Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot (5 February 1850 – 30 September 1913) was an officer of the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

Biography

Arbuthnot was born in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, England, the son of George Clerk Arbuthnot (1803–1876) of Marisbank,

Midlothian Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...

, (the third son of

Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet of Edinburgh FRSE (24 December 1766 – 18 September 1829) was a Scottish landowner and politician. He served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh and Lord Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh. Life William was the s ...

), by his second wife Caroline Ramsay, daughter of James Hay of Collepriest, and Lady Mary Ramsay, the fourth daughter of George Ramsay, 6th

Earl of Dalhousie Earl of Dalhousie, in the County of Midlothian, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland, held by the Chief of Clan Ramsay. History The family descends from Sir George Ramsay, who represented Kincardineshire in the Scottish Parliament in 1617. ...

. Arbuthnot entered the Royal Navy as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

in September 1863, aged 13, and was commissioned as a

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

in December 1869. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant from the Royal Yacht on 7 September 1871. In 1875–76 he served aboard the yacht in the Arctic, earning the Arctic Medal. Arbuthnot was promoted to the rank of commander on 31 December 1883, and to captain on 30 June 1891. In 1888 he was stationed in Zanzibar where he served in the Royal Navy's Anti-Slavery Squadron. He commanded the cruisers during her operations on the

Australia Station The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...

between 1892 and 1895, and from January to March 1895. From January 1896 until April 1898 he was in command of the

protected cruiser Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...

, which formed part of the Flying Squadron of 1896, and then the battleship between April 1898 and March 1900. From August 1900 until August 1903, he was in command of , the gunnery ship off

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

. He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

on 9 September 1901, serving until promoted to the rank of rear-admiral on 1 January 1904. In accordance with the provisions of the Order in Council of 8 December 1903, Arbuthnot was placed on the Retired List on 1 July 1907. He was promoted to vice-admiral on the Retired List on 22 March 1908, and to admiral on 18 September 1911. He died on 30 September 1913.

Personal life

On 8 January 1880 he married Emily Caroline, second daughter of Rear-Admiral

Charles Frederick Schomberg Vice Admiral Charles Frederick Schomberg (1815 – 29 September 1874) was an officer of the British Royal Navy. He was the eldest son of Admiral Alexander Wilmot Schomberg by his second marriage. The ship , was named after him. She was built in ...

. They had three children; Evelyn Mary (1881–1939), Beatrice Caroline (1883–1953), and Geoffrey Schomberg, (1885–1957). Arbuthnot was a fellow of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Arbuthnot, Charles Ramsay 1850 births 1913 deaths

Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot Admiral Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot (5 February 1850 – 30 September 1913) was an officer of the British Royal Navy. Biography Arbuthnot was born in Liverpool, England, the son of George Clerk Arbuthnot (1803–1876) of Marisbank, Midlothian, (the ...

Recipients of the Polar Medal Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Royal Navy admirals