Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

Richard James Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, (3 October 1832 – 4 August 1907), styled Lord Gillford until 1879, was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer. As a junior officer, he served at the Battle of Escape Creek and at the

Battle of Fatshan Creek A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force c ...

during the campaign against Chinese

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

. He also took part in the Battle of Canton, where he was severely wounded, during the

Second Opium War The Second Opium War (), also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or ''Arrow'' War, was fought between the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major ...

. As a senior officer Meade went on to be commander of the

Steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

reserve at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, commander of the Flying Squadron and Commander-in-Chief,

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956, with main bases at the Imperial fortresses of Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The ...

. His last appointment was as

Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Thomas Williams (Royal Navy officer), Si ...

Early career

Born the eldest son of

Richard Meade, 3rd Earl of Clanwilliam Richard Charles Francis Christian Meade, 3rd Earl of Clanwilliam GCH (15 August 1795 – 7 October 1879), styled Lord Gillford between 1800 and 1805, was a British diplomat and politician of Anglo-Irish background. A protégée of the Briti ...

and Lady Elizabeth Herbert (daughter of

George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

), Meade was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and joined the

in November 1845. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 15 September 1852, Meade was appointed to the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

HMS ''Impérieuse'' in which he served in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

during the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

.Heathcote, p. 170 He transferred to the frigate HMS ''Raleigh'' in September 1856 bound for

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and, although the ship was wrecked near

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

, all the crew survived. He served under Commodore

Charles Elliot Admiral Sir Charles Elliot (15 August 1801 – 9 September 1875) was a British Royal Navy officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first Administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Su ...

at the Battle of Escape Creek in May 1857 and under Commodore

Henry Keppel Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Keppel, (14 June 1809 – 17 January 1904) was a Royal Navy officer. His first command was largely spent off the coast of Spain, which was then in the midst of the First Carlist War. As commanding officer of the co ...

at the

in June 1857 during the campaign against Chinese

. Meade transferred to the

second-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a second-rate was a ship of the line which by the start of the 18th century mounted 90 to 98 guns on three gun decks; earlier 17th-century second rates had fewer guns ...

HMS ''Calcutta'', flagship of the Commander-in-Chief,

East Indies Station The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy. Created in 1744 by the Admiralty, it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. Even in official documents, the term ''East Indies Station'' wa ...

, in August 1857 and, having landed with the naval brigade, took part in the Battle of Canton in December 1857 during the

: he was severely wounded in the left arm by a bullet fired from a gingal.Heathcote, p. 171 He was

mentioned in dispatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

, promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

on 26 February 1858 and transferred to the sloop HMS ''Hornet'' later that month. Promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 22 July 1859, Meade became commanding officer of the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

HMS ''Tribune'' on the

Pacific Station The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast o ...

in 1862 and commanding officer of the

battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...

HMS ''Hercules'' in the

Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history th ...

in 1868. He was appointed an aide-de-camp to the Queen and became commanding officer of the

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

reserve at

in 1872.

Senior command

Meade became

Junior Naval Lord Junior or Juniors may refer to: Aircraft * Ekolot JK-05L Junior, a Polish ultralight aircraft * PZL-112 Junior, a Polish training aircraft * SZD-51 Junior, a Polish-made training and club glider Arts and entertainment Characters * Bowser Jr. ...

in the

Second Disraeli ministry Benjamin Disraeli was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for a second time by Queen Victoria after William Ewart Gladstone's government was defeated in the 1874 United Kingdom general election, 1874 general election. Disraeli's forei ...

in May 1874 and, having been promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

on 31 December 1876, was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...

on 2 June 1877. He succeeded to his father's titles in October 1879 and was elevated to Second Naval Lord in the same ministry in December 1879 where he sat until the Government fell in May 1880. He became commander of the Flying Squadron, with his flag in the frigate HMS ''Inconstant'' in August 1880, and was promoted to

vice-admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...

on 26 July 1881. However, while the squadron was in port at

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

on 22 July, he "suffered a fainting fit, the attack resembling paralysis." The effects were severe enough to delay the departure of the squadron, planned for 24 July, to 10 August. Meade was appointed a

Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

on 3 March 1882 and became Commander-in-Chief,

, with his flag in the

central battery ship The central battery ship, also known as a centre battery ship in the United Kingdom and as a casemate ship in European continental navies, was a development of the (high- freeboard) broadside ironclad of the 1860s, given a substantial boost du ...

HMS ''Bellerophon'', in August 1885. Promoted to full

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many 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. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

on 22 June 1886, he was advanced to

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior British Armed Forces, military officers or senior Civil Service ...

on 21 June 1887. Meade was appointed a commissioner of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation in 1888 and became

in June 1891. Promoted to

on 20 February 1895, he was advanced to

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by King George I on 18 May 1725. Recipients of the Order are usually senior military officers or senior civil servants, and the monarch awards it on the advice of His ...

on 25 May 1895. He retired in October 1902 and died at his home, Badgemore House, near

Henley-on-Thames Henley-on-Thames ( ) is a town status in the United Kingdom, town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Thames, in the South Oxfordshire district, in Oxfordshire, England, northeast of Reading, Berkshire, Reading, west of M ...

from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

on 4 August 1907. He was buried at the family vault at

Wilton, Wiltshire Wilton is a town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England. Lying about west of the city of Salisbury, and until 1889 the county town of Wiltshire, it has a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. The parish had ...

and his titles passed to his eldest surviving son,

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

Memorials

A memorial to Meade stands in the entrance lobby of the chapel at the

Old Royal Naval College The Old Royal Naval College are buildings that serve as the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) ...

in Greenwich, south-east

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Family

On 17 June 1867 Meade married Elizabeth Kennedy (the eldest daughter of

Sir Arthur Kennedy Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy (; 5 April 1809 – 3 June 1883) was a British colonial administrator who served as governor of a number of British colonies, namely Sierra Leone, Western Australia, Vancouver Island, Hong Kong and Queensland. Early ...

); they had four sons and four daughters: *Richard Charles Meade, Baron Gillford (1868–1905), who married 1895 Lady Mary Elizabeth Margaret Douglas-Home (1871–1951), daughter of

Charles Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home Charles Alexander Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home, (11 April 1834 – 30 April 1918), styled Lord Dunglass between 1841 and 1881, was a British politician and nobleman. He served as Lord Lieutenant of Berwickshire from 1879 to 1880 and Lord L ...

. He died before his father, leaving a daughter: **Theodosia Beatrix Catherina Mary Meade (b.1898), who married Angus Julian Drummond. *Lady Elizabeth Selina Georgiana Meade (1869–1924), who married in 1898 Captain Hon. Edward Stanley Dawson (1843–1919), younger son of

Richard Dawson, 1st Earl of Dartrey Richard Dawson, 1st Earl of Dartrey Order of St. Patrick, KP (7 September 1817 – 12 May 1897), styled the Hon. Richard Dawson until 1827 and the Lord Cremorne from 1827 to 1866, was an Anglo-Irish Liberal Party (UK), Liberal, and later Libera ...

. They left a daughter Kaitlin Elizabeth Anne Dawson (1900–1985), who married

George Bingham, 6th Earl of Lucan George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

. *Lady Katharine Meade (1871−1954), a

Lady-in-Waiting A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a Royal court, court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking nobility, noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was o ...

to the Duchess of Albany between 1910 and 1922, then to the

Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal courtesy title held by the wife of the Duke of York. Three of the eleven Dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, while two of the Dukes married twice; therefore, th ...

between 1923 and 1926. * Arthur Vesey Meade, 5th Earl of Clanwilliam (1873–1953). *Lady Beatrice Meade (1874–1952). *Admiral Hon. Sir Herbert Meade (1875–1964), a Royal Navy officer who adopted the surname Meade-Fetherstonhaugh; he married in 1911 Margaret Isabel Frances Glyn (1888–1977), daughter of Rev.

Edward Carr Glyn Edward Carr Glyn (21 November 184314 November 1928) was an Anglican bishop in England in the late 19th century and the early 20th century. He was the Bishop of Peterborough from 1897 to 1916. Life Born in St George Hanover Square, London, Gly ...

, leaving four children including John Meade, 7th Earl of Clanwilliam. *Lady Adelaide Jane Meade (1877–1960), who married in 1902, Admiral Hon. Sir

Stanley Colville Admiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville, (21 February 1861 – 9 April 1939) was a senior Royal Navy officer. Naval career Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling ...

(1861–1939), son of

Charles Colville, 1st Viscount Colville of Culross Charles John Colville, 1st Viscount Colville of Culross, (23 November 1818 – 1 July 1903), known as The Lord Colville of Culross between 1849 and 1902, was a British nobleman, Conservative politician, courtier, and painter. Background and edu ...

, and left children. *Captain Hon. Edward Brabazon Meade (1878–1963), an officer in the

10th Royal Hussars The 10th Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own) was a Cavalry regiments of the British Army, cavalry regiment of the British Army raised in 1715. It saw service for three centuries including the World War I, First World War and World War II, Sec ...

, who married three times, leaving no children.

References

Sources

External links

* * *
William Loney
Career History , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Clanwilliam, Richard Meade, 4th Earl Of 1832 births 1907 deaths Burials in Wiltshire 20th-century Royal Navy personnel Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath People educated at Eton College Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Royal Navy personnel of the Crimean War Royal Navy personnel of the Second Opium War Deaths from pneumonia in England Lords of the Admiralty Earls of Clanwilliam