Herbert Richmond
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Herbert William Richmond KCB
(15 September 1871 – 15 December 1946) was a prominent naval officer, who also served as Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History
at Cambridge University and Master of Downing College, Cambridge
. He was married to Florence Elsa, daughter of SirThomas Hugh Bell and half sister of Gertrude Bell
.
and son of another artist, Sir William Blake Richmond
the Slade Professor at Oxford University, Herbert Richmond joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1885. He served on the Australian Station and in the Hydrographic Service before qualifying as a torpedo officer in 1897. He began to develop a serious interest in naval history while serving in HMS Empress of India in 1897-98, HMS Ramillies
in 1899, and HMS Canopus
in 1899-1900.
In 1900-1903, Richmond served in the flagship of the Channel Fleet HMS Majestic
. Promoted to commander in 1903, he became first officer in HMS Crescent
, flagship of the Cape of Good Hope Station. He was assigned to the Admiralty in 1906-08, where he served briefly as naval assistant to Admiral John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher. Inspired by the work of the naval historian Julian Corbett
, Richmond began to research the naval aspects of the War of the Austrian Succession
, which he completed in 1914, but which was not published until 1920.
Promoted to captain, Richmond commanded HMS Dreadnought
from 1909 to 1911, then, in 1911-12, the Torpedo School
training ships HMS Furious and HMS Vindictive
. In 1912, he founded the Naval Review (magazine)
, in order to promote innovative thought within the Royal Navy. Richmond became assistant director of operations on the Naval Staff from 1913 to 1915 and liaison officer to the Italian Fleet in 1915. From those assignments, he went on to command HMS Commonwealth
(part of a pre-dreadnought
battle squadron at the Nore) from 1916 to 1917, and HMS Conqueror
in the Grand Fleet (1917–18), served as director of staff duties and training in 1918, and commanded HMS Erin
in 1919.
. Promoted to Vice-Admiral in 1925, he was created knight commander of the Order of the Bath
in 1926. Returning to London in 1927, he became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
. In 1929, he was promoted to Admiral and served as president of the International Conference on the Safety of Life at Sea. Following his retirement from the Royal Navy in 1931, Cambridge University appointed him Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History
, an academic chair he held from 1934 to 1936. In 1934, he was also elected master of Downing College, Cambridge
, a post he held until his death in 1946. While Master of Downing College, he delivered the Ford Lectures
in English History at Oxford University in 1943 (for the academic year 1943/4.)
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Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Herbert William Richmond KCB
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...
(15 September 1871 – 15 December 1946) was a prominent naval officer, who also served as Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History
Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History
The Vere Harmsworth Professorship of Imperial and Naval History is one of the senior professorships in history at the University of Cambridge. After the Beit Professorship of Colonial History at Oxford and the Rhodes Professorship of Imperial History at King's College London , it is the third...
at Cambridge University and Master of Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
. He was married to Florence Elsa, daughter of SirThomas Hugh Bell and half sister of Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Margaret Lowthian Bell, CBE was an English writer, traveller, political officer, administrator, and archaeologist who explored, mapped, and became highly influential to British imperial policy-making due to her extensive travels in Greater Syria, Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Arabia. Along...
.
Early life and naval career
The grandson of the portrait painter George RichmondGeorge Richmond
For the 21st century educator see George H. RichmondGeorge Richmond was an English painter.George Richmond was the father of the painter William Blake Richmond as well as the grandfather of the naval historian, Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond.A keen follower of cricket, Richmond was noted in one...
and son of another artist, Sir William Blake Richmond
William Blake Richmond
Sir William Blake Richmond KCB , English painter and decorator, was born in London. His father, George Richmond, R.A...
the Slade Professor at Oxford University, Herbert Richmond joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1885. He served on the Australian Station and in the Hydrographic Service before qualifying as a torpedo officer in 1897. He began to develop a serious interest in naval history while serving in HMS Empress of India in 1897-98, HMS Ramillies
HMS Ramillies (1892)
HMS Ramillies was a pre-dreadnought battleship of Royal Navy and part of the seven ship Royal Sovereign' class.-Technical Characteristics:...
in 1899, and HMS Canopus
HMS Canopus (1898)
HMS Canopus was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the British Royal Navy and the lead ship of the Canopus-class. At the beginning of the First world war she was involved in the search for the German East Asia Squadron of Admiral Graf Spee...
in 1899-1900.
In 1900-1903, Richmond served in the flagship of the Channel Fleet HMS Majestic
HMS Majestic (1895)
HMS Majestic was a Majestic-class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy.-Technical characteristics:HMS Majestic was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard on 5 February 1894 and launched on 31 January 1895...
. Promoted to commander in 1903, he became first officer in HMS Crescent
HMS Crescent (1892)
HMS Crescent was a first class cruiser of the Edgar class. Crescent, and her sister ship Royal Arthur, were built to a slightly modified design and are sometimes considered a separate class. She was built at Portsmouth and launched on 30 March 1892. As at 11 January 1895 she was leaving Australia...
, flagship of the Cape of Good Hope Station. He was assigned to the Admiralty in 1906-08, where he served briefly as naval assistant to Admiral John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher. Inspired by the work of the naval historian Julian Corbett
Julian Corbett
Sir Julian Stafford Corbett was a prominent British naval historian and geostrategist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose works helped shape the Royal Navy's reforms of that era...
, Richmond began to research the naval aspects of the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, which he completed in 1914, but which was not published until 1920.
Promoted to captain, Richmond commanded HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1906)
HMS Dreadnought was a battleship of the British Royal Navy that revolutionised naval power. Her entry into service in 1906 represented such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships, the "dreadnoughts", as well as the class of...
from 1909 to 1911, then, in 1911-12, the Torpedo School
HMS Vernon (shore establishment)
HMS Vernon was a shore establishment or 'stone frigate' of the Royal Navy. Vernon was established on 26 April 1876 as the Royal Navy's Torpedo Branch and operated until 1 April 1996, when the various elements comprising the establishment were split up and moved to different commands.-Foundation...
training ships HMS Furious and HMS Vindictive
HMS Vindictive (1897)
HMS Vindictive was a British protected cruiser of the Arrogant class built at Chatham Dockyard. She was launched on 9 December 1897 and completed in 1899....
. In 1912, he founded the Naval Review (magazine)
Naval Review (magazine)
The Naval Review was founded in October 1912 by a group of eight Royal Navy officers who had formed a naval society "to promote the advancement and spreading within the service of knowledge relevant to the higher aspects of the naval profession"....
, in order to promote innovative thought within the Royal Navy. Richmond became assistant director of operations on the Naval Staff from 1913 to 1915 and liaison officer to the Italian Fleet in 1915. From those assignments, he went on to command HMS Commonwealth
HMS Commonwealth (1903)
HMS Commonwealth, was a of the British Royal Navy. Like all ships of the class she was named after an important part of the British Empire, namely the Commonwealth of Australia.-Technical characteristics:...
(part of a pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought
Pre-dreadnought battleship is the general term for all of the types of sea-going battleships built between the mid-1890s and 1905. Pre-dreadnoughts replaced the ironclad warships of the 1870s and 1880s...
battle squadron at the Nore) from 1916 to 1917, and HMS Conqueror
HMS Conqueror (1911)
HMS Conqueror was an Orion class battleship of the Royal Navy. She served in the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in World War I, and fought at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, suffering no damage....
in the Grand Fleet (1917–18), served as director of staff duties and training in 1918, and commanded HMS Erin
HMS Erin
HMS Erin was a dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy which was originally built in response to an order placed by the Ottoman government with the British Vickers company. She was intended, when accepted for service in the Ottoman Navy, to be named Reshadieh...
in 1919.
Career as a flag officer and academic
Promoted to Rear-Admiral, he became admiral president of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1920. In October 1923, he was assigned as commander-in-chief, East Indies SquadronEast 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...
. Promoted to Vice-Admiral in 1925, he was created knight commander of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
in 1926. Returning to London in 1927, he became Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies
The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies was a UK senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001. The post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971 the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies...
. In 1929, he was promoted to Admiral and served as president of the International Conference on the Safety of Life at Sea. Following his retirement from the Royal Navy in 1931, Cambridge University appointed him Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History
Vere Harmsworth Professor of Imperial and Naval History
The Vere Harmsworth Professorship of Imperial and Naval History is one of the senior professorships in history at the University of Cambridge. After the Beit Professorship of Colonial History at Oxford and the Rhodes Professorship of Imperial History at King's College London , it is the third...
, an academic chair he held from 1934 to 1936. In 1934, he was also elected master of Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
, a post he held until his death in 1946. While Master of Downing College, he delivered the Ford Lectures
Ford Lectures
The Ford Lectures are a prestigious series of public lectures given annually in English or British History by a distinguished historian. Known commonly as "The Ford Lectures," they are properly titled "Ford's Lectures in British History" and they are given by a scholar elected to be "Ford's...
in English History at Oxford University in 1943 (for the academic year 1943/4.)
Published writings
- Papers relating to the loss of MinorcaMinorcaMin Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
in 1756 Navy Records Society (1913) - The navy in the war of 1739-48War of Jenkins' EarThe War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748, with major operations largely ended by 1742. Its unusual name, coined by Thomas Carlyle in 1858, relates to Robert Jenkins, captain of a British merchant ship, who exhibited his severed ear in...
(1920) - Command and discipline (1927)
- National policy and naval strength and other essays by H.W. Richmond; with a foreword by Lord Sydenham of Combe, (1928, 1934, 1993)
- The navy in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, 1763-1783 (1931) - Economy and naval security : a plea for the examination of the problem of the reduction in the cost of naval armaments on the lines of strategy and policy (1931)
- Imperial defence and capture at sea in war (1932)
- Naval history and the citizen, by Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond ... an inaugural lecture delivered before the University on 25 April 1934 (1934)
- Private papers of George, Second Earl Spencer, first lord of the AdmiraltyLord Commissioner of the AdmiraltyThe 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...
, 1794-1801 Navy Records Society - Sea power in the modern world (1934)
- Statesmen and sea power The Ford LecturesFord LecturesThe Ford Lectures are a prestigious series of public lectures given annually in English or British History by a distinguished historian. Known commonly as "The Ford Lectures," they are properly titled "Ford's Lectures in British History" and they are given by a scholar elected to be "Ford's...
(1946) - The Navy as an instrument of policy, 1558-1727 Edited by E.A. Hughes. (1953)
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