Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet
| Sir Michael Culme-Seymour | |
|---|---|
| Born |
13 March 1836 Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire[1] |
| Died |
11 October 1920 (aged 84) Oundle, Northamptonshire |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1850–1901 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held |
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth (1897–00) Mediterranean Fleet (1893–96) Channel Fleet (1890–92) Pacific Station (1885–87) HMS Duke of Wellington (1879–82) HMS Temeraire (1877–79) HMS Monarch (1876–77) HMS Volage (1870–74) HMS Wanderer (1861–65) |
| Battles/wars | Second Opium War |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order[2] |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Georgina Watson |
| Relations | Vice Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 4th Baronet (son) |
Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet GCB, GCVO (13 March 1836 – 11 October 1920) was a senior Royal Navy officer. On 17 September 1880 he became 3rd Baronet, on the death of his father. The Culme-Seymours were relatives of the Seymour family, his father having added his wife's family name – Culme – to his own following her death.
Naval career
Culme-Seymour was born in Northchurch, Berkhamsted 13 March 1836, the son of Sir John Hobart Culme-Seymour, 2nd Baronet (1800–1880) and his wife Elizabeth Culme, daughter of Reverend Thomas Culme.[3] He entered the Navy in 1850,[4] and in 1856 served as mate in HMS Calcutta, flagship of the East Indies squadron, which was involved in the Second Opium War.[4] The fleet was commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour (his uncle), while Calcutta was commanded by William King Hall.[4] On 25 May 1857 he was promoted to lieutenant, continuing to serve on Calcutta until 6 June 1859, when he was promoted again to commander.[4] From 20 June 1861 to 16 August 1865 he commanded HMS Wanderer in the Mediterranean Fleet.[4] On 16 December 1865 he was promoted to captain.[4]
In December 1870 he commanded HMS Volage in the Channel Squadron.[4] From 1874 to 1876 he was private secretary to First Lord of the Admiralty, George Ward Hunt.[4] In 1876 he returned to the Mediterranean, commanding HMS Monarch.[4] In July 1877 he transferred to HMS Temeraire and took part in the 1878 passage of the Dardanelles commanded by Admiral Sir Geoffrey Phipps Hornby.[4]
From 29 July 1879 to 9 May 1882 he was captain of HMS Duke of Wellington,[4] which was the flagship of the officer commanding Portsmouth harbour, Admiral Alfred Phillips Ryder,[4] at the end of which appointment he was promoted to rear-admiral.[4] 1885 saw him as second in command of the Baltic squadron under Phipps Hornby during the Panjdeh Incident.[4] From 5 July 1885 to 20 September 1887 he was commander in chief of the Pacific squadron.[4] He was promoted to vice-admiral on 19 June 1888[4] and from 1890 he commanded the Channel Fleet for two years.[4]
From 3 May 1893 to 10 November 1896 he was Commander in Chief, Mediterranean Fleet,[4] replacing George Tryon after the accidental sinking of HMS Victoria in a collision. He was promoted to full admiral before taking up the command.
From 3 August 1897 to 3 October 1900 he was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth,[4] and in March 1901 he was placed on the retired list.[5]
In 1899 he was appointed First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria. He was re-appointed after the succession of the new King Edward VII, in February 1901,[6] but resigned from the position in April the same year.[7]
In early 1901 Sir Michael was asked by King Edward to take part in a special diplomatic mission to announce the King´s accession to the governments of Belgium, Bavaria, Italy, Württemberg, and The Netherlands.[8]
He was granted the honorary offices of Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom and Lieutenant of the Admiralty in July 1901,[9] and kept these until his death.
He died at Oundle in Northamptonshire in 1920.[4]
Family
He married 16 October 1866 Mary Georgina Watson, daughter of the Hon Richard Watson, MP (1800–1852) and granddaughter of the 2nd Lord Sondes. Lady Culme-Seymour died in 1912. They had three sons and two daughters.[3]
His eldest son, Sir Michael Culme-Seymour (1867–1925) succeeded him in the baronetcy, and was himself a senior naval officer. His daughter Mary Elizabeth Culme-Seymour married Vice Admiral Sir Trevylyan Napier.
His younger son, George Culme-Seymour (1878–1915) was a Captain in the King's Royal Rifle Corps and served as Adjutant in the Queen Victoria's Rifles during the Great War. He was killed during the Second Battle of Ypres on 7 May 1915 leading a company from the QVRs over a trench barricade in an attempt to recapture Hill 60. He is remembered on the Menin Gate in Ypres.
His great-great-granddaughter is comedian and actress Miranda Hart.
References
- ↑ Pfarr, p. 262
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27292. p. 1647. 8 March 1901.
- 1 2 Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2008, ‘SEYMOUR, Sir Michael Culme-’; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 William Loney RN
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27297. p. 2021. 22 March 1901.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27289. p. 1417. 26 February 1901. Retrieved 14-10-2012.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27307. p. 2777. 23 April 1901.
- ↑ "The King – the special Embassies" The Times (London). Saturday, 23 March 1901. (36410), p. 12.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27338. p. 4950. 26 July 1901.
- Andrew Gordon (1996). The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command. London: John Murray. ISBN 0-7195-5076-9.
- Pfarr, Victor (1899). Men and Women of the Time: A Dictionary of Contemporaries at Google Books. G. Routledge. p. 262.
External links
- The Dreadnought Project: Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir John Baird |
Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station 1885–1887 |
Succeeded by Sir Algernon Heneage |
| Preceded by Sir John Baird |
Commander-in-Chief, Channel Fleet 1890–1892 |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Fairfax |
| Preceded by Sir George Tryon |
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet 1893–1896 |
Succeeded by Sir John Hopkins |
| Preceded by Sir Nowell Salmon |
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth 1897–1900 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Hotham |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir Nowell Salmon |
First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1899–1901 |
Succeeded by Sir James Erskine |
| Vacant Title last held by Sir Michael Seymour |
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom 1901–1920 |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Bridgeman |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by John Culme-Seymour |
Baronet (of Highmount and Friery Park) 1880–1920 |
Succeeded by Michael Culme-Seymour |