Sir William Kennedy | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 4 March 1838 |
| Died | 9 October 1916 (1916-10-10) (aged 78) Daventry, Northamptonshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1851–1901 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | East Indies Station Nore Command |
| Battles / wars | Crimean War Second Opium War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
AdmiralSir William Robert KennedyGCB (4 March 1838 – 9 October 1916) was aRoyal Navy officer who served asCommander-in-Chief, The Nore.
Born inNaples,Kingdom of the Two Sicilies where his father John Kennedy was the Britishchargé d'affaires,[1] Kennedy joined theRoyal Navy in 1851 and served with theNaval Brigade during theCrimean War.[2] He was present at thebombardment of Canton in 1856, at theBattle of Fatshan Creek in 1857 and at the attack on thePeiho Forts in 1858 during theSecond Opium War.[2]
As alieutenant he next was appointed to the sloop Wasp and on the journey to Cape of Good Hope he jumped overboard to rescue a man that had fallen in; he was awarded a silver medal by the Royal Humane Society.[1] He later sailed on theNarcissus andVictoria, the Mediterranean flagship.[1]
Promoted tocommander in 1867, he commanded the Vestal on the North American station and then the Reindeer in the Pacific. From 1879 to 1881 he commanded the Druid and was senior officer on the Newfoundland coast.[1] He then commanded a coast-guard ship at Queensferry and then on to the Ruby as senior officer on the south-east coast of South America.[1] In 1889 he was promoted to rear-admiral and from 1892 to 1895 and wasCommander-in-Chief of the East Indies.[1] Promoted to vice-admiral in 1896 he was appointedCommander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1900.[1] He was promoted toAdmiral 16 June 1901[3] and retired in November 1901.[4]He was also an accomplished author who wrote an extensive autobiography and other books.[5]
Kennedy married Edith Louisa Stopford inDaventry in 1868; they had one daughter Alice Emily Kennedy. His brothers included SirJohn Gordon KennedyKCMG, who became an eminent diplomat, andGilbert George Kennedy who played for the Scottish XI in the secondinternational football match against England.[6]
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| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station 1892–1895 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, The Nore 1900–1901 | Succeeded by |
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