Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Richard James Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB
, KCMG
(3 October 1832 – 4 August 1907), styled Lord Gillford until 1879, was a British Royal Navy
officer and peer
.
and his wife, Elizabeth.
, he joined the navy in 1845 and was promoted to Lieutenant
in 1852. Later that year, he was appointed to HMS Impérieuse
, on which he served in the Gulf of Finland
during the Crimean War
.
In 1856, Gillford was appointed to HMS Raleigh bound for China
for the Second Opium War
and when the ship was wrecked near Hong Kong
, he joined Henry Keppel
during the campaign at Foshan
in 1857. He was afterwards appointed to HMS Calcutta
and took part in the storming of Guangzhou
where he was severely wounded in the left arm by a bullet fired from a gingal. He was then mentioned in dispatches
and was appointed to HMS Hornet
on his promotion as Commander
in 1858.
Gillford was further promoted to Captain
in 1859 and from 1862-66 he commanded HMS Tribune in the Pacific and HMS Hercules
with the Channel Fleet
from 1868-71. In 1872, he became an aide-de-camp
to Queen Victoria
and the command of the steamship reserve at Portsmouth
. He joined the Board of Admiralty as Junior Naval Lord
on the formation of Disraeli's ministry in 1874, where he sat until Gladstone
was elected again in 1880. He was appointed a CB
in 1877 and made Second Naval Lord
in 1879.
He succeeded to his father's titles in 1879 and promoted to Vice-Admiral in 1881. He was appointed KCMG
in 1882 and Commander-in-Chief
of the North America and West Indies Station in 1885 and promoted to Admiral
in 1886. Following his appointment as a KCB in 1887, he became a commissioner of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation
in 1888, was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
from 1891 and promoted to Admiral of the Fleet
in 1895, being further promoted to GCB later that year. Lord Clanwilliam retired in 1902.
) and they later had eight children:
Lord Clanwilliam died from pneumonia
in 1907 in Henley-on-Thames
. He was buried at the family vault at Wilton, Wiltshire
and his titles passed to his eldest surviving son, Arthur
.
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Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
Richard James Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(3 October 1832 – 4 August 1907), styled Lord Gillford until 1879, was a British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer and peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
.
Background
Lord Gillford was the eldest son of Richard Meade, 3rd Earl of ClanwilliamRichard Meade, 3rd Earl of Clanwilliam
Richard Charles Francis Christian Meade, 3rd Earl of Clanwilliam GCH was a British ambassador.The only son of the 2nd Earl of Clanwilliam , Lord Clanwilliam was educated Eton and afterwards joined the Diplomatic Service.He attended Lord Castlereagh's suite at the Congress of Vienna in 1814 and was...
and his wife, Elizabeth.
Naval career
After finishing EtonEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, he joined the navy in 1845 and was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1852. Later that year, he was appointed to HMS Impérieuse
HMS Imperieuse (1793)
The Impérieuse was a 40-gun Minerve class frigate of the French Navy. She later served in the Royal Navy as HMS Imperieuse and HMS Unite.-French service and capture:...
, on which he served in the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
In 1856, Gillford was appointed to HMS Raleigh bound for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
for the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
and when the ship was wrecked near Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, he joined Henry Keppel
Henry Keppel
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Keppel, GCB, OM was a British admiral, son of the 4th Earl of Albemarle and of his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Lord de Clifford.-Naval career:...
during the campaign at Foshan
Foshan
Foshan is a city in central Guangdong province in southern China. The prefectural area under the city's jurisdiction over an area of about 3,840 km² and a population of 5.4 million of which 1.1 million reside in the city proper ....
in 1857. He was afterwards appointed to HMS Calcutta
HMS Calcutta (1831)
HMS Calcutta was an 84-gun second-rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, built in teak to a draught by Sir Robert Seppings and launched on 14 March 1831 in Bombay. She was the only ship ever built to her draught. She carried her complement of smooth-bore, muzzle-loading guns on two gundecks...
and took part in the storming of Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
where he was severely wounded in the left arm by a bullet fired from a gingal. He was then mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
and was appointed to HMS Hornet
HMS Hornet (1854)
HMS Hornet was a 17-gun wooden screw sloop of the Cruizer class of the Royal Navy, launched in 1854 and broken up in 1868.-Construction:...
on his promotion as Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1858.
Gillford was further promoted to Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
in 1859 and from 1862-66 he commanded HMS Tribune in the Pacific and HMS Hercules
HMS Hercules (1868)
HMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
with the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
from 1868-71. In 1872, he became an aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
and the command of the steamship reserve at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. He joined the Board of Admiralty as Junior Naval Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
on the formation of Disraeli's ministry in 1874, where he sat until Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
was elected again in 1880. He was appointed a CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1877 and made Second Naval Lord
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in 1879.
He succeeded to his father's titles in 1879 and promoted to Vice-Admiral in 1881. He was appointed KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in 1882 and Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the North America and West Indies Station in 1885 and promoted to Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in 1886. Following his appointment as a KCB in 1887, he became a commissioner of the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation
Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation
The Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation was a charitable body set up by Royal Warrant in the United Kingdom during the Crimean War. It provided assistance to the widows, orphans and other dependants of members of the armed forces...
in 1888, was Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
from 1891 and promoted to Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
in 1895, being further promoted to GCB later that year. Lord Clanwilliam retired in 1902.
Family
On 17 June 1867, Clanwilliam had married Elizabeth Kennedy (the eldest daughter of Sir Arthur KennedyArthur Edward Kennedy
Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB 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....
) and they later had eight children:
- Lady Katharine (d. 1954)
- Lady Beatrice (d. 1952)
- Lady Adelaide Jane (d. 1960), married Hon. Stanley ColvilleStanley ColvilleAdmiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville GCB GCMG GCVO was a British Royal Navy officer.Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling him to the style "The Honourable". His mother, Cecile, was the daughter of Robert...
. - Lady Elizabeth Selina Georgiana (d. 1924), married Hon. Edward Dawson.
- Richard Charles, Lord Gillford (1868–1905)
- Hon. Arthur Vesey, later 5th Earl of ClanwilliamArthur Meade, 5th Earl of ClanwilliamArthur Vesey Meade, 5th Earl of Clanwilliam MC was an army officer and politician.Arthur Meade was the second, but eldest surviving, son of Admiral of the Fleet Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB KCMG and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Arthur Kennedy GCMG CB, governor of various colonies...
(1873–1953) - Hon. Herbert (1875–1964)
- Hon. Edward Brabazon (1878–1963)
Lord Clanwilliam died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in 1907 in Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
. He was buried at the family vault at Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
and his titles passed to his eldest surviving son, Arthur
Arthur Meade, 5th Earl of Clanwilliam
Arthur Vesey Meade, 5th Earl of Clanwilliam MC was an army officer and politician.Arthur Meade was the second, but eldest surviving, son of Admiral of the Fleet Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB KCMG and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Arthur Kennedy GCMG CB, governor of various colonies...
.
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