Robert Fanshawe Stopford
Encyclopedia
Admiral Robert Fanshawe Stopford (19 December 1811 – 4 January 1891) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron
.
in the Royal Navy
in 1830 and, as Commander of HMS Zebra
, took part in operations off the coast of Syria
during the Oriental Crisis
in 1840. Promoted to Captain
in 1840, he was given command of HMS Talbot in which he surveyed the Skerki Channel
off Sardinia
. He later commanded HMS Asia
and then HMS Queen
. He was made Captain of the Fleet for the Channel Squadron
in June 1860 and Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron
in October 1860.
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 Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron
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...
.
Naval career
Born the son of Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, Stopford was appointed a LieutenantLieutenant
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 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...
in 1830 and, as Commander of HMS Zebra
HMS Zebra (1815)
HMS Zebra, was an 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was built of teak by the East India Company dockyard in Bombay and launched in 1815 as the last of the Cruizer-class...
, took part in operations off the coast of 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....
during the Oriental Crisis
Oriental Crisis of 1840
The Oriental Crisis of 1840 was an armed conflict in the eastern Mediterranean between Egypt and the Ottoman Empire. It was triggered by Wāli Muhammad Ali Pasha's aims to establish a personal empire in the Ottoman province of Egypt.-Origins of the conflict:...
in 1840. Promoted to Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in 1840, he was given command of HMS Talbot in which he surveyed the Skerki Channel
Skerki Banks
The Skerki Banks are an area of relatively shallow open sea, situated in the central Mediterranean in the Strait of Sicily between Sicily and Tunisia, at approximately ....
off Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. He later commanded HMS Asia
HMS Asia (1811)
HMS Asia was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 2 December 1811 at Frindsbury.In 1828 Asia was reduced to a 50-gun ship, and was eventually broken up in 1865....
and then 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...
. He was made Captain of the Fleet for the Channel Squadron
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...
in June 1860 and Commander-in-Chief, Channel Squadron
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...
in October 1860.