Edwin Tennyson d'Eyncourt
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Edwin Clayton Tennyson d’Eyncourt CB RN
(1813 – 14 January 1903) was a distinguished British naval officer.
, and a first cousin of the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, he entered naval college in 1826 and became a lieutenant in 1837. He served in the South American, East Indies and China Stations during the 1840s. In 1854, he served in the Baltic
campaign under Sir Charles Napier as captain of the gunboat
HMS Desperate, and returned to that theatre in 1855 under Rear-Admiral Richard Saunders Dundas
, as captain of the steam frigate
HMS Pylades. From 1859 to 1862 he was captain of the blockship
HMS Edinburgh
as the guardship at Leith
.
He attained the rank of rear-admiral in 1866 and retired in 1870, continuing to rise to the rank of admiral by 1878. He was made a Companion of the Bath in 1873.
As a young man he thoroughly embodied his family’s social pretensions and their snobbish behaviour towards their poor relations, the Tennysons of Somersby
; but in later years the mutual dislike between him and his famous cousin thawed, and he gave Alfred advice on the law of propriety of accepting the peerage offered to him in 1883.
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"...
Edwin Clayton Tennyson d’Eyncourt CB RN
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...
(1813 – 14 January 1903) was a distinguished British naval officer.
Biography
The second son of Charles Tennyson d'EyncourtCharles Tennyson d'Eyncourt
Charles Tennyson d'Eyncourt , born Charles Tennyson, was a British politician, landowner and Member of Parliament for Stamford from 1831 to 1832 and for Lambeth from 1832 to 1852...
, and a first cousin of the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, he entered naval college in 1826 and became a lieutenant in 1837. He served in the South American, East Indies and China Stations during the 1840s. In 1854, he served in the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
campaign under Sir Charles Napier as captain of the gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
HMS Desperate, and returned to that theatre in 1855 under Rear-Admiral Richard Saunders Dundas
Richard Saunders Dundas
Vice Admiral The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, KCB was a British naval officer and was the British First Sea Lord from 1857 to 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1861.-Early life:...
, as captain of the steam frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Pylades. From 1859 to 1862 he was captain of the blockship
Blockship
A blockship is a ship deliberately sunk to prevent a river, channel, or canal from being used.It may either be sunk by a navy defending the waterway to prevent the ingress of attacking enemy forces, as in the case of HMS Hood at Portland Harbour; or it may be brought by enemy raiders and used to...
HMS Edinburgh
HMS Edinburgh (1811)
HMS Edinburgh was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 26 November 1811 at Rotherhithe.Between 1837 and 1841 she served in the Mediterranean, including operations off the coast of Syria and Lebanon in the Syrian War. In 1846 she was taken in hand at Portsmouth...
as the guardship at Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
.
He attained the rank of rear-admiral in 1866 and retired in 1870, continuing to rise to the rank of admiral by 1878. He was made a Companion of the Bath in 1873.
As a young man he thoroughly embodied his family’s social pretensions and their snobbish behaviour towards their poor relations, the Tennysons of Somersby
Somersby, Lincolnshire
Somersby is a village in the parish of Greetham with Somersby in the Lincolnshire Wolds, northwest of Spilsby and eastnortheast of Horncastle. The parish covers about .- History :...
; but in later years the mutual dislike between him and his famous cousin thawed, and he gave Alfred advice on the law of propriety of accepting the peerage offered to him in 1883.