Charles Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Charles Philip Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke PC (2 April 1799 – 17 September 1873), was a British naval commander and Conservative
politician.
, Hardwicke was the eldest son of Admiral Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke
, second son of Charles Yorke
, Lord Chancellor
, by his second wife, Agneta Johnson. He was a nephew of Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
. He was educated at Harrow
and at the Royal Naval College
, where he was awarded the second medal.
in May 1815 as midshipman
on , the flagship
at Spithead
. Later, he served in the Mediterranean, on (18) and (74) then subsequently (100), the flagship of Lord Exmouth
, by whom he was entrusted with the command of a gunboat at the bombardment of Algiers
. He later joined (60) under the flag of Sir David Milne, on the North American station, where he was given the command of the Jane, a small vessel carrying dispatches between Halifax and Bermuda. He was then appointed acting Lieutenant of (18) and after a few months commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant in August 1819. The next October, he joined the frigate on the Halifax station, until appointed to the command of in 1823 on the Mediterranean station, in this post he was employed, before and after he obtained the rank of Captain in 1825, in watching the movements of the Turko-Egyptian forces and in the suppression of piracy.
Between 1828 and 1831, he took command of (28), on the same station and took an active part in the naval operation in connection with the struggle between Greece and Turkey. Lastly between 1844 and 1845, for short periods, he assumed command of the steam yacht HMS Black Eagle and (120), in which he carried the then Emperor of Russia, Nicholas I
, to England. He attained flag rank in 1838. In 1849 while commanding he participated in the repression of the republican Rebellion of Genoa
in support of the forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia
. The Vengeance also fired on the Hospital of Pammatone, causing 107 civilian casualties. For these actions he was decorated by the Sardinian King Victor Emmanuel II with two medals he was authorized to accept by Queen Victoria only in 1855. In 1858 he retired from the active list with the rank of rear-admiral, becoming vice-admiral in the same year, and admiral in 1863 and retired from the Royal Navy in 1870.
in the House of Commons
between 1831 and 1832 and Cambridgeshire
between 1832 and 1834. In 1834, on the death of his uncle, he became the fourth Earl of Hardwicke, and inherited the substantial Wimpole
estate in Cambridgeshire. He was a member of Lord Derby
's cabinet in 1852 as Postmaster General
and as Lord Privy Seal
between 1858 and 1859. In 1852 he was sworn of the Privy Council.
, in August 1833. They had five sons and three daughters. He died in September 1873, aged 74, and was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, Charles. The Countess of Hardwicke died in November 1886.
He also supposedly fathered an illegitimate child by one Charlotte Pratt, a serving girl at his Wimpole Hall home. Charlotte got married in 1849, and the following was noted in the marriage register:
The year before this marriage, 18-year-old servant girl Charlotte gave birth to a son, James Pratt, who was baptised on the 2 April 1848. The father was understood to have been her employer, the 4th Earl of Hardwicke. "Charlotte... was a Pratt; and she was a picture. The handsomest woman that I ever remember to have seen. In harvest time to see her swinging along the road with a bundle of corn balanced on her head, both arms akimbo, was a study in colour, figure and poise". - A.C.Yorke
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Charles Philip Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke PC (2 April 1799 – 17 September 1873), was a British naval commander and Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Background
Born at Sydney Lodge, near SouthamptonSouthampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, Hardwicke was the eldest son of Admiral Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke
Joseph Sydney Yorke
Sir Joseph Sydney Yorke KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the American Revolutionary, the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral.-Family and early life:...
, second son of Charles Yorke
Charles Yorke
Charles Yorke was Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Life:The second son of Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, he was born in London, and was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His literary abilities were shown at an early age by his collaboration with his brother Philip in the...
, Lord Chancellor
Lord Chancellor
The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...
, by his second wife, Agneta Johnson. He was a nephew of Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke
Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke KG, PC, FRS , known as Philip Yorke until 1790, was a British politician.-Background and education:...
. He was educated at Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and 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...
, where he was awarded the second medal.
Naval career
Hardwicke entered the Royal NavyRoyal 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...
in May 1815 as 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...
on , the 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...
at 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...
. Later, he served in the Mediterranean, on (18) and (74) then subsequently (100), the flagship of Lord Exmouth
Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth
Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, 1st Viscount Exmouth, GCB was a British naval officer. He fought during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary, and the Napoleonic Wars...
, by whom he was entrusted with the command of a gunboat at the bombardment of Algiers
Bombardment of Algiers
The Bombardment of Algiers was an attempt by Britain to end the slavery practices of the Dey of Algiers. An Anglo-Dutch fleet under the command of Admiral Lord Exmouth bombarded ships and the harbour defences of Algiers....
. He later joined (60) under the flag of Sir David Milne, on the North American station, where he was given the command of the Jane, a small vessel carrying dispatches between Halifax and Bermuda. He was then appointed acting Lieutenant of (18) and after a few months commissioned in the rank of Lieutenant in August 1819. The next October, he joined the frigate on the Halifax station, until appointed to the command of in 1823 on the Mediterranean station, in this post he was employed, before and after he obtained the rank of Captain in 1825, in watching the movements of the Turko-Egyptian forces and in the suppression of piracy.
Between 1828 and 1831, he took command of (28), on the same station and took an active part in the naval operation in connection with the struggle between Greece and Turkey. Lastly between 1844 and 1845, for short periods, he assumed command of the steam yacht HMS Black Eagle and (120), in which he carried the then Emperor of Russia, Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
, to England. He attained flag rank in 1838. In 1849 while commanding he participated in the repression of the republican Rebellion of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
in support of the forces of the Kingdom of Sardinia
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia consisted of the island of Sardinia first as a part of the Crown of Aragon and subsequently the Spanish Empire , and second as a part of the composite state of the House of Savoy . Its capital was originally Cagliari, in the south of the island, and later Turin, on the...
. The Vengeance also fired on the Hospital of Pammatone, causing 107 civilian casualties. For these actions he was decorated by the Sardinian King Victor Emmanuel II with two medals he was authorized to accept by Queen Victoria only in 1855. In 1858 he retired from the active list with the rank of rear-admiral, becoming vice-admiral in the same year, and admiral in 1863 and retired from the Royal Navy in 1870.
Political career
Hardwicke represented ReigateReigate (UK Parliament constituency)
Reigate is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
between 1831 and 1832 and Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Cambridgeshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Knights...
between 1832 and 1834. In 1834, on the death of his uncle, he became the fourth Earl of Hardwicke, and inherited the substantial Wimpole
Wimpole Hall
Wimpole Hall is a country house located within the Parish of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, England, about 8½ miles southwest of Cambridge. The house, begun in 1640, and its 3,000 acres of parkland and farmland are owned by the National Trust and are regularly open to the public.Wimpole is...
estate in Cambridgeshire. He was a member of Lord Derby
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
's cabinet in 1852 as Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
and as Lord Privy Seal
Lord Privy Seal
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. The office is one of the traditional sinecure offices of state...
between 1858 and 1859. In 1852 he was sworn of the Privy Council.
Family
Lord Hardwicke married the Honourable Susan Liddell, sixth daughter of Thomas Liddell, 1st Baron RavensworthThomas Liddell, 1st Baron Ravensworth
Thomas Henry Liddell, 1st Baron Ravensworth , known as Sir Thomas Liddell, 6th Baronet, from 1791 to 1821, was a British peer and Tory politician.-Life account:...
, in August 1833. They had five sons and three daughters. He died in September 1873, aged 74, and was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son, Charles. The Countess of Hardwicke died in November 1886.
He also supposedly fathered an illegitimate child by one Charlotte Pratt, a serving girl at his Wimpole Hall home. Charlotte got married in 1849, and the following was noted in the marriage register:
The year before this marriage, 18-year-old servant girl Charlotte gave birth to a son, James Pratt, who was baptised on the 2 April 1848. The father was understood to have been her employer, the 4th Earl of Hardwicke. "Charlotte... was a Pratt; and she was a picture. The handsomest woman that I ever remember to have seen. In harvest time to see her swinging along the road with a bundle of corn balanced on her head, both arms akimbo, was a study in colour, figure and poise". - A.C.Yorke
External links
- http://www.marina.difesa.it/storia/movm/parte02/movm204b.asp