Sir Henry Stephenson | |
|---|---|
 Stephenson in 1896 | |
| Birth name | Henry Frederick Stephenson |
| Born | (1842-06-07)7 June 1842 Broadstairs,Kent, England |
| Died | 16 December 1919(1919-12-16) (aged 77) London, Middlesex, England |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Service years | 1855–1904 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Conflict(s) | |
| Awards | |
| Other work | Black Rod |
Sir Henry Frederick StephensonGCVO KCB (7 June 1842 – 16 December 1919) was aRoyal Navy officer, courtier, andArctic explorer.
Stephenson was the son ofHenry Frederick StephensonMP, (20 September 1790 – 30 July 1858, an illegitimate son ofCharles Howard, 11th Duke of Norfolk)[1][2] and Lady Mary Keppel.[1] His eldest brother,Sir Augustus Keppel Stephenson, was aTreasury Solicitor, and the second person to hold the office ofDirector of Public Prosecutions inEngland and Wales.[3]
On 18 December 1855 Stephenson joined the Royal Navy, becoming a Naval Cadet inHMSSt Jean d'Acre, commanded by his uncleHenry Keppel, and serving in theBlack Sea during theCrimean War. From September 1856 to April 1857 Stephenson served under Keppel as a cadet in HMSRaleigh, serving in theEast Indies andChina during theSecond Anglo-Chinese War, until his ship wrecked nearMacau when it struck an uncharted rock. All the crew were saved.[4] In June 1857 he served as aMidshipman inHMSPearl, serving withPearl's Naval Brigade during theIndian Mutiny of 1857,[4] during which he wasMentioned in Despatches three times.[5][6][7] In June 1861 he was promoted tolieutenant in HMSEmerald, serving in theChannel Squadron.
On 30 March 1866 Stephenson was the lieutenant-in-command of HMSHeron, serving inNorth America and theWest Indies, and becoming the commanding officer of a gun-boat on theCanadian lakes during theFenian raids of 1866. From 18 January 1867 to 26 April 1868 he served as a lieutenant inHMSRodney, commanded by Algernon C. F. Heneage, the flagship ofVice-AdmiralHenry Keppel, serving inChina. Following the death ofCommander John T. Swann, Keppel promoted Stephenson to commander on 26 April 1868; the promotion was confirmed by theAdmiralty on 7 July 1868.[8] From September 1868 to August 1871 he served in HMSRattler andHMSIron Duke, serving in theFar East, and later inHMSCaledonia in theMediterranean[4] During this period he also served in theRoyal YachtVictoria and Albert.[9] Promoted tocaptain on 6 January 1875, from 15 April 1875 he commandedHMSDiscovery for theBritish Arctic Expedition of 1875–6, led byGeorge Strong Nares inHMSAlert,[10] as a result he was appointed aCompanion of the Order of the Bath (CB) (in the Civil Division) on 9 December 1876.[11] He was appointedEquerry-in-waiting to the Prince of Wales (laterEdward VII of the United Kingdom) on 5 July 1878[12] he held this post from time to time until 4 April 1893, when he was appointed anExtra Equerry.[13][14] On 15 September 1880 he became captain of HMSCarysfort.[4] He participated in the recapture ofIsmaïlia,[15] and was awarded the 3rd ClassOrder of Osmanieh by theKhedive of Egypt in 1883.[16] He was appointedAide-de-camp to the Queen on 1 January 1888.[17] He was additionally appointed CB in the military division on 23 May 1889.[18]
On 4 August 1890 Stephenson was promoted torear admiral,[19] serving as Commander-in-Chief of thePacific Station from 4 May 1893 to 19 June 1896.[20] He was promotedvice admiral on 10 October 1896,[21] serving from 7 June 1897 to 20 December 1898 as Commander-in-Chief of theChannel Squadron. He was appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) on 22 June 1897 in the1897 Diamond Jubilee Honours,[22] he flew his flag fromHMS Majestic during theSpithead Naval Review marking the Jubilee on 26 June 1897.[23] On the accession of Edward the VII, he became an Extra Naval Equerry,[24] he was promotedadmiral on 7 December 1901,[25] and from 28 March 1902 to 1904 he was theFirst and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp toKing Edward VII.[26][27] He retired on 16 September 1904 with the rank of admiral.[28]
Stephenson was appointedKnight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) in the November1902 Birthday Honours list,[29] and was invested with the insignia by the King atBuckingham Palace on 18 December 1902.[30] On 24 July 1904 Stephenson was appointedGentleman Usher of the Black Rod.[31][32] In this capacity he served at a number of important state occasions, such as theState Opening of Parliament, the Coronation of George V,[33] the investiture of the then Prince of Wales (laterEdward VIII of the United Kingdom) as aKnight of the Garter in 1911.[34] He was appointed an Extra Equerry toGeorge V of the United Kingdom on 10 June 1910.[35]
He married the Hon. Charlotte Elizabeth Eleanor Fraser on 5 December 1903. She died in 1923 and Stephenson died at home in London on 16 December 1919 aged 77.
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| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station 1893–1896 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Senior Officer in Command, Channel Squadron 1897–1898 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1903–1904 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by | Black Rod 1904–1919 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
