Frederick Hamilton (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral

Sir Frederick Hamilton

GCVO, KCB
Admiral; Sir Frederick Hamilton; GCVO, KCB
	1917 portrait by Francis Dodd
Born	8 March 1856; London, England
Died	4 October 1917 (aged 61); Rosyth, Scotland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1869–1917
Rank	Admiral
Commands	HMS Rattlesnake; HMS Bulwark; Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth
Battles / wars	Zulu War; First World War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order; Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Admiral Sir Frederick Tower Hamilton, GCVO, KCB (8 March 1856 – 4 October 1917) was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.

Naval career

Hamilton joined the Royal Navy in 1869^[3] as a cadet on the training ship Britannia.^[1] He fought in Naval Brigade in the Zulu War in 1879, for which service he was mentioned in despatches.^[3] After promotion to Lieutenant he specialised into the Torpedo Branch and in 1884 after training was appointed a staff officer at the Torpedo Schoolship HMS Vernon.^[1] In 1892 he was promoted to commander and serving aboard the battleship HMS Hood. He was appointed in command of the torpedo school ship HMS Defiance at Devonport on 1 November 1897,^[4] promoted to captain on 1 January 1898,^[5] and re-appointed in command of the Defiance the same day.^[6] On 18 March 1902 he was appointed flag captain of the battleship HMS Bulwark, which in May was to become flagship of Admiral Sir Compton Domvile, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.^[7] Hamilton was Aide-de-Camp to the King between 1906 and 1907.^[8]

At the outset of the First World War Hamilton was Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel and was promoted to full admiral in June 1916.^[9] He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth later that year^[10] but died suddenly from a heart attack in 1917 and is buried in Fife.^[11]

He lived at Anmer Hall near King's Lynn in Norfolk.^[8]

Honours and awards

21 November 1903 – During the visit of the King to Malta Captain Frederick Tower Hamilton, Royal Navy, Flag Captain to Commander-in-Chief, Malta was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.^[12]
9 November 1908 – Rear-Admiral Frederick Tower Hamilton, MVO, is promoted to be a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order^[13]
1 January 1913 – Vice-Admiral Frederick Tower Hamilton, CVO, is appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath^[14]

Family

Hamilton married Maria Walpole Keppel, the daughter of Admiral Sir Henry Keppel; they went on to have two sons (including Admiral Sir Louis Keppel Hamilton) and two daughters.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Death of Admiral Sir F.T. Hamilton". Deaths. The Times. No. 41601. London. 5 October 1917. col D, p. 11.
^ The Dreadnought Project
^ ^a ^b "National Maritime Museum". Archived from the original on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 35338. London. 19 October 1897. p. 8.
^ "No. 26924". The London Gazette. 31 December 1897. p. 7854.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 35408. London. 8 January 1898. p. 10.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36707. London. 5 March 1902. p. 5.
^ ^a ^b ^c The Peerage.com
^ "Admirals.org.uk". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
^ "Dunfermline Heritage Roots". Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
^ "Great War Forum". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
^ "No. 27560". The London Gazette. 2 June 1903. p. 35235.
^ "No. 28194". The London Gazette. 9 November 1908. p. 8162.
^ "No. 28677". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1913. p. 1.

External links

The Dreadnought Project: Frederick Hamilton

Military offices
Preceded by Sir John Jellicoe	Second Sea Lord 1914–1916	Succeeded by Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe
Preceded by Sir Robert Lowry	Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth 1916–1917	Succeeded by Sir Cecil Burney

[obit-1] "Death of Admiral Sir F.T. Hamilton". Deaths. The Times. No. 41601. London. 5 October 1917. col D, p. 11.

[2] The Dreadnought Project

[nmm-3] "National Maritime Museum". Archived from the original on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2010.

[4] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 35338. London. 19 October 1897. p. 8.

[5] "No. 26924". The London Gazette. 31 December 1897. p. 7854.

[6] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 35408. London. 8 January 1898. p. 10.

[7] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36707. London. 5 March 1902. p. 5.

[peerage-8] The Peerage.com

[9] "Admirals.org.uk". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2010.

[10] "Dunfermline Heritage Roots". Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2010.

[11] "Great War Forum". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2010.

[mvo-12] "No. 27560". The London Gazette. 2 June 1903. p. 35235.

[cvo-13] "No. 28194". The London Gazette. 9 November 1908. p. 8162.

[kcb-14] "No. 28677". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1913. p. 1.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]