William Luard
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir William Garnham Luard, R.N., K.C.B. was a leading British naval figure during the latter half of the 19th century.
Born in 1820, he was the eldest son of a local magistrate, William Wright Luard J.P., D.L. of Witham Lodge, Witham
, Essex (formerly of Hatfield Peverel Priory
) and Anne Garnham, only child of Thomas Garnham of Felsham Hall, Suffolk.. The Luards were a prominent family of Huguenot
merchants who had fled to England in the late 17th century following the Edict of Nantes
.
Luard entered the Royal Naval College (formerly the Royal Naval Academy
) at Portsmouth
at the age of 13 and later studied at Portsmouth Naval College. He served extensively and saw action in the South China Sea, for which he was recognized in dispatches and decorated for gallantry and bravery several times including being named Companion of the Order of the Bath
(C.B).
After a distinguished career as a naval officer, including as captain and commander of and HMS Conqueror
(formerly HMS Waterloo (1833)
), he served as superintendent of the Sheerness dockyard and the Malta dockyard. From 1882 to 1885, he was President
of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
He was awarded the Burmese War Medal for dispersing the pirates of Chin-a-poo and received the Medal of the Legion of Honour, 4th Class, from Emperor Napoleon III. He was named Rear Admiral in 1875, Vice-Admiral in 1879 and Admiral in 1885.
Luard was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1897, during her diamond jubilee year. The Luard Islands
off the coast of Papua New Guinea
near Port Moresby
are named after him.
Luard married Charlotte Du Cane (an anglicization of the original French surname 'Du Quesne') in 1858. She was from another (see Jean Du Quesne, the elder and descendants), with landed estates at Braxted Park
and Coggeshall
. Admiral and Lady Luard had 12 children.
A staunch Liberal
and supporter of Prime Minister William Gladstone, Luard retired to his estate in Essex where he served as a Justice of the Peace
and as an active member of the court of Quarter Sessions. He died in 1910 as a result of injuries sustained in a carriage accident. His funeral cortege through the town of Witham was witnessed by thousands.
Born in 1820, he was the eldest son of a local magistrate, William Wright Luard J.P., D.L. of Witham Lodge, Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
, Essex (formerly of Hatfield Peverel Priory
Hatfield Peverel Priory
Hatfield Peverel Priory was a Benedictine priory in Essex, England, founded as a secular college before 1087 and converted into priory as a cell of St Albans by William Peverel ante 1100...
) and Anne Garnham, only child of Thomas Garnham of Felsham Hall, Suffolk.. The Luards were a prominent family of Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
merchants who had fled to England in the late 17th century following the Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
.
Luard entered the Royal Naval College (formerly the Royal Naval Academy
Royal Naval Academy
The Royal Naval Academy was established at Portsmouth Dockyard as a facility to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders' intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, education and admission.-Training:In 1773, a shore side...
) at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
at the age of 13 and later studied at Portsmouth Naval College. He served extensively and saw action in the South China Sea, for which he was recognized in dispatches and decorated for gallantry and bravery several times including being named Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(C.B).
After a distinguished career as a naval officer, including as captain and commander of and HMS Conqueror
HMS Waterloo (1833)
HMS Waterloo was a 120-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 June 1833 at Chatham.Waterloo was cut down to an 89-gun 2-decker and converted to steam at Chatham 1 April 1859—12 December 1859. Following the loss of the modern 101-gun steam 2-decker Conqueror in 1861,...
(formerly HMS Waterloo (1833)
HMS Waterloo (1833)
HMS Waterloo was a 120-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 10 June 1833 at Chatham.Waterloo was cut down to an 89-gun 2-decker and converted to steam at Chatham 1 April 1859—12 December 1859. Following the loss of the modern 101-gun steam 2-decker Conqueror in 1861,...
), he served as superintendent of the Sheerness dockyard and the Malta dockyard. From 1882 to 1885, he was President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
He was awarded the Burmese War Medal for dispersing the pirates of Chin-a-poo and received the Medal of the Legion of Honour, 4th Class, from Emperor Napoleon III. He was named Rear Admiral in 1875, Vice-Admiral in 1879 and Admiral in 1885.
Luard was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1897, during her diamond jubilee year. The Luard Islands
Luard Islands
The Luard Islands are an archipelago off the coast of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea at . They were named for Admiral Sir William Luard....
off the coast of Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
near Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
are named after him.
Luard married Charlotte Du Cane (an anglicization of the original French surname 'Du Quesne') in 1858. She was from another (see Jean Du Quesne, the elder and descendants), with landed estates at Braxted Park
Braxted Park
Braxted Park, formerly called Braxted Lodge, is a country house in the Queen Anne style set in a landscaped 2,000 acre park near the village of Great Braxted, Essex.At the Domesday Survey, Eudo Dapifer is shown as owner of the manor...
and Coggeshall
Coggeshall
Coggeshall is a small market town of 3,919 residents in Essex, England, situated between Colchester and Braintree on the Roman road of Stane Street , and intersected by the River Blackwater. It is known for its almost 300 listed buildings and formerly extensive antique trade...
. Admiral and Lady Luard had 12 children.
A staunch Liberal
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
and supporter of Prime Minister William Gladstone, Luard retired to his estate in Essex where he served as a Justice of the Peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and as an active member of the court of Quarter Sessions. He died in 1910 as a result of injuries sustained in a carriage accident. His funeral cortege through the town of Witham was witnessed by thousands.