Arthur Cumming (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Arthur Cumming KCB
(6 May 1817 – 17 February 1893) was an officer of the Royal Navy
. He was born in Nancy, France
to Sir Henry Cumming, a general
in the British Army
and received naval education at the Royal Naval College
in Portsmouth
. Cumming served as a midshipman
in the Mediterranean and North America
before being promoted to lieutenant
in 1840 for his actions in the Syrian War
. He remained with the Mediterranean Fleet
until appointed to HMS Frolic, a sloop
stationed in South America
. Whilst detached from Frolic and in command of a small pinnace
on 6 September 1843 Cumming and seven men boarded a Portuguese
slave ship
, subdued her 27 man crew and brought her back to Rio de Janeiro
. He had expected to be promoted for his efforts, but was overlooked and resented the decision for the rest of his life. Cumming spent some time in the Navy's Experimental Squadron
before being promoted commander
on 9 November 1846.
Cumming's first command was HMS Rattler
, stationed off West Africa
, during which he captured another slave ship. He saw active service against the Russia
ns during the Crimean War
, captaining the frigate HMS Gorgon
and being promoted to post-captain
on 19 April 1854. Subsequently Cumming was transferred to HMS Conflict and, in company with HMS Amphion
, was able to capture the Baltic Sea
port of Libau
without firing a shot. Towards the end of the war he took command of the ironclad floating battery
HMS Glatton but arrived in the Black Sea
after the peace had been agreed. He returned to the UK in time for Glatton to take part in Queen Victoria's 1856 Fleet Review. Cumming was appointed captain of the frigate HMS Emerald on 14 May 1859 and remained with the ship until the end of her Royal Navy career on 7 November 1863. Emerald served in the Channel Fleet
, the Baltic Sea and Admiralty propeller trials. She also made several trips to the Americas including "one of the quickest passages on record" to Bermuda
in 1860. After her decommissioning Cumming was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, served aboard HMS Victory
and Duke of Wellington and in the Packet Service
.
Cumming achieved flag rank on 27 February 1870 when he was promoted to rear-admiral. He served for a while as a port admiral before becoming the Naval Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies
in 1872, remaining there until 1875. Cumming continued to receive promotions, becoming vice-admiral
in 1876 and admiral in 1880, but retired from the Navy in 1880. In retirement he lived at Foston Hall, near Derby
. Cumming was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath as part of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
celebrations on 21 June 1887 and died in London
on 17 February 1893.
on 6 May 1817, his father was General
Sir Henry Cumming. Arthur was entered into the Royal Naval College
at Portsmouth
in January 1831, passing the course and being discharged on 8 August 1832. His first ship was the sloop
HMS Rover on which he served in the Mediterranean (presumably as a midshipman
), also serving on the Lisbon and North American Stations. In 1837 Cumming passed his examinations
to become eligible for the position of lieutenant
and was promoted to the rank of mate on 4 April. By early 1840 Cumming was stationed at HMS Excellent, a navy stone frigate
in Portsmouth that housed the gunnery school.
HMS Cyclops (commanded by Horatio Thomas Austin
), part of Commodore
Charles John Napier's squadron sent to intervene for Britain in the Syrian War
, and reached the ship in April. The war had begun when Mehemet Ali, Pasha
of Egypt
, attempted to claim independence from the Ottoman Empire
. Ali invaded Syria
and took control of the Ottoman Fleet forcing young Sultan Abdülmecid I
to request help from the European powers. Great Britain, Austria
, Prussia
and Russia
agreed to assist and issued an ultimatum to Ali demanding his withdrawal from Ottoman possessions (Arabia, Crete
and Syria) in return for being made hereditary Viceroy
of Egypt. Cyclops was detached from patrolling to carry the ultimatum into Alexandria
on 9 August 1840.
The ultimatum was refused and the European allies intervened, the naval side of the war becoming the responsibility of Britain and Austria. Cyclops played an active role; arriving at Beirut
on 7 September 1840 to fire shells in support of the landing of Ottoman troops, attempting to capture the fort at Gebail on 11 September, landing marines
and further troops at Jouna on 12 September and capturing Batroun
on 15 September. On 25 September Cyclops arrived at Sidon
, the main Egyptian southern division supplies depot, alongside HMS Thunderer
, Gorgon
, Wasp, Stromboli, Hydra
, SMS Guerriera (Austrian) and Gulfideh (Ottoman). The ships proceeded to bombard the citadel and surrounding fort on 26 September before a force of 500 Ottoman troops were landed. The 2,700 strong defending force continued to resist so the bombardment was resumed and reinforcements of 750 British Marines and 100 Austrian troops landed, alongside some British sailors. The fort was overrun and the entire garrison captured, Cumming being mentioned in despatches for his bravery during the action. The Admiralty rewarded him with promotion to the rank of lieutenant
, dated just two days after the action. Cyclops remained in the theatre until leaving for Malta
in October and saw action at Tsour, the Syrian War continued into November.
Cumming transferred to HMS Princess Charlotte
, a first-rate
ship of the line
commanded by Arthur Fanshawe
and flagship
of Robert Stopford, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet
, on 28 November 1840. By January 1841 Cumming had transferred again, being appointed lieutenant in HMS Britannia
. Britannia, commanded by Michael Seymour, was another first-rate and the new flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, John Ommanney
having succeeded Stopford as Commander-in-Chief. Cumming's next posting was again within the Mediterranean Fleet, serving under Houston Stewart
from 19 June 1841 to 23 May 1842 on the 74-gun third-rate
HMS Benbow
.
and on 6 September 1843 Cumming was cruising off Santos, São Paulo, in command of the ship's pinnace
, when he encountered the large brigantine
Portuguese slaver
Vincedora in company with two other slaving vessels. The British slave trade had been outlawed by the Slave Trade Act 1807 and the Royal Navy viewed all slavers as pirates, liable to be arrested and their ships confiscated. Cumming positioned the pinnace to cut off the Vincedoras retreat but the brigantine made to ram the boat. At the last moment, perhaps wary of intentionally killing a Royal Navy officer and his men, the Vincedora changed course. Shortly afterwards Cumming was able to shoot the brigantine's captain.
With their captain killed the crew were thrown into confusion and Cumming was able to board the vessel, followed by a marine and six sailors – all that could fit on the deck at the time. Cumming and his men were able to drive the 27-strong and fully armed crew below and lock them beneath the hatches. He got the rest of the pinnace's crew aboard and ordered the Portuguese crew shackled to the anchor cable. The other two slavers could have changed the course of events if they chose to get involved but instead made their escape. The Vincedora displaced just 55 tons but was found to be carrying 338 slaves, having left Africa with 450.
The ships set sail for Rio de Janeiro, arriving there on 10 September when the slaves were transferred to the hulk
Crescent under the supervision of Sir Thomas Paisley. Paisley said that he had "never witnessed anything so shocking", particularly as most of the slaves were suffering from emaciation and sores and others were infected by smallpox
and had to be quarantined aboard the Vincedora. The slaves included parentless children, babies and a harem
of women for the brigantine's crew. Although the slaves continued to die over the next month, most recovered to be set free. The event was recorded in the memoirs of Sir Astley Cooper Key
.
Cumming hoped that he would be promoted to commander
as a result of the action given the unusual circumstances and danger involved. However the event was reported to London merely as the commonplace capture of a slaver and hence merited no reward, a fact that Cumming resented for the rest of his life. Instead all he received was a period of quarantine, followed by an attack of smallpox and a long convalescence in England. Cumming remained nominally with Frolic until 21 October 1843.
Cumming was posted to the brig
HMS Espiegle on 2 October 1844, serving under Captain Thomas Pickering Thompson in the East Indies
until 27 March 1845. The next day he was appointed to HMS Caledonia
, a first-rate commanded by Alexander Milne
that served as the flagship of his father Admiral Sir David Milne who was the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
. On 29 April Cumming transferred to the first-rate HMS Queen
, under the command of Baldwin Wake Walker
and the flagship of John West in Devonport
. Cumming was transferred again on 13 July 1845 to the second-rate HMS Albion
, captained by Nicholas Lockyer and remained aboard until 30 November 1846.
Albion, alongside Cumming's previous ships Caledonia and Queen and other vessels, was part of the 1845 Experimental Squadron
. Cumming sailed on the first trial of 1845 that lasted from 15 July to the 20 September and was supervised by Rear Admiral Hyde Parker
. The trial was part of a series that attempted to compare new methods of ship building with traditional ones. Cumming at last received promotion to Commander on 9 November 1846. His first command was HMS Rattler
, a 12-gun sloop that had been the first warship powered by a steam engine and screw propeller, that he captained from 12 February 1849 to 15 April 1851 on the west coast of Africa. Whilst in command of Rattler Cumming captured the Brazilian slave brigantine Alepide on 30 October 1849. In 1853 Cumming married Adelaide Stuart with whom he had at least one child.
. On 25 February 1854 he received command of the frigate HMS Gorgon
, being promoted to post-captain
on 19 April. Cumming was transferred to command HMS Conflict on 9 May 1854 and served aboard her in the Baltic Sea
until 6 February 1855. In company with HMS Amphion
, under the command of Captain Astley Cooper Key, the Conflict sailed into Libau
on 17 May 1854. The harbour contained eight Russian merchant vessels and was defended by a force of 4–500 soldiers with 2–3 cannon.
Cumming went ashore under a flag of truce to meet with the town's governor and demand the handing over of the merchant ships within three hours. The governor refused to comply but the Russian troops left the town shortly afterwards and the governor stated that, whilst he could not order them out of the harbour, Cumming and Key would be permitted to enter the harbour to take them. They proceeded to do so, finding themselves in control of the entire town of 10,000 inhabitants with just 110 men, and took out the eight merchant vessels without firing a shot. The ships were sent with prize crew
s to the Prussian port of Memel
. Cumming and Conflict also saw service at the port of Riga
in this period and from 15 April to 22 May were responsible for boarding 19 vessels.
Cumming returned to England in 1855 and on 22 May was appointed to HMS Glatton, an ironclad floating battery
with orders to sail her to the Black Sea
. He carried out these orders but arrived after the end of the war and returned Glatton to the United Kingdom by Spring 1856. He remained captain of the battery until 3 May 1856 and commanded her during the 23 April 1856 Fleet Review, where Glatton was one of four floating batteries that were the first ironclad ships to appear at any fleet review.
on 14 May 1859 and remained with the ship until the end of her Royal Navy career on 7 November 1863. The vessel was initially part of the Channel Fleet
and as part of her duties visited Plymouth
, Spithead
, Torbay
, Cork
and Devonport
. Cumming was reunited with his old commander, Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, when Emerald became his temporary flagship on 19 January 1860 in order to carry him to the West Indies where he was to replace Vice Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, another former shipmate, as Commander-in-Chief on the North America and West Indies Station. Emerald left Devonport
on 18 February and arrived at Bermuda
19 days and 6 hours later, completing "one of the quickest passages on record" at the time. The feat is all the more impressive for the fact that Cumming relied almost entirely on sail power, engaging the steam engines only when he was within 500 nautical miles (926 km) of her destination. Whilst in Bermuda Emerald ran aground and tore her coppering
, the first of several times she was damaged in her career.
Cumming and Emerald returned to Plymouth on 4 July 1860 and was heading to Keyham steam-yard on 10 July when she ran aground on a beach at Hamoaze
whilst trying to avoid a merchant brig under tow, this and the Bermuda grounding were found to have damaged 60 feet (18.3 m) of her coppering. Cumming was next ordered to Alderney
, in the Channel Islands
to transport a replacement Royal Artillery
garrison. On the return journey on 28 August the ship ran aground once more, whilst in the charge of a Trinity House
pilot
, necessitating more repairs. In September Cumming sailed to Antwerp to provide a British presence and salute to Queen Victoria who was passing through the port. Cumming made another trip to South America in April 1861 when he carried Rear-Admiral Richard Laird Warren
in Emerald to his new appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Brazil Station, returning with Rear-Admiral Sir Henry Keppel
.
On his return Cumming was again ordered to America, transporting guns, shot and stores to the West India Squadron, but was hit by storms off Newfoundland
and forced to turn back to Plymouth. Once again Emerald was damaged, losing three boats, damaging rigging and equipment and being said to leak "like a sieve". This necessitated another period of repair in Keyham, before Cumming set out for Brazil once more, this time encountering storms in the Bay of Biscay
and again being damaged and repaired in dock. Emerald saw service in the Baltic and participated in propeller trials for the Admiralty but was decommissioned in 1863 and sold in 1869.
Cumming was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 13 May 1867. In November of that year he became part of the Royal Navy's Packet Service and served in that role as an additional captain in HMS Victory
, under the command of Captains Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour and George Le Geyt Bowyear. During this time Victory served as the flagship of the Port Admiral of Portsmouth
and Cumming transferred to HMS Duke of Wellington when she became the flagship on 2 March 1869. Cumming remained on the Duke of Wellington, on harbour service duties, until 26 February 1870.
. He remained in the East Indies until March 1875 and was promoted to vice-admiral
on 22 March 1876. Cumming's promotion to admiral came on 9 January 1880 and he retired from the service on 6 April 1882. After retirement he lived mainly at Foston Hall, near Derby
. Cumming was a keen patron of his former shipmates including Surgeon William Loney, who had served aboard Emerald, which Cumming had captained, and Glasgow
, part of his East Indies squadron. In 1877 Cumming wrote to Vice-Admiral Beauchamp Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester
, Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Squadron, and Lord Gillford
, Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
, to recommend Loney for promotion. Cumming was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath as part of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
celebrations on 21 June 1887.
Cumming became an early victim of identity theft
on 27 March 1888 when a man impersonating him stole goods worth 100,000 francs (equivalent to approximately £ in current terms) from a Nice
jewellery shop. The thief had identified himself to the shop's owner, Mr Boxta, as "Admiral Sir Arthur Cumming" and presented a card in that name with Cumming's coat of arms printed on it. Having made a small purchase the thief requested that Boxta bring a large quantity of diamond rings, bracelets and a necklace to his rooms so that he could chose a present for his wife. Boxta was reassured by the high status neighbourhood and a pile of Bank of England
notes that the thief showed him and allowed the thief to take the jewellery to an adjacent room from which he was able to escape. The thief was never caught.
Sir Arthur Cumming died in London on 17 February 1893. He was survived by his wife and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery
, Surrey
.
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...
(6 May 1817 – 17 February 1893) was an officer of the Royal Navy
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...
. He was born in Nancy, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to Sir Henry Cumming, a general
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and received naval education at the Royal Naval College
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...
in 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...
. Cumming served as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
in the Mediterranean and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
before being promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1840 for his actions in the Syrian War
Syrian War
The Syrian War is the name generally given to the war of 1839-40 fought in the Middle East, also known as the Second Syrian War, mainly on territory that is now Lebanon, between the Allied Powers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire and the...
. He remained with the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
until appointed to HMS Frolic, a sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
stationed in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Whilst detached from Frolic and in command of a small pinnace
Pinnace (ship's boat)
As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...
on 6 September 1843 Cumming and seven men boarded a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
slave ship
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
, subdued her 27 man crew and brought her back to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. He had expected to be promoted for his efforts, but was overlooked and resented the decision for the rest of his life. Cumming spent some time in the Navy's Experimental Squadron
Experimental Squadron (Royal Navy)
The Experimental Squadrons of the Royal Navy were groups of ships sent out in the 1830s and 1840s to test new techniques of ship design, armament, building and propulsion against old ones...
before being promoted commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
on 9 November 1846.
Cumming's first command was HMS Rattler
HMS Rattler (1843)
HMS Rattler was a 12-gun wooden sloop of the Royal Navy and the first British warship to adopt a screw propeller powered by a steam engine...
, stationed off West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, during which he captured another slave ship. He saw active service against the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, captaining the frigate HMS Gorgon
HMS Gorgon (1837)
HMS Gorgon was a wooden steam paddle frigate of 6 guns, launched in 1837. In 1840 she took part in the bombardment of Acre, and in 1843 was part of the Royal Navy squadron stationed in the River Plate during the Uruguayan Civil War. She was converted to a troopship and in 1858 assisted HMS...
and being promoted to post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
on 19 April 1854. Subsequently Cumming was transferred to HMS Conflict and, in company with HMS Amphion
HMS Amphion (1846)
HMS Amphion was a 36-gun wooden hulled screw frigate of the Royal Navy. She was initially ordered as a sail powered ship, but later reordered as a prototype screw frigate conversion.-Design and construction:...
, was able to capture the Baltic Sea
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...
port of Libau
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
without firing a shot. Towards the end of the war he took command of the ironclad floating battery
Floating battery
A floating battery is a kind of armed watercraft, often improvised or experimental, which carries a heavy armament but has few other qualities as a warship.An early appearance was during the Great Siege of Gibraltar....
HMS Glatton but arrived in the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
after the peace had been agreed. He returned to the UK in time for Glatton to take part in Queen Victoria's 1856 Fleet Review. Cumming was appointed captain of the frigate HMS Emerald on 14 May 1859 and remained with the ship until the end of her Royal Navy career on 7 November 1863. Emerald served in the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, the Baltic Sea and Admiralty propeller trials. She also made several trips to the Americas including "one of the quickest passages on record" to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
in 1860. After her decommissioning Cumming was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, served aboard HMS Victory
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
and Duke of Wellington and in the Packet Service
Post Office Packet Service
The Post Office Packet Service dates to Tudor times and ran until 1823, when the Admiralty assumed control of the service. Originally, the Post Office used packet ships to carry mail packets to and from British embassies, colonies and outposts. The vessels generally also carried bullion, private...
.
Cumming achieved flag rank on 27 February 1870 when he was promoted to rear-admiral. He served for a while as a port admiral before becoming the Naval Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
in 1872, remaining there until 1875. Cumming continued to receive promotions, becoming vice-admiral
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
in 1876 and admiral in 1880, but retired from the Navy in 1880. In retirement he lived at Foston Hall, near Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. Cumming was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath as part of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
celebrations on 21 June 1887 and died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 17 February 1893.
Early life
Arthur Cumming was born at Nancy in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 6 May 1817, his father was General
General (United Kingdom)
General is currently the highest peace-time rank in the British Army and Royal Marines. It is subordinate to the Army rank of Field Marshal, has a NATO-code of OF-9, and is a four-star rank....
Sir Henry Cumming. Arthur was entered into the Royal Naval College
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...
in January 1831, passing the course and being discharged on 8 August 1832. His first ship was the sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
HMS Rover on which he served in the Mediterranean (presumably as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
), also serving on the Lisbon and North American Stations. In 1837 Cumming passed his examinations
Passed midshipman
A Passed Midshipman, sometimes called as Midshipman, Passed, is an unused and historic term which describes a Midshipman who had passed the Lieutenant exam and was eligible for promotion to Lieutenant as soon as there was a vacancy in that grade....
to become eligible for the position of lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and was promoted to the rank of mate on 4 April. By early 1840 Cumming was stationed at HMS Excellent, a navy stone frigate
Stone frigate
Stone frigate is a nickname for a naval establishment on land. The term has its origin in Britain's Royal Navy after its use of Diamond Rock, off Martinique, as a 'sloop of war' to harass the French...
in Portsmouth that housed the gunnery school.
Syrian War
On 14 March 1840 Cumming was appointed mate on the frigateFrigate
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 Cyclops (commanded by Horatio Thomas Austin
Horatio Thomas Austin
Sir Horatio Thomas Austin was a British officer in the Royal Navy, and an explorer of the Canadian arctic. Following the 1849 failure of James Clark Ross's attempt to locate the lost Franklin Expedition, Austin led an 1850 expedition that also attempted to find Sir John Franklin and his crew....
), part of Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Charles John Napier's squadron sent to intervene for Britain in the Syrian War
Syrian War
The Syrian War is the name generally given to the war of 1839-40 fought in the Middle East, also known as the Second Syrian War, mainly on territory that is now Lebanon, between the Allied Powers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Austrian Empire, the Russian Empire and the...
, and reached the ship in April. The war had begun when Mehemet Ali, Pasha
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, attempted to claim independence from the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Ali invaded Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and took control of the Ottoman Fleet forcing young Sultan Abdülmecid I
Abdülmecid I
Sultan Abdülmecid I, Abdul Mejid I, Abd-ul-Mejid I or Abd Al-Majid I Ghazi was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on July 2, 1839. His reign was notable for the rise of nationalist movements within the empire's territories...
to request help from the European powers. Great Britain, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
agreed to assist and issued an ultimatum to Ali demanding his withdrawal from Ottoman possessions (Arabia, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
and Syria) in return for being made hereditary Viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Egypt. Cyclops was detached from patrolling to carry the ultimatum into Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
on 9 August 1840.
The ultimatum was refused and the European allies intervened, the naval side of the war becoming the responsibility of Britain and Austria. Cyclops played an active role; arriving at Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
on 7 September 1840 to fire shells in support of the landing of Ottoman troops, attempting to capture the fort at Gebail on 11 September, landing marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
and further troops at Jouna on 12 September and capturing Batroun
Batroun
The coastal city of Batroun located in northern Lebanon is one of the oldest cities of the world. Batroun is home to a Lebanese Red Cross First Aid Center.- Etymology :...
on 15 September. On 25 September Cyclops arrived at Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, the main Egyptian southern division supplies depot, alongside HMS Thunderer
HMS Thunderer (1831)
HMS Thunderer was a two-deck 84-gun second rate ship of the line, a modified version of the Canopus/Formidable-class launched on 22 September 1831 at Woolwich Dockyard....
, Gorgon
HMS Gorgon (1837)
HMS Gorgon was a wooden steam paddle frigate of 6 guns, launched in 1837. In 1840 she took part in the bombardment of Acre, and in 1843 was part of the Royal Navy squadron stationed in the River Plate during the Uruguayan Civil War. She was converted to a troopship and in 1858 assisted HMS...
, Wasp, Stromboli, Hydra
HMS Hydra (1838)
HMS Hydra launched in 1838, at Chatham Dockyard, was a wooden steam paddle sloop of the Royal Navy of 818 tons . She was rated at and carried 6 guns.-Service:...
, SMS Guerriera (Austrian) and Gulfideh (Ottoman). The ships proceeded to bombard the citadel and surrounding fort on 26 September before a force of 500 Ottoman troops were landed. The 2,700 strong defending force continued to resist so the bombardment was resumed and reinforcements of 750 British Marines and 100 Austrian troops landed, alongside some British sailors. The fort was overrun and the entire garrison captured, Cumming being mentioned in despatches for his bravery during the action. The Admiralty rewarded him with promotion to the rank of lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, dated just two days after the action. Cyclops remained in the theatre until leaving for Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
in October and saw action at Tsour, the Syrian War continued into November.
HMS Princess Charlotte (1825)
HMS Princess Charlotte was a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 14 September 1825 at Portsmouth. The occasion was notable for the fact that the gates of the dry dock into which she was to be placed burst because of the high tide and more than 40 people were...
, a first-rate
First-rate
First rate was the designation used by the Royal Navy for its largest ships of the line. While the size and establishment of guns and men changed over the 250 years that the rating system held sway, from the early years of the eighteenth century the first rates comprised those ships mounting 100...
ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
commanded by Arthur Fanshawe
Arthur Fanshawe
Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:Fanshawe joined the Royal Navy in 1804...
and flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Robert Stopford, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
, on 28 November 1840. By January 1841 Cumming had transferred again, being appointed lieutenant in HMS Britannia
HMS Britannia (1820)
HMS Britannia was a 120-gun first-rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1813 and launched on 20 October 1820.Commissioned in 1823, she saw service in the Mediterranean from 1830-1 and in 1841...
. Britannia, commanded by Michael Seymour, was another first-rate and the new flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, John Ommanney
John Ommanney
Admiral Sir John Acworth Ommanney KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:Ommanney joined the Royal Navy in 1786. Promoted Commander in 1796, he was given command of a brig and arrested a fleet of Swedish merchant ships in the North Sea...
having succeeded Stopford as Commander-in-Chief. Cumming's next posting was again within the Mediterranean Fleet, serving under Houston Stewart
Houston Stewart
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston Stewart GCB was a Royal Navy officer and briefly a Liberal Party Member of Parliament .-Naval career:...
from 19 June 1841 to 23 May 1842 on the 74-gun third-rate
Third-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks . Years of experience proved that the third rate ships embodied the best compromise between sailing ability , firepower, and cost...
HMS Benbow
HMS Benbow (1813)
HMS Benbow was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Brent of Rotherhithe and launched on 3 February 1813.She was used for harbour service from February 1848 until August 1859, when she was converted to be used as a coal hulk. In 1892, after 79 years of service, she was...
.
South America
On 5 November 1842 Cumming was appointed to the newly built 16-gun sloop HMS Frolic, under the command of William Alexander Willis. Frolic was posted to South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and on 6 September 1843 Cumming was cruising off Santos, São Paulo, in command of the ship's pinnace
Pinnace (ship's boat)
As a ship's boat the pinnace is a light boat, propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a "tender" for guiding merchant and war vessels. In modern parlance, pinnace has come to mean a boat associated with some kind of larger vessel, that doesn't fit under the launch or lifeboat definitions...
, when he encountered the large brigantine
Brigantine
In sailing, a brigantine or hermaphrodite brig is a vessel with two masts, only the forward of which is square rigged.-Origins of the term:...
Portuguese slaver
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
Vincedora in company with two other slaving vessels. The British slave trade had been outlawed by the Slave Trade Act 1807 and the Royal Navy viewed all slavers as pirates, liable to be arrested and their ships confiscated. Cumming positioned the pinnace to cut off the Vincedoras retreat but the brigantine made to ram the boat. At the last moment, perhaps wary of intentionally killing a Royal Navy officer and his men, the Vincedora changed course. Shortly afterwards Cumming was able to shoot the brigantine's captain.
With their captain killed the crew were thrown into confusion and Cumming was able to board the vessel, followed by a marine and six sailors – all that could fit on the deck at the time. Cumming and his men were able to drive the 27-strong and fully armed crew below and lock them beneath the hatches. He got the rest of the pinnace's crew aboard and ordered the Portuguese crew shackled to the anchor cable. The other two slavers could have changed the course of events if they chose to get involved but instead made their escape. The Vincedora displaced just 55 tons but was found to be carrying 338 slaves, having left Africa with 450.
The ships set sail for Rio de Janeiro, arriving there on 10 September when the slaves were transferred to the hulk
Hulk (ship)
A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...
Crescent under the supervision of Sir Thomas Paisley. Paisley said that he had "never witnessed anything so shocking", particularly as most of the slaves were suffering from emaciation and sores and others were infected by smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
and had to be quarantined aboard the Vincedora. The slaves included parentless children, babies and a harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of women for the brigantine's crew. Although the slaves continued to die over the next month, most recovered to be set free. The event was recorded in the memoirs of Sir Astley Cooper Key
Astley Cooper Key
Admiral Sir Astley Cooper Key, GCB, ADC, FRS was a Royal Navy officer who became First Naval Lord.-Naval career:Born the son of Charles Aston Key , a well-known surgeon, Key joined the Royal Navy in 1833...
.
Cumming hoped that he would be promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
as a result of the action given the unusual circumstances and danger involved. However the event was reported to London merely as the commonplace capture of a slaver and hence merited no reward, a fact that Cumming resented for the rest of his life. Instead all he received was a period of quarantine, followed by an attack of smallpox and a long convalescence in England. Cumming remained nominally with Frolic until 21 October 1843.
Experimental Squadron
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
HMS Espiegle on 2 October 1844, serving under Captain Thomas Pickering Thompson in the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
until 27 March 1845. The next day he was appointed to HMS Caledonia
HMS Caledonia (1808)
HMS Caledonia was a 120-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 25 June 1808 at Plymouth. She was Admiral Pellew's flagship in the Mediterranean....
, a first-rate commanded by Alexander Milne
Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet, GCB was a Royal Navy admiral, the second son of the Scot Admiral Sir David Milne, and the younger brother of the advocate, geologist and meteorologist David Milne-Home.-Naval career:He entered the Royal Naval Academy, 8 February 1817...
that served as the flagship of his father Admiral Sir David Milne who was the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
. On 29 April Cumming transferred to the first-rate HMS Queen
HMS Queen (1839)
HMS Queen was a 110-gun first rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 15 May 1839 at Portsmouth. She was initially ordered in 1827 under the name Royal Frederick, but was renamed on 12 April 1839 while still on the stocks in honour of the recently enthroned Queen Victoria...
, under the command of Baldwin Wake Walker
Baldwin Wake Walker
Admiral Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, 1st Baronet KCB was Surveyor of the Navy from 1848 to 1861. and was responsible for the Royal Navy's warship construction programme during the 1850s naval arms race and at the time of the introduction of the Ironclad warship; it was his decision to build HMS...
and the flagship of John West in Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
. Cumming was transferred again on 13 July 1845 to the second-rate HMS Albion
HMS Albion (1842)
HMS Albion was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy. Ordered in 1839, she was built at Plymouth and launched on 6 September 1842, and entered service in 1843. Albion was designed by Sir William Symonds, was the only ship of her class to ever serve as a sailing ship, and the last...
, captained by Nicholas Lockyer and remained aboard until 30 November 1846.
Albion, alongside Cumming's previous ships Caledonia and Queen and other vessels, was part of the 1845 Experimental Squadron
Experimental Squadron (Royal Navy)
The Experimental Squadrons of the Royal Navy were groups of ships sent out in the 1830s and 1840s to test new techniques of ship design, armament, building and propulsion against old ones...
. Cumming sailed on the first trial of 1845 that lasted from 15 July to the 20 September and was supervised by Rear Admiral Hyde Parker
Hyde Parker (Sea Lord)
Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker CB was a senior British naval officer who started to serve during the Napoleonic Wars and who was appointed First Naval Lord of the Admiralty in 1852...
. The trial was part of a series that attempted to compare new methods of ship building with traditional ones. Cumming at last received promotion to Commander on 9 November 1846. His first command was HMS Rattler
HMS Rattler (1843)
HMS Rattler was a 12-gun wooden sloop of the Royal Navy and the first British warship to adopt a screw propeller powered by a steam engine...
, a 12-gun sloop that had been the first warship powered by a steam engine and screw propeller, that he captained from 12 February 1849 to 15 April 1851 on the west coast of Africa. Whilst in command of Rattler Cumming captured the Brazilian slave brigantine Alepide on 30 October 1849. In 1853 Cumming married Adelaide Stuart with whom he had at least one child.
Crimean War
Cumming saw active service against the Russians during the Crimean WarCrimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. On 25 February 1854 he received command of the frigate HMS Gorgon
HMS Gorgon (1837)
HMS Gorgon was a wooden steam paddle frigate of 6 guns, launched in 1837. In 1840 she took part in the bombardment of Acre, and in 1843 was part of the Royal Navy squadron stationed in the River Plate during the Uruguayan Civil War. She was converted to a troopship and in 1858 assisted HMS...
, being promoted to post-captain
Post-Captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of captain in the Royal Navy.The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:...
on 19 April. Cumming was transferred to command HMS Conflict on 9 May 1854 and served aboard her in the Baltic Sea
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...
until 6 February 1855. In company with HMS Amphion
HMS Amphion (1846)
HMS Amphion was a 36-gun wooden hulled screw frigate of the Royal Navy. She was initially ordered as a sail powered ship, but later reordered as a prototype screw frigate conversion.-Design and construction:...
, under the command of Captain Astley Cooper Key, the Conflict sailed into Libau
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
on 17 May 1854. The harbour contained eight Russian merchant vessels and was defended by a force of 4–500 soldiers with 2–3 cannon.
Cumming went ashore under a flag of truce to meet with the town's governor and demand the handing over of the merchant ships within three hours. The governor refused to comply but the Russian troops left the town shortly afterwards and the governor stated that, whilst he could not order them out of the harbour, Cumming and Key would be permitted to enter the harbour to take them. They proceeded to do so, finding themselves in control of the entire town of 10,000 inhabitants with just 110 men, and took out the eight merchant vessels without firing a shot. The ships were sent with prize crew
Prize crew
Prize crew is a term used to indicate a number of crew members of a ship chosen to take over the operations of a captured ship.In the early days of sailing and up into the American Civil War, capturing enemy ships was quite common...
s to the Prussian port of Memel
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
. Cumming and Conflict also saw service at the port of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in this period and from 15 April to 22 May were responsible for boarding 19 vessels.
Cumming returned to England in 1855 and on 22 May was appointed to HMS Glatton, an ironclad floating battery
Floating battery
A floating battery is a kind of armed watercraft, often improvised or experimental, which carries a heavy armament but has few other qualities as a warship.An early appearance was during the Great Siege of Gibraltar....
with orders to sail her to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. He carried out these orders but arrived after the end of the war and returned Glatton to the United Kingdom by Spring 1856. He remained captain of the battery until 3 May 1856 and commanded her during the 23 April 1856 Fleet Review, where Glatton was one of four floating batteries that were the first ironclad ships to appear at any fleet review.
HMS Emerald
Cumming was appointed captain of the 51-gun frigate HMS Emerald on her commissioning at SheernessSheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
on 14 May 1859 and remained with the ship until the end of her Royal Navy career on 7 November 1863. The vessel was initially part of the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
and as part of her duties visited Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
, Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
, Torbay
Torbay
Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...
, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Devonport
Devonport, Devon
Devonport, formerly named Plymouth Dock or just Dock, is a district of Plymouth in the English county of Devon, although it was, at one time, the more important settlement. It became a county borough in 1889...
. Cumming was reunited with his old commander, Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, when Emerald became his temporary flagship on 19 January 1860 in order to carry him to the West Indies where he was to replace Vice Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, another former shipmate, as Commander-in-Chief on the North America and West Indies Station. Emerald left Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
on 18 February and arrived at Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
19 days and 6 hours later, completing "one of the quickest passages on record" at the time. The feat is all the more impressive for the fact that Cumming relied almost entirely on sail power, engaging the steam engines only when he was within 500 nautical miles (926 km) of her destination. Whilst in Bermuda Emerald ran aground and tore her coppering
Copper sheathing
Copper sheathing was the practice of protecting the under-water hull of a ship or boat through the use of copper plates affixed to the outside of the hull. It was pioneered and developed by the Royal Navy during the 18th century.-Development:...
, the first of several times she was damaged in her career.
Cumming and Emerald returned to Plymouth on 4 July 1860 and was heading to Keyham steam-yard on 10 July when she ran aground on a beach at Hamoaze
Hamoaze
The Hamoaze is an estuarine stretch of the tidal River Tamar, between the River Lynher and Plymouth Sound, England.The Hamoaze flows past Devonport Dockyard, which belongs to the Royal Navy...
whilst trying to avoid a merchant brig under tow, this and the Bermuda grounding were found to have damaged 60 feet (18.3 m) of her coppering. Cumming was next ordered to Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
, in the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
to transport a replacement Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
garrison. On the return journey on 28 August the ship ran aground once more, whilst in the charge of a Trinity House
Trinity House
The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...
pilot
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
, necessitating more repairs. In September Cumming sailed to Antwerp to provide a British presence and salute to Queen Victoria who was passing through the port. Cumming made another trip to South America in April 1861 when he carried Rear-Admiral Richard Laird Warren
Richard Warren (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Richard Laird Warren was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.-Naval career:...
in Emerald to his new appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Brazil Station, returning with Rear-Admiral Sir Henry Keppel
Henry Keppel
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Keppel, GCB, OM was a British admiral, son of the 4th Earl of Albemarle and of his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Lord de Clifford.-Naval career:...
.
On his return Cumming was again ordered to America, transporting guns, shot and stores to the West India Squadron, but was hit by storms off Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and forced to turn back to Plymouth. Once again Emerald was damaged, losing three boats, damaging rigging and equipment and being said to leak "like a sieve". This necessitated another period of repair in Keyham, before Cumming set out for Brazil once more, this time encountering storms in the Bay of Biscay
Bay of Biscay
The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
and again being damaged and repaired in dock. Emerald saw service in the Baltic and participated in propeller trials for the Admiralty but was decommissioned in 1863 and sold in 1869.
HMS Victory
HMS Victory is a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. She is most famous as Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805....
, under the command of Captains Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour and George Le Geyt Bowyear. During this time Victory served as the flagship of the Port Admiral of Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
and Cumming transferred to HMS Duke of Wellington when she became the flagship on 2 March 1869. Cumming remained on the Duke of Wellington, on harbour service duties, until 26 February 1870.
Admiral
Cumming's service aboard the Duke of Wellington ended with his promotion to rear-admiral on 27 February 1870. He served for a while as a port admiral before being appointed, on 14 February 1872, Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies StationEast Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
. He remained in the East Indies until March 1875 and was promoted to vice-admiral
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
on 22 March 1876. Cumming's promotion to admiral came on 9 January 1880 and he retired from the service on 6 April 1882. After retirement he lived mainly at Foston Hall, near Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. Cumming was a keen patron of his former shipmates including Surgeon William Loney, who had served aboard Emerald, which Cumming had captained, and Glasgow
HMS Glasgow (1861)
HMS Glasgow was a wooden screw frigate, the fifth ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy.Glasgow was launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 28 March 1861. Despite ironclad ships being introduced in 1858 and effectively rendering wooden hulls obsolete the Glasgow was built of wood to use up some...
, part of his East Indies squadron. In 1877 Cumming wrote to Vice-Admiral Beauchamp Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester
Beauchamp Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester
Admiral Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester, GCB was a British naval commander. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet between 1874 and 1877 and of the Mediterranean Fleet between 1880 and 1883....
, Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Squadron, and Lord Gillford
Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam
Admiral of the Fleet Richard James Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB, KCMG , styled Lord Gillford until 1879, was a British Royal Navy officer and peer.-Background:...
, Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy.Officially known as the Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland &c. The Lords...
, to recommend Loney for promotion. Cumming was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath as part of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
celebrations on 21 June 1887.
Cumming became an early victim of identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
on 27 March 1888 when a man impersonating him stole goods worth 100,000 francs (equivalent to approximately £ in current terms) from a Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
jewellery shop. The thief had identified himself to the shop's owner, Mr Boxta, as "Admiral Sir Arthur Cumming" and presented a card in that name with Cumming's coat of arms printed on it. Having made a small purchase the thief requested that Boxta bring a large quantity of diamond rings, bracelets and a necklace to his rooms so that he could chose a present for his wife. Boxta was reassured by the high status neighbourhood and a pile of Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
notes that the thief showed him and allowed the thief to take the jewellery to an adjacent room from which he was able to escape. The thief was never caught.
Sir Arthur Cumming died in London on 17 February 1893. He was survived by his wife and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in western Europe.-History:...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.