whenConqueror was despatched to carry troops supporting theFrench intervention in Mexico. On 29 December 1861, the ship was wrecked on the reefs ofRum Cay, inthe Bahamas, without loss of life. It was determined themaster failed to allow for the local currents. When Sotheby was brought tocourt-martial, he argued that the captain was not responsible for the navigation of the ship, which was the role of the master. The court accepted Sotheby's argument and admonished the master. However, Admiral of the FleetSir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet disagreed with the outcome of the court-martial and successfully wrote a letter to theAdmiralty, in which he not only attributed the loss ofConqueror to carelessness, but blaming Sotheby personally for his failure to supervise the master. On 20 March 1862, the Admiralty reconsidered the court case and revised the regulations by placing the ultimate responsibility for a ship's safety on the captain. After the court case, Sotheby had no further commands in the Royal Navy. In 1863, he commanded the Portland coastguard division, his final command.[1]
Sotheby was made arear-admiral on 1 September 1867, avice-admiral on 25 August 1873, and anadmiral in June 1879. He retired from active service on 1 April 1870.[2]
After his retirement, Sir Edward devoted himself to his philanthropic work for the blind. For many years, he was chairman of the Blind Institute inTottenham. In 1886, he was made a commissioner for investigating and reporting on the condition of the blind.[1]
For his role in suppressing the Indian uprising, Sotheby and his brigade werementioned in dispatches 13 times. He was made aCompanion of the Order of the Bath (CB) and an extraaide de camp toQueen Victoria (1858–67). In the1875 Birthday Honours, he was promoted to aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).[2]
Sotheby married Lucy Elizabeth Adeane, third daughter ofHenry John Adeane and granddaughter ofLord Stanley of Alderley. They had three sons: William Edward Southwell Sotheby, Alfred Frederick Sotheby, and Herbert George Sotheby.[1]
Sir Edward died at his home at 26Green Street, Mayfair, aged 88.[2]