Arthur Cumming R.N.
Arthur Cumming R.N.


Royal NavyPersonnel

Browse officers in command: A - B; C - E; F - G; H - K; L - O; P - R; S - T; U - Z; ??
    
Arthur Cumming R.N.Explanation
Son of General Sir Henry Cumming (1772-1856)
 
Date (from)(Date to)Personal
6 May 1817 Born (Nancy, France)
6 September 1853 Married Marie Adelaide (1831-1911), daughter of Charles Stuart (1795-1870)
13 May 1867 C.B. (Companion of the Bath)
6 May 1882 Living after retirement at Foston Hall, near Derby
21 June 1887 K.C.B. (Knight Commander of the Bath), on the occasion of Queen Victoria's golden jubilee.
17 February 1893 Died (London)
 
DateRank
January 1831Entered Royal Naval College
4 April 1837Mate
28 September 1840Lieutenant
9 November 1846Commander
19 April 1854Captain
27 February 1870Rear-Admiral
22 March 1876Vice-Admiral
9 February 1880Admiral
6 May 1882Retired Admiral
 
Date fromDate toService
8 August 1832 Serving in Rover, sloop, in the Mediterranean. He afterwards served on the Lisbon and North American stations.
(15 March 1840) Mate in Cyclops, commanded by Horatio Thomas Austin. In Cyclops he repeatedly distinguished himself on the coast of Syria, in particular at the storming of Sidon on 26 September 1840.
28 November 184018 June 1841Lieutenant (additional) in Princess Charlotte, commanded by Arthur Fanshawe, flagship of Robert Stopford, Mediterranean
18 January 1841 Lieutenant (additional) in Britannia, commanded by Michael Seymour, flagship of John Acworth Ommanney, Mediterranean
19 June 184123 May 1842Lieutenant in Benbow, commanded by Houston Stewart, Mediterranean
5 November 184221 October 1843Lieutenant in Frolic, commanded by William Alexander Willis, on the coast of South America. In September 1843 he was cruising to the southward of Rio Janeiro in command of Frolic's pinnace, when, on the 6th, off Santos, he fell in with the piratical slaver Vincedora, a large brigantine with a crew of thirty men. Finding the pinnace in a position to intercept her retreat, the brigantine attempted to run it down. At the last moment the slavers' hearts failed them, and the helm was put hard over. At the critical moment Cumming shot their captain, and in the consequent confusion got alongside of the brigantine and sprang on board, followed by a marine and six men. No more could get on board at the time; but Cumming with his seven men held the whole crew at bay, cowed them, drove them below, and put the hatches on. When the rest of his men got on board, he had the prisoners shackled to the chain cable, and took the prize to Rio. Two other slavers in company with the Vincedora might have put Cumming in a very awkward position, but they seemed to think themselves well off in being permitted to escape. Considering the very exceptional nature of the affair, and how easily, without great daring and coolness, it might have ended in disaster, Cumming always felt aggrieved in its being reported to the admiralty as the commonplace capture of a slaver with a cargo of slaves. He had hoped for promotion; all that he got was a severe attack of smallpox, which was raging on board the prize, and for which he was invalided.
2 October 184427 March 1845Lieutenant in Espiegle, commanded by Thomas Pickering Thompson, East indies
28 March 184528 April 1845Lieutenant in Caledonia, commanded by Alexander Milne, flagship of Admiral David Milne, Plymouth
29 April 184512 July 1845Lieutenant in Queen, commanded by Baldwin Wake Walker, flagship of John West, Devonport
13 July 184530 November 1846Lieutenant in Albion, commanded by Nicholas Lockyer, Channel station
12 February 184915 April 1851Commander in Rattler (from commissioning at Plymouth until paying off at Woolwich), west coast of Africa
25 February 185418 April 1854Commander in Gorgon, the Baltic during the Russian War
19 April 18548 May 1854Captain in Gorgon, the Baltic during the Russian War
9 May 18546 February 1855Captain in Conflict, the Baltic during the Russian War, where he rendered good service, especially at Libau (modern Liepaja) and Riga. On 17 May 1854, shortly after he took over Conflict, that ship, together with Amphion (screw, 34 guns, Captain Astley Cooper Key), entered Libau without firing a shot, and captured all the shipping in the port.
22 May 18553 May 1856Captain in Glatton, floating battery, which he took out to the Black Sea, but arrived too late to see action. He took her home again in time for the naval review on 23 April 1856
14 May 18597 November 1863Captain in Emerald (from commissioning at Sheerness until paying off at Sheerness), Channel squadron (ship's log)
1 November 186719 September 1868Captain, additional in Victory, commanded by Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, for packet service
20 December 18681 March 1869Additional Captain in Victory, commanded by George Le Geyt Bowyear, for packet service
2 March 186926 February 1870Additional Captain in Duke of Wellington, harbour service, for time only
14 February 18724 March 1875Commander-in-chief, East Indies


Top↑
Valid HTML 5.0