William Elrington Gordon obituary

Royal Navy obituary in the Times newspaper

The following obituary for William Elrington Gordon appeared in the Times newspaper.

*Obituary in the Times* newspaper**
Date	Obituary
10 July 1897	The death occurred on Wednesday, at East-hill, Fareham, from cancer, after a protracted illness, of Vice-Admiral William Elrington Gordon. He was the son of R.C.H. Gordon, of the Scots Guards, and was born in 1831. He entered the Navy in 1844 and receive! his lieutenant’s commission in 1853. He served as lieutenant of the Royal George and the Duke of Wellington in the Baltic during the Crimean war in 1854-55. He was present at the bombardment of Sveaborg in 1855 (Baltic medal), and served during the China war of 1858 (China medal and clasp). He was promoted commander in 1861 and captain in 1858, receiving a captain’s good service pension from December, 1882, to July, 1885, when he was promoted to be rear-admiral. He served as Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard from August 6, 1888, to May, 1891, and in the latter year he retired with the rank of Vice-Admiral. Admiral Gordon married, in 1865, a daughter of Mr. E.C. Lowndes. As captain of the Vernon, torpedo school, at Portsmouth he superintended the early development of electrical science in the Navy. He had resided at Fareham for many years and took an active interest in local affairs as a member of the board of guardians. and in his private capacity.