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George Wellesley

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British Lord of the Admiralty (1814–1901)

For his cousin the aviator, seeLord George Wellesley.

Sir George Wellesley
Admiral Sir George Wellesley
Born	(1814-08-02)2 August 1814
Died	6 April 1901(1901-04-06) (aged 86) London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/ branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1828–1879
Rank	Admiral
Commands	First Naval Lord North America and West Indies Station Channel Squadron Indian Navy HMS Cornwallis HMS Daedalus
Battles / wars	Oriental Crisis Crimean War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath

AdmiralSir George Greville WellesleyGCB (2 August 1814 – 6 April 1901) was aRoyal Navy officer. As a junior officer he took part in the capture ofAcre during theOriental Crisis in 1840 and, as Captain ofHMS Cornwallis in the Baltic Fleet, he took part in theBombardment of Sveaborg in August 1855 during theCrimean War. He went on to beCommander-in-Chief of theNorth America and West Indies Station and then Commander-in-Chief of theChannel Squadron but was relieved of the latter post by acourt-martial after an incident in which an armoured frigate, which had been under his command at the time, ran aground at Pearl Rock offGibraltar in July 1871. He was appointedFirst Naval Lord in November 1877 and in that capacity he secured a considerable increase in naval construction, for example on theColossus-class battleships, although some of these ships were of doubtful quality.

Early career

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The fifth-rateHMSDaedalus which Wellesley commanded

Born the son ofGerald Valerian Wellesley (brother of theArthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington) and Lady Emily Mary (daughter ofCharles Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan), Wellesley joined theRoyal Navy in 1828.^[1] After initial training at theRoyal Navy College atPortsmouth and promotion to lieutenant on 22 April 1838, he was posted to thefirst-rate HMSPrincess Charlotte in theMediterranean Fleet.^[2] He transferred to thefifth-rate HMSCastor in March 1839 and took part in operations on the coast ofSyria taking part in the capture ofAcre in November 1840 during theOriental Crisis.^[1] He joined the fifth-rateHMSThalia on theEast Indies Station in November 1841 and, having been promoted tocommander on 16 April 1842, he transferred to thebrig HMSChilders also on the East Indies Station.^[2]

Promoted tocaptain on 2 December 1844, Wellesley was given command of the fifth-rateHMSDaedalus on thePacific Station in July 1849 and then became Captain ofHMSCornwallis in the Baltic Fleet in February 1855 taking part in theBombardment of Sveaborg in August 1855 during theCrimean War.^[1] He was appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath in February 1856.^[2] He remained in command of HMSCornwallis when she moved to theNorth America and West Indies Station in 1856 and then commanded theIndian Navy from 1857 until it became theBombay Marine in 1862.^[1]

Senior command

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HMSHercules (left) towingHMSAgincourt (right) off Pearl Rock; the grounding of theAgincourt led to Wellesley being court martialled and being relieved of his command

Promoted torear admiral on 3 April 1863,^[3] Wellesley became Admiral Superintendent atPortsmouth in June 1865 and thenCommander-in-Chief of theNorth America and West Indies Station, hoisting his flag in theironclad frigate HMSRoyal Alfred, in June 1869.^[2]

Promoted tovice admiral on 26 July 1869,^[4] Wellesley went on to beCommander-in-Chief of theChannel Squadron, hoisting his flag in thearmoured frigate HMSMinotaur, in October 1870 but was relieved of that post by acourt-martial after an incident in which the armoured frigateHMSAgincourt, which had been under his command at the time, ran aground at Pearl Rock offGibraltar in July 1871.^[2] It was not until the fourth day after the incident that thecentral battery ironclad HMSHercules commanded by CaptainLord Gilford, using full engines and hauling on the anchors, managed to pull HMSAgincourt free using two chains.^[5] After that Wellesley was madeCommander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station again, this time hoisting his flag in the central battery ironcladHMSBellerophon, in September 1873.^[2]

Promoted to fulladmiral on 11 December 1875,^[6] Wellesley was appointedFirst Naval Lord in November 1877.^[2] In that capacity he secured a considerable increase in naval construction, for example on theColossus-class battleships, although some of these ships were of doubtful quality.^[1] He retired in August 1879 and was advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 23 April 1880.^[7]

In retirement Wellesley was advanced toKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 21 June 1887^[8] and became a Commissioner of thePatriotic Fund in June 1888.^[9] He died at his home at Chester Square in London on 6 April 1901.^[1]

Family

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In 1853 Wellesley married Elizabeth Doughty Lukin (c.1816 - 1906); they had one daughter, Olivia Georgiana.^[1]

References

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^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^gLaughton, L. G. C. (2004). "Wellesley, Sir George Greville (1814–1901)". In rev. Andrew Lambert (ed.).Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/36827. Retrieved29 December 2012. (Subscription orUK public library membership required.)
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g"William Loney RN". Retrieved29 December 2012.
^"No. 22725".The London Gazette. 10 April 1863. p. 1970.
^"No. 23523".The London Gazette. 6 August 1869. p. 4366.
^Fitzgerald, p. 209-302
^"No. 24278".The London Gazette. 24 December 1875. p. 6577.
^"No. 24838".The London Gazette. 27 April 1880. p. 2724.
^"No. 25773".The London Gazette. 5 January 1888. p. 212.
^"No. 25826".The London Gazette. 12 June 1888. p. 3247.

Sources

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Fitzgerald, Penrose (1913).Memories of the Sea. London: Edward Arnold.ASIN B009YSMIH2.
William Loney RN Career History

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Rodney Mundy	Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station 1869–1870	Succeeded by Sir Edward Fanshawe
Preceded by Sir Hastings Yelverton	Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron 1870–1871	Succeeded by Sir Geoffrey Hornby
Preceded by Sir Edward Fanshawe	Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station 1873–1875	Succeeded by Sir Astley Key
Preceded by Sir Hastings Yelverton	First Naval Lord 1877–1879	Succeeded by Sir Astley Key

v t e First Sea Lords of theRoyal Navy
Senior Naval Lords (1689–1771)	Arthur Herbert Sir John Chicheley Edward Russell Henry Priestman Earl of Orford Sir George Rooke Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Matthew Aylmer Sir George Byng Sir John Jennings Sir John Norris Sir Charles Wager Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Harry Powlett Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Vere Beauclerk Lord Anson Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen John Forbes Earl Howe Sir Charles Saunders Augustus Keppel Sir Peircy Brett Sir Francis Holburne
First Naval Lords (1771–1904)	Augustus Hervey Sir Hugh Palliser Robert Man George Darby Sir Robert Harland Sir Hugh Pigot John Leveson-Gower Lord Hood Sir Charles Middleton James Gambier Sir Thomas Troubridge James Gambier John Markham James Gambier Sir Richard Bickerton William Domett Sir Joseph Yorke Sir Graham Moore Sir William Johnstone Hope Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
First Sea Lords (1904–present)	Sir John Fisher Sir Arthur Wilson Sir Francis Bridgeman Prince Louis of Battenberg The Lord Fisher Sir Henry Jackson Sir John Jellicoe Sir Rosslyn Wemyss The Earl Beatty Sir Charles Madden, Bt Sir Frederick Field The Lord Chatfield Sir Roger Backhouse Sir Dudley Pound The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope Sir John Cunningham The Lord Fraser of North Cape Sir Rhoderick McGrigor The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Sir Charles Lambe Sir Caspar John Sir David Luce Sir Varyl Begg Sir Michael Le Fanu Sir Peter Hill-Norton Sir Michael Pollock Sir Edward Ashmore Sir Terence Lewin Sir Henry Leach Sir John Fieldhouse Sir William Staveley Sir Julian Oswald Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir Jock Slater Sir Michael Boyce Sir Nigel Essenhigh Sir Alan West Sir Jonathon Band Sir Mark Stanhope Sir George Zambellas Sir Philip Jones Sir Antony Radakin Sir Ben Key