Frederick Thomas Pelham
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Frederick Thomas Pelham CB
(2 August 1808 – 21 June 1861) was an Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Second Naval Lord
.
and Lady Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne (1776–1862), and entered the navy on 27 June 1823. Serving as a midshipman on the HMS Sybille
in the Mediterranean (including an attack on Greek pirates), he was promoted to lieutenant in 1830 before serving with the until being promoted to commander on 21 September 1835. He then served at that rank on off Spain's north coast during the Carlist War before receiving his first command, , in the same theatre in 1837 and 1838, being awarded the cross of San Fernando for his services. He rose to captain on 3 July 1840. He then commanded , a steam paddle frigate, in the Mediterranean Sea from 1847 to 1850.
At the suggestion of Sir Hyde Parker, he served as private secretary to the first lord of the Admiralty, the duke of Northumberland
, from March to December 1852, working against a government keen to keep defence spending down, against his own brother Henry Thomas Pelham
's politics and connections with Francis Baring
, and against the political secretary Stafford O'Brien (testifying to the 1853 select committee checking O'Brien's handling of patronage in dockyard appointments). He was made commander of the Portsmouth
steam reserve in 1853, participating at Bomarsund
and other episodes of the 1854 Baltic campaign in that role from his flagship . During the construction of he was appointed her commander, but this putative post was cancelled when his friend Richard Saunders Dundas
selected him for the second Baltic campaign as captain of the fleet. In that role he headed the attack on Sveaborg (8–10 August), though a surveying officer on the expedition, captain Bartholomew James Sulivan, blamed Pelham for making Dundas overly cautious.
Sir Maurice Berkeley
declined to take Pelham on at the Board of Admiralty in December 1856 due to his connections with Northumberland. Pelham did enter the Admiralty in November 1857 as Fourth Naval Lord
after Berkeley's retirement, though he then left it in March 1858, having been promoted to Rear-Admiral. Under Dundas and the Duke of Somerset
he joined the new Liberal board as Second Naval Lord
in June 1859, remaining with it until resigning on grounds of ill health in early June 1861. He was also made a Companion of the Bath. On his death later that year he was buried in Highgate cemetery
.
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
Frederick Thomas Pelham CB
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...
(2 August 1808 – 21 June 1861) was an 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...
officer who went on to be Second Naval Lord
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
.
Naval career
He was the son of Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of ChichesterThomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester
Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester PC, PC , FRS , styled The Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1768 until 1783, The Right Honourable Thomas Pelham from 1783 to 1801, and then known as Lord Pelham until 1805, was a British Whig politician...
and Lady Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne (1776–1862), and entered the navy on 27 June 1823. Serving as a midshipman on the HMS Sybille
French frigate Sibylle (1792)
The Sibylle was an 38-gun Hébé class frigate of the French Navy. She was launched in 1791 at the dockyards in Toulon and placed in service in 1792...
in the Mediterranean (including an attack on Greek pirates), he was promoted to lieutenant in 1830 before serving with the until being promoted to commander on 21 September 1835. He then served at that rank on off Spain's north coast during the Carlist War before receiving his first command, , in the same theatre in 1837 and 1838, being awarded the cross of San Fernando for his services. He rose to captain on 3 July 1840. He then commanded , a steam paddle frigate, in the Mediterranean Sea from 1847 to 1850.
At the suggestion of Sir Hyde Parker, he served as private secretary to the first lord of the Admiralty, the duke of Northumberland
Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland
Admiral Algernon Percy, 4th Duke of Northumberland KG, PC, FRS , styled Lord Algernon Percy until 1816 and known as The Lord Prudhoe between 1816 and 1847, was a British naval commander, explorer and Conservative politician.-Background:Northumberland was the younger son of General Hugh Percy, 2nd...
, from March to December 1852, working against a government keen to keep defence spending down, against his own brother Henry Thomas Pelham
Henry Thomas Pelham, 3rd Earl of Chichester
Henry Thomas Pelham, 3rd Earl of Chichester was an English nobleman, styled Lord Pelham until 1826. He was the son of Thomas Pelham, 2nd Earl of Chichester and Lady Mary Henrietta Juliana Osborne....
's politics and connections with Francis Baring
Francis Baring, 1st Baron Northbrook
Francis Thornhill Baring, 1st Baron Northbrook PC , known as Sir Francis Baring, Bt, from 1848 to 1866, was a British Whig politician who served in the governments of Lord Melbourne and Lord John Russell....
, and against the political secretary Stafford O'Brien (testifying to the 1853 select committee checking O'Brien's handling of patronage in dockyard appointments). He was made commander of the 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...
steam reserve in 1853, participating at Bomarsund
Bomarsund
Bomarsund may refer to:*Bomarsund, Åland, fortress in the Åland Islands, in the Baltic Sea*Bomarsund, Northumberland, village in Northumberland, England...
and other episodes of the 1854 Baltic campaign in that role from his flagship . During the construction of he was appointed her commander, but this putative post was cancelled when his friend Richard Saunders Dundas
Richard Saunders Dundas
Vice Admiral The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas, KCB was a British naval officer and was the British First Sea Lord from 1857 to 1858 and again from 1859 until his death in 1861.-Early life:...
selected him for the second Baltic campaign as captain of the fleet. In that role he headed the attack on Sveaborg (8–10 August), though a surveying officer on the expedition, captain Bartholomew James Sulivan, blamed Pelham for making Dundas overly cautious.
Sir Maurice Berkeley
Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge
Admiral Sir Maurice Frederick FitzHardinge Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge, GCB PC, DL was a British Royal Navy First Sea Lord and former First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria.-Royal Navy career:...
declined to take Pelham on at the Board of Admiralty in December 1856 due to his connections with Northumberland. Pelham did enter the Admiralty in November 1857 as Fourth Naval Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
after Berkeley's retirement, though he then left it in March 1858, having been promoted to Rear-Admiral. Under Dundas and the Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset
Sir Edward Adolphus Seymour , 12th Duke of Somerset, etc. KG, PC , styled Baron Seymour until 1855, was a British Whig aristocrat and politician, who served in various cabinet positions in the mid-19th century...
he joined the new Liberal board as Second Naval Lord
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in June 1859, remaining with it until resigning on grounds of ill health in early June 1861. He was also made a Companion of the Bath. On his death later that year he was buried in Highgate cemetery
Highgate Cemetery
Highgate Cemetery is a cemetery located in north London, England. It is designated Grade I on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England. It is divided into two parts, named the East and West cemetery....
.
Family
He married Ellen Kate Mitchell on 26 July 1841, with whom he had:- Constance Mary Kate Pelham (died 5 January 1926)
- Beatrice Emily Julia Pelham (died 27 February 1939)
- Admiral Frederick Sidney Pelham (25 October 1854 - 19 October 1931)