Montagu Stopford (Royal Navy officer)

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Montagu Stopford
Born11 November 1798
Died10 November 1864 (1864-11-11) (aged 65)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1810–1864
RankVice admiral
Commands heldHMS Pique
HMS Trafalgar
HMS Waterloo
HMS London
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Montagu Stopford KCB (11 November 1798 – 10 November 1864) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Naval career[edit]

The fifth and youngest son of James Stopford, 3rd Earl of Courtown, and his wife, the former Lady Mary Scott, he entered the Navy on 8 November 1810 and was commissioned as lieutenant on 17 July 1819 and as commander on 29 January 1822.[1] He was promoted to captain only 3 years later, on 8 April 1825, and his commands at that rank included HMS Pique (1842–46, in the West Indies and North America), HMS Trafalgar (1850-?, during her 1850 re-commissioning), HMS Waterloo (during her 1851 commissioning, preparing her to be Vice-Admiral James Whitley Deans Dundas's flagship in the Mediterranean, until HMS Britannia was selected for this role instead), and HMS London (during her commissioning January–March 1852).[1]

Also during that time, on 25 August 1827, he married Cordelia Winifreda, the second daughter of Major-General Sir George Whitmore – they had four children, including Major George Montagu Stopford. His wife died after 24 years of marriage. She died on 4 September 1851.[2]

He was captain in the Waterloo again from 1 April 1852, this time during her service as Vice-Admiral Josceline Percy's flagship.[1] He left that role on 5 December 1853 on being promoted to rear admiral, becoming the admiral superintendent of Malta Dockyard in 1855, flying his flag in HMS Ceylon.[1] He also remarried, to Lucy Cay, daughter of John Cay, on 29 September 1853, and the couple had three more children (one of whom was Colonel Sir Lionel Stopford).[2] He became a Knight Commander of the Bath on 5 July 1855, and was promoted to vice-admiral on 25 June 1858, and finally admiral on 30 November 1863. He had retired by 9 February 1864.[1]

See also[edit]

  • O'Byrne, William Richard (1849). "Stopford, Montagu" . A Naval Biographical Dictionary . John Murray – via Wikisource.

References[edit]

Military offices
Preceded by Admiral Superintendent, Malta Dockyard
1855–1858
Succeeded by