Principal Commanders-in-chief, 1830-1899
Principal Commanders-in-chief, 1830-1899

► Royal Navy ► Personnel

* Portsmouth * Devonport * The Nore * Channel squadron * Mediterranean * North America * South America * Pacific * East Indies and China * China * East Indies and Cape of Good Hope * East Indies * Australia * Cape of Good Hope and west coast of Africa *

Portsmouth  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
AdmiralThomasFoley23 April 183023 January 1833 
AdmiralThomasWilliams23 January 183328 March 1836 
AdmiralPhilip Charles Calderwood HendersonDurham28 March 183619 April 1839 
AdmiralCharles ElphinstoneFleeming19 April 183922 November 1839 
AdmiralEdwardCodrington22 November 183926 December 1842 
AdmiralCharlesRowley26 December 184230 September 1845 
AdmiralCharlesOgle30 September 184513 September 1848 
AdmiralThomas BladenCapell13 September 184830 September 1851 
AdmiralThomasBriggs13 September 185118 December 1852 
Vice-AdmiralThomas JohnCochrane18 December 18521 January 1856 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge FrancisSeymour1 January 18561 March 1859Adm. 14 May 1857
AdmiralWilliamBowles1 March 18591 March 1860 
Vice-AdmiralHenry WilliamBruce1 March 18601 March 1863 
Vice-AdmiralMichaelSeymour1 March 18631 March 1866Adm. 5 March 1864
Vice-AdmiralThomas SabinePasley1 March 186625 February 1869Adm. 20 November 1866
Vice-AdmiralJamesHope25 February 18691 March 1872Adm. 21 January 1870
AdmiralGeorge RodneyMundy1 March 18721 March 1875 
AdmiralGeorge AugustusElliot1 March 18751 March 1878 
AdmiralEdward GennysFanshawe1 March 187827 November 1879 
AdmiralAlfred PhillippsRyder27 November 187928 November 1882 
AdmiralGeoffrey Thomas PhippsHornby28 November 188228 November 1885 
AdmiralGeorge OmmanneyWilles28 November 188520 June 1888 
AdmiralJohn EdmundCommerell20 June 188822 June 1891 
AdmiralRichard James, 4th Earl ofClanwilliam22 June 189122 June 1894 
AdmiralNowellSalmon22 June 18943 August 1897 
AdmiralMichaelCulme-Seymour3 August 18973 October 1900 
 
Devonport  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
AdmiralManleyDixon22 April 183027 April 1833 
AdmiralWilliamHargood27 April 183327 April 1836 
AdmiralLord AmeliusBeauclerk27 April 183624 April 1839 
AdmiralGrahamMoore24 April 183921 April 1842 
AdmiralDavidMilne21 April 184215 April 1845 
AdmiralJohnWest15 April 184517 April 1848 
AdmiralWilliam HallGage17 April 184817 April 1851 
AdmiralJohn AcworthOmmanney17 April 18511 May 1854 
AdmiralWilliamParker1 May 18544 May 1857 
Vice-AdmiralBarringtonReynolds4 May 18578 June 1860 
Vice-AdmiralArthurFanshawe8 June 186011 October 1860 
Vice-AdmiralHoustonStewart11 October 186027 October 1863Adm. 10 November 1862
Vice-AdmiralCharles HoweFremantle27 October 186326 October 1866Adm. 9 February 1864
AdmiralWilliam FanshaweMartin26 October 18661 November 1869 
AdmiralHenry JohnCodrington1 November 18691 November 1872 
Vice-AdmiralHenryKeppel1 November 18721 November 1875 
AdmiralThomas Matthew CharlesSymonds1 November 18751 November 1878 
AdmiralArthurFarquhar1 November 18789 January 1880 
AdmiralCharles Gilbert John BrydoneElliot9 January 18801 December 1881 
AdmiralWilliam HoustonStewart1 December 18811 December 1884 
AdmiralAugustusPhillimore1 December 188425 May 1887 
AdmiralLord JohnHay25 May 188715 December 1888 
AdmiralWilliam MontaguDowell15 December 18884 August 1890 
AdmiralH.R.H. the Duke ofEdinburgh4 August 18902 June 1893 
AdmiralAlgernon McLennanLyons2 June 189310 June 1896 
AdmiralEdmund RobertFremantle10 June 189610 June 1899 
AdmiralHenryFairfax10 June 189920 March 1900Died in commission
 
The Nore  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Vice-AdmiralJohn PooBeresford30 July 183023 July 1833 
Vice-AdmiralRichardKing23 July 183316 August 1834 
Vice-AdmiralCharles ElphinstoneFleeming16 August 183423 February 1837 
Vice-AdmiralRobert WallerOtway23 February 183727 July 1840 
Vice-AdmiralHenryDigby27 July 18408 December 1841Adm. 23 November 1841
Vice-AdmiralEdwardBrace8 December 184113 January 1844 
Vice-AdmiralJohn ChambersWhite13 January 184418 April 1845 
Vice-AdmiralEdward DurnfordKing18 April 18459 May 1848 
Vice-AdmiralGeorgeElliot9 May 184823 June 1851 
Vice-AdmiralJoscelinePercy23 January 18511 July 1854 
Vice-AdmiralWilliamGordon1 July 18541 July 1857 
Vice-AdmiralEdwardHarvey1 July 185728 June 1860Adm. 9 June 1860
Vice-AdmiralWilliam James HopeJohnstone28 June 186025 June 1863 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge RobertLambert25 June 18631 March 1864Adm. 15 December 1863
Vice-AdmiralCharlesTalbot1 March 18645 April 1866 
Vice-AdmiralBaldwin WakeWalker5 April 18665 April 1869 
Vice-AdmiralRichard LairdWarren5 April 18691 July 1870Adm. 1 April 1870
Vice-AdmiralCharles Gilbert John BrydoneElliot1 July 187011 February 1873 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge FowlerHastings11 February 187314 February 1876 
Vice-AdmiralHenryChads14 February 187617 September 1877 
Vice-AdmiralWilliam KingHall17 September 18774 August 1879 
Vice-AdmiralReginald John James GeorgeMacdonald4 August 187921 July 1882 
Vice-AdmiralEdward BridgesRice21 July 188230 October 1884 
Vice-AdmiralJohnCorbett30 October 18841 July 1885Adm. 7 April 1885
Vice-AdmiralH.S.H. Ernest L.V.C.A.J.E. Prince ofLeiningen1 July 18851 July 1887 
Vice-AdmiralCharles Ludovic DarleyWaddilove1 July 18872 July 1888 
Vice-AdmiralThomas BridgemanLethbridge2 July 18884 August 1890 
Vice-AdmiralCharles ThomasCurme4 August 189019 February 1892Died in commission
Vice-AdmiralAlgernon Charles FieschiHeneage27 February 189210 December 1894 
Vice-AdmiralRichardWells10 December 189410 June 1896 
Vice-AdmiralHenry FrederickNicholson10 June 189610 December 1897Adm. 16 September 1897
Vice-AdmiralCharles FrederickHotham10 December 189713 July 1899 
 
Channel squadron  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Rear-AdmiralCharles HoweFremantle13 July 185810 October 1860 
Rear-AdmiralRobert FanshaweStopford10 October 186029 January 1861 
Rear-AdmiralRobertSmart29 January 186124 April 1863 
Rear-AdmiralSydney ColpoysDacres24 April 1863June 1866 
Rear-AdmiralHastings ReginaldYelvertonJune 18661 May 1867 
Rear-AdmiralFrederickWarden1 May 186712 December 1868 
Vice-AdmiralThomas Matthew CharlesSymonds12 December 186818 July 1870 
Vice-AdmiralHastings ReginaldYelverton18 July 187025 October 1870 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge GrevilleWellesley25 October 18702 September 1871 
Rear-AdmiralGeoffrey Thomas PhippsHornby2 September 18711 October 1874Vice-Adm. Jan. 1, 1875
Rear-AdmiralFrederick Beauchamp PagetSeymour1 October 187410 November 1877Vice-Adm. Dec. 31, 1876
Rear-AdmiralLord JohnHay10 November 187710 December 1879Vice-Adm. Dec. 31, 1877
Rear-AdmiralArthur William AclandHood10 December 187917 April 1882Vice-Adm. Jul. 23, 1880
Vice-AdmiralWilliam MontaguDowell17 April 18823 December 1883 
Vice-AdmiralH.R.H. the Duke ofEdinburgh3 December 1883December 1884 
Vice-AdmiralAlgernon Frederick Rousde HorseyDecember 1884May 1885 
Vice-AdmiralCharlesFellowesMay 18858 March 1886Died in commission
Vice-AdmiralWilliam Nathan WrighteHewett18 March 188617 April 1888 
Vice-AdmiralJohn Kennedy ErskineBaird17 April 18883 May 1890 
Vice-AdmiralMichaelCulme-Seymour3 May 189010 May 1892 
Vice-AdmiralHenryFairfax10 May 189227 May 1895 
Vice-AdmiralLord Walter TalbotKerr27 May 18957 June 1897 
Vice-AdmiralHenry FrederickStephenson7 June 189720 December 1898 
 
Mediterranean  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Vice-AdmiralHenryHotham30 March 18313 May 1833 
Vice-AdmiralPulteneyMalcolm3 May 183318 December 1833 
Vice-AdmiralJosiasRowley18 December 18339 February 1837 
AdmiralRobertStopford9 February 183714 October 1841 
Vice-AdmiralEdward William Campbell RichOwen14 October 184127 February 1845 
Vice-AdmiralWilliamParker27 February 184517 January 1852 
Rear-AdmiralJames Whitley DeansDundas17 January 18521854Vice-Adm. 17 December 1852
Rear-AdmiralEdmundLyons185422 February 1858Vice-Adm. 19 March 1857
Vice-AdmiralArthurFanshawe22 February 185819 April 1860 
Vice-AdmiralWilliam FanshaweMartin19 April 186020 April 1863 
Vice-AdmiralRobertSmart20 April 186328 April 1866 
Vice-AdmiralLord Clarence EdwardPaget28 April 186628 April 1869 
Vice-AdmiralAlexanderMilne28 April 186925 October 1870Adm. 1 April 1870
Vice-AdmiralHastings ReginaldYelverton25 October 187013 January 1874 
Vice-AdmiralJames RobertDrummond13 January 187415 January 1877 
Vice-AdmiralGeoffrey Thomas PhippsHornby15 January 18775 February 1880Adm. 15 June 1879
Vice-AdmiralFrederick Beauchamp PagetSeymour5 February 18807 February 1883Adm. May 6, 1882
Vice-AdmiralLord JohnHay7 February 18835 February 1886Adm. 8 July 1884
Vice-AdmiralH.R.H. the Duke ofEdinburgh5 February 188611 March 1889Adm. Oct. 18, 1887
Vice-AdmiralAnthony HileyHoskins11 March 188920 August 1891Adm. 20 June 1891
Vice-AdmiralGeorgeTryon20 August 189122 June 1893Died in commission; lost in Victoria
AdmiralMichaelCulme-Seymour29 June 189310 November 1896 
AdmiralJohn OmmanneyHopkins10 November 18961 July 1899 
 
North America  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Vice-AdmiralEdward GriffithColpoys20 February 18306 December 1832 
Vice-AdmiralGeorgeCockburn6 December 183212 February 1836 
Vice-AdmiralPeterHalkett12 February 183611 February 1837Adm. 10 January 1837
Vice-AdmiralCharlesPaget11 February 183727 January 1839Died in commission
Vice-AdmiralThomasHarvey22 March 183928 May 1841Died in commission
Vice-AdmiralCharlesAdam17 August 184127 December 1844 
Vice-AdmiralFrancis WilliamAusten27 December 184412 January 1848 
Vice-AdmiralThomas, Earl ofDundonald12 January 184813 January 1851 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge FrancisSeymour13 January 185123 November 1853 
Rear-AdmiralArthurFanshawe23 November 185326 November 1856 
Rear-AdmiralHoustonStewart26 November 185613 January 1860Vice-Adm. 30 July 1857
Rear-AdmiralAlexanderMilne13 January 18607 January 1864 
Vice-AdmiralJamesHope7 January 186410 January 1867 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge RodneyMundy10 January 186730 June 1869Adm. 26 May 1869
Vice-AdmiralGeorge GrevilleWellesley30 June 186913 September 1870 
Vice-AdmiralEdward GennysFanshawe13 September 18709 September 1873 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge GrevilleWellesley9 September 187322 December 1875 
Vice-AdmiralAstley CooperKey22 December 18751 April 1878 
Vice-AdmiralEdward AugustusInglefield1 April 187827 November 1879 
Vice-AdmiralFrancis LeopoldMcClintock27 November 18797 November 1882 
Vice-AdmiralJohn EdmundCommerell7 November 188225 August 1885 
Vice-AdmiralRichard James, 4th Earl ofClanwilliam25 August 18854 September 1886 
Vice-AdmiralAlgernon McLennonLyons4 September 188615 December 1888 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge WillesWatson15 December 188815 December 1891 
Vice-AdmiralJohn OmmanneyHopkins15 December 189117 April 1895 
Vice-AdmiralJames ElphinstoneErskine17 April 189515 September 1897 
Vice-AdmiralJohn ArbuthnotFisher15 September 18971 May 1899 
 
South America (renamed Pacific in 1837)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Rear-AdmiralThomasBaker9 January 1829 January 1833 
Rear-AdmiralMichaelSeymour1 January 18339 July 1834Died in commission
Rear-AdmiralGraham EdenHamond16 September 18344 September 1837Vice-Adm. 10 January 1837
 
Pacific  
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Rear-AdmiralCharles Bayne HodgsonRoss4 September 18375 May 1841 
Rear-AdmiralRichardThomas5 May 184114 May 1844 
Rear-AdmiralGeorge FrancisSeymour14 May 184425 August 1847 
Rear-AdmiralPhippsHornby25 August 184721 August 1850 
Rear-AdmiralFairfaxMoresby21 August 185017 August 1853 
Rear-AdmiralDavidPrice17 August 185330 August 1854Died in commission
Rear-AdmiralHenry WilliamBruce25 November 18548 July 1857 
Rear-AdmiralRobert LambertBaynes8 July 18575 May 1860 
Rear-AdmiralThomasMaitland5 May 186031 October 1862 
Rear-AdmiralJohnKingcome31 October 186210 May 1864 
Rear-AdmiralJosephDenman10 May 186421 November 1866 
Rear-AdmiralGeorge FowlerHastings21 November 18661 November 1869 
Rear-AdmiralArthurFarquhar1 November 18699 July 1872 
Rear-AdmiralCharles FarrelHillyar9 July 18726 June 1873 
Rear-AdmiralArthur Auckland Leopold PedroCochrane6 June 187315 April 1876 
Rear-AdmiralGeorgeHancock15 April 1876August 1876 
Rear-AdmiralAlgernon Frederick Rousde Horsey20 September 187621 July 1879 
Rear-AdmiralFrederick HenryStirling21 July 187910 December 1881 
Rear-AdmiralAlgernon McLennanLyons10 December 188113 September 1884 
Rear-AdmiralJohn Kennedy ErskineBaird13 September 18844 July 1885 
Rear-AdmiralMichaelCulme-Seymour4 July 188520 September 1887 
Rear-AdmiralAlgernon Charles FieschiHeneage20 September 18874 February 1890 
Rear-AdmiralCharles FrederickHotham4 February 18904 May 1893 
Rear-AdmiralHenry FrederickStephenson4 May 189319 June 1896 
Rear-AdmiralHenry St. Leger BuryPalliser19 June 189622 June 1899 
Rear-AdmiralLewis AnthonyBeaumont22 June 189915 October 1900 
 
East Indies and China (separated 17 January 1865)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Vice-AdmiralJohnGore16 December 183130 May 1834 
Rear-AdmiralThomas BladenCapell30 May 183426 July 1837Vice-Adm. 10 January 1837
Rear-AdmiralFrederick LewisMaitland26 July 183730 December 1830Died in commission
CommodoreJames John GordonBremer17 January 18407 July 1840 
Rear-AdmiralGeorgeElliot7 July 184030 November 1840 
CommodoreJames John GordonBremer30 November 18407 October 1841 
Rear-AdmiralWilliamParker12 May 18411844Vice-Adm. 23 November 1841
Rear-AdmiralThomas JohnCochrane184424 June 1846 
Rear-AdmiralSamuel HoodInglefield24 June 18467 April 1848 
Rear-AdmiralFrancis AugustusCollier7 April 184828 October 1849Died in commission
Rear-AdmiralCharles JohnAusten14 January 18507 October 1852Died in commission
Rear-AdmiralFleetwood Broughton ReynoldsPellew6 December 185219 January 1854Vice-Adm. 22 April 1853
Rear-AdmiralJamesStirling19 January 185418 February 1856 
Rear-AdmiralMichaelSeymour18 February 185625 January 1859 
Rear-AdmiralJamesHope25 January 18598 February 1862 
Rear-AdmiralAugustus LeopoldKuper8 February 186215 February 1864 
Rear-AdmiralGeorge St. VincentKing15 February 186417 January 1865 
 
China (established 17 January 1865)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Rear-AdmiralGeorge St. VincentKing17 January 186518 January 1867 
Vice-AdmiralHenryKeppel18 January 186717 July 1869 
Vice-AdmiralHenryKellett17 July 186930 August 1871 
Vice-AdmiralCharles Frederick AlexanderShadwell30 August 187131 August 1874 
Vice-AdmiralAlfred PhillippsRyder31 August 187431 August 1877 
Vice-AdmiralCharles FarrelHillyar31 August 187726 September 1878 
Vice-AdmiralRobertCoote26 September 18783 January 1881 
Vice-AdmiralGeorge OmmanneyWilles3 January 18813 January 1884 
Vice-AdmiralWilliam MontaguDowell3 January 18841 September 1885 
Vice-AdmiralRichard VeseyHamilton1 September 188517 December 1887 
Vice-AdmiralNowellSalmon17 December 188729 November 1890 
Vice-AdmiralFrederick WilliamRichards29 November 189016 February 1892 
Vice-AdmiralEdmund RobertFremantle16 February 189228 May 1895 
Vice-AdmiralAlexanderBuller28 May 189519 February 1898 
 
East Indies and Cape of Good Hope (established 17 January 1865)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
CommodoreFrederick ByngMontresor17 January 186526 September 1865 
CommodoreCharles FarrelHillyar26 September 186529 July 1867 
 
East Indies (Cape of Good Hope restored to separate command in 1867)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
CommodoreLeopold GeorgeHeath29 July 18676 September 1870 
Rear-AdmiralJames HorsfordCockburn6 September 187010 February 1872Died in commission
Rear-AdmiralArthurCumming14 February 18724 March 1875 
Rear-AdmiralReginald John James GeorgeMacdonald4 March 18752 April 1877 
Rear-AdmiralJohnCorbett2 April 18774 August 1879 
Rear-AdmiralWilliamGore-Jones4 August 187911 April 1882 
Rear-AdmiralWilliam Nathan WrighteHewett11 April 188218 May 1885 
Rear-AdmiralFrederick WilliamRichards18 May 188525 February 1888 
Rear-AdmiralEdmund RobertFremantle25 February 188826 February 1891 
Rear-AdmiralFrederick Charles BryanRobinson26 February 189126 January 1892 
Rear-AdmiralWilliam RobertKennedy26 January 189216 March 1895 
Rear-AdmiralEdmund CharlesDrummond16 March 189515 January 1898 
Rear-AdmiralArchibald LuciusDouglas15 January 18985 June 1899 
 
Australia (established 26 March 1859)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
CommodoreWilliamLoring26 March 185910 March 1860 
CommodoreFrederick Beauchamp PagetSeymour10 March 186021 July 1862 
CommodoreWilliam FarquharsonBurnett21 July 18627 February 1863Lost in Orpheus
CommodoreWilliam SaltonstallWiseman20 April 186323 May 1866 
CommodoreRochfortMaguire23 May 186628 May 1867 
CommodoreRowleyLambert28 May 18678 April 1870 
CommodoreFrederick HenryStirling8 April 187022 May 1873 
CommodoreJames GrahamGoodenough22 May 187320 August 1875Died in commission
CommodoreAnthony HileyHoskins7 September 187512 September 1878 
CommodoreJohn CrawfordWilson12 September 187821 January 1882 
CommodoreJames ElphinstoneErskine21 January 188212 November 1884 
Rear-AdmiralGeorgeTryon12 November 18841 February 1887 
Rear-AdmiralHenryFairfax1 February 188710 September 1889 
Rear-AdmiralLord Charles Thomas Montagu DouglasScott10 September 188912 September 1892 
Rear-AdmiralNathanielBowden-Smith12 September 18921 November 1894 
Rear-AdmiralCyprian Arthur GeorgeBridge1 November 18941 November 1897 
Rear-AdmiralHugo LewisPearson1 November 18971 October 1900 
 
Cape of Good Hope and west coast of Africa (between 1864 and 1867 part of East Indies command)
Commander-in-chiefFromToNote
Rear-AdmiralFrederick WilliamGrey1 April 185710 February 1860 
Rear-AdmiralHenryKeppel10 February 18606 February 1861 
Rear-AdmiralBaldwin WakeWalker6 February 186117 January 1865 
CommodoreWilliam MontaguDowell9 September 186716 February 1871 
CommodoreJohn EdmundCommerell16 February 18712 October 1873 
CommodoreWilliam Nathan WrighteHewett2 October 187316 October 1876 
CommodoreFrancis WilliamSullivan16 October 187617 March 1879 
CommodoreFrederick WilliamRichards17 March 187911 April 1882 
Rear-AdmiralNowellSalmon11 April 18826 March 1885 
Rear-AdmiralWalter JamesHunt-Grubbe6 March 188529 March 1888 
Rear-AdmiralRichardWells29 March 18881 September 1890 
Rear-AdmiralHenry FrederickNicholson1 September 189010 August 1892 
Rear-AdmiralFrederick George DenhamBedford10 August 18924 May 1895 
Rear-AdmiralHarry HoldsworthRawson4 May 189527 April 1898 

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