William Houston Stewart
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir William Houston Stewart GCB
(7 September 1822 – 13 November 1901) was a British naval officer who was Controller of the Royal Navy
from 1872 to 1881.
(1791–1875), and Martha (d. 1870), youngest daughter of Sir William Miller, Bart (1785–1846). William Houston Stewart is sometimes referred to as William Houston Shaw-Stewart; his paternal grandfather was Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, Bt (1766–1825).
On 20 February 1850, he married Catherine Elizabeth Coote (1829–1867), only daughter of Eyre Coote (1806–1834) of West Park, Hampshire. Catherine died on 23 November 1867.
His remarried on 11 January 1872, this time to Blanche Caroline (1845–1927), the third child of Admiral Hon. Keith Stewart (1814–1879), and Mary Caroline Stewart (née Fitzroy) (1823–95). They had one daughter: Blanche Nita Mary Stewart (d. 1947).
on 29 April 1835. He served as lieutenant on 28-gun frigate Volage from 29 June 1843 until March 1843, though officially he was not promoted to Lieutenant until 26 September 1842. Volage was commanded by Captain William Dickson, and was on the North America and West Indies station. In March 1843 he was appointed lieutenant in the 74-gun two-decker Illustrious
, commanded by Captain John Elphinstone Erskine, flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Adam, on the North America and West Indies station. In 1844, he was appointed lieutenant in the 16-gun brig-sloop Ringdove, serving on the west coast of Africa station. The captain of Ringdove, Commander Sir William Daniell, died in command at Sierra Leone
on 12 September 1845. (The previous commander of Ringdove was Commander Keith Stewart, whose daughter Blanche was later to become William Stewart's second wife.) William Stewart's next appointment was as lieutenant in the 50-gun razee frigate Grampus, which was commissioned at Woolwich by Captain Henry Byam Martin, and then went out to the Pacific station. Stewart served in Grampus until 1847, when he studied steam engineering at Woolwich. On 18 May 1848, he was promoted to commander.
On 5 August 1851, Commander Stewart commissioned the 6-gun paddle-sloop Virago
at Woolwich
. Virago served on the Pacific station. On 4 December 1851, Virago put into the Chilean port of Punta Arenas
in the Strait of Magellan
.Chapter IV, Brown, Charles H., Insurrection at Magellan. Narrative of the Imprisonment and Escape of Capt. Chas. H. Brown, from the Chilian Convicts, published by Geo. C. Rand, Boston, Second Edition, 1854. This city was "a penitentiary colony for relapsing criminals and relegated military". When Virago arrived, the port was in the hands of a group of mutinous prisoners "headed by one Cambiaso, second lieutenant of the troops stationed there; who... had committed some offence and been imprisoned a short time before."Chapter II, Brown, Insurrection at Magellan. Cambiaso had captured two merchant vessels: the barque Florida of New Orleans and the brig Eliza Cornish of Liverpool. The officers of the Virago came on shore, visited the barracks, and the Florida, and then left the harbour without having their suspicions excited. When Virago arrived Cambiaso had considered trying to capture her, but was deterred because of "the order and discipline on board, the well manned guns, the well drilled marines", and "of the capability of even the smallest midshipman to take command of the crew in case of the absence of the superior officers". Early in January 1852, intelligence of the mutiny was transmitted to the Chilean government at Valparaíso. "The Chilean authorities despatched two Chilean men-of-war [Indefatigable and Meteoro], and some Chilean troops under Don Santiago Jorge Bynon. The troops were put on board the Chilean men-of-war; the latter on board the Virago, on the same service. The English steamer proceeded immediately to the Straits, and it was to be hoped that her officers would learn a lesson from experience, and prove themselves more sharp sighted than they had done a month before, in their former visit to the colony."Chapter IX, Brown, Insurrection at Magellan. The mutineers and their prisoners sailed from Punta Arenas on the Florida and the Eliza Cornish. Virago searched for, and recaptured the Eliza Cornish at sea and rescued some colonists who had been abandoned on Wood's Bay. Meanwhile, Cambiaso and his men on board the Florida had been overpowered by some of her original crew.Chapter VIII, Brown, Insurrection at Magellan. When Virago and the Chilean ships encountered the Florida, at a place called Ancud
, the Florida was back in friendly hands. Viragos crew lent assistance to Florida, took the prisoners and treasure on board. After the incident, there was some dispute about treasure recaptured by the Virago; an American called Charles H. Brown from the Florida tried to claim it was his, and wrote a book to back up his claims. On 5 April 1853, Commander Edward Marshall took over command of Virago.
during the Crimean War
. On 29 August, Stewart was superseded by Captain William Moorsom.
On 2 February 1855, he was appointed captain of the 6-gun 2nd-class paddle-frigate Dragon; his predecessor, Captain James Willcox, had only commanded her for 11 days. Under Stewart, Dragon served in the Baltic Fleet in the second year of the Crimean War
.
, the harbour flagship of Vice-Admiral Barrington Reynolds, Devonport
. Impregnable was a 47-year old 98-gun sail three-decker, which had been modernised in 1825-26, but had been a harbour flagship since 1839.
On 3 May 1860, he became captain of the modern 131-gun steam three-decker Marlborough
, flagship of Vice-Admiral William Fanshawe Martin, C-in-C of the Mediterranean Fleet
. Vice-Admiral Robert Smart superseded Vice-Admiral Martin on 20 April 1863. Stewart was superseded by Captain Charles Fellowes in June 1863.
Stewart was then Superintendent of Chatham dockyard
from 19 November 1863 to 30 November 1868; for part of this time, from 3 January 1866, he flew his flag in Wellesley
, guard ship of ordinary, Chatham. On 1 April 1870 Stewart was promoted to rear admiral. From 13 July 1870 to 21 November 1871 Stewart was Superintendent of Devonport dockyard. The from 20 November 1871 to 28 April 1872 he was 28 April 1872 he was Superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard
.
on 29 April 1872, and held this post until 1 December 1881. During this time he was promoted to vice admiral (12 November 1876) and then admiral (23 November 1881). He was awarded the K.C.B. (Knight Commander of the Bath) on 2 June 1877.
, which he held from 1 December 1881 to 1 December 1884.
He retired on 30 March 1885. He was awarded the G.C.B. (Knight Grand Cross of the Bath) on 21 June 1887, and died in London on 13 November 1901.
, in the Queen Charlotte Islands
, is named for William Houston Stewart.
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...
(7 September 1822 – 13 November 1901) was a British naval officer who was Controller of the Royal Navy
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
from 1872 to 1881.
Personal life
William Houston Stewart was born on 7 September 1822 at Kirkmichael House, Ayrshire. He was the son of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston StewartHouston Stewart
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston Stewart GCB was a Royal Navy officer and briefly a Liberal Party Member of Parliament .-Naval career:...
(1791–1875), and Martha (d. 1870), youngest daughter of Sir William Miller, Bart (1785–1846). William Houston Stewart is sometimes referred to as William Houston Shaw-Stewart; his paternal grandfather was Sir Michael Shaw-Stewart, Bt (1766–1825).
On 20 February 1850, he married Catherine Elizabeth Coote (1829–1867), only daughter of Eyre Coote (1806–1834) of West Park, Hampshire. Catherine died on 23 November 1867.
His remarried on 11 January 1872, this time to Blanche Caroline (1845–1927), the third child of Admiral Hon. Keith Stewart (1814–1879), and Mary Caroline Stewart (née Fitzroy) (1823–95). They had one daughter: Blanche Nita Mary Stewart (d. 1947).
Early career
Stewart entered the 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...
on 29 April 1835. He served as lieutenant on 28-gun frigate Volage from 29 June 1843 until March 1843, though officially he was not promoted to Lieutenant until 26 September 1842. Volage was commanded by Captain William Dickson, and was on the North America and West Indies station. In March 1843 he was appointed lieutenant in the 74-gun two-decker Illustrious
HMS Illustrious (1803)
HMS Illustrious was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 3 September 1803 at Rotherhithe.Illustrious served as a gunnery ship from 1854, and was broken up in 1868....
, commanded by Captain John Elphinstone Erskine, flagship of Vice-Admiral Charles Adam, on the North America and West Indies station. In 1844, he was appointed lieutenant in the 16-gun brig-sloop Ringdove, serving on the west coast of Africa station. The captain of Ringdove, Commander Sir William Daniell, died in command at Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
on 12 September 1845. (The previous commander of Ringdove was Commander Keith Stewart, whose daughter Blanche was later to become William Stewart's second wife.) William Stewart's next appointment was as lieutenant in the 50-gun razee frigate Grampus, which was commissioned at Woolwich by Captain Henry Byam Martin, and then went out to the Pacific station. Stewart served in Grampus until 1847, when he studied steam engineering at Woolwich. On 18 May 1848, he was promoted to commander.
On 5 August 1851, Commander Stewart commissioned the 6-gun paddle-sloop Virago
HMS Virago (1842)
HMS Virago was a 1669 ton, Royal Navy 6 gun 1st class paddle sloop launched on 25 July 1842 from Chatham Dockyard.She was sent to the Mediterranean Station arriving in November 1843 serving until 1847. Upon returning to England, she was placed into reserve. In 1851 she was sent to the Pacific Station...
at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
. Virago served on the Pacific station. On 4 December 1851, Virago put into the Chilean port of Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas, Chile
Punta Arenas is a commune and the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antartica Chilena. The city was officially renamed Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to Punta Arenas...
in the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
.Chapter IV, Brown, Charles H., Insurrection at Magellan. Narrative of the Imprisonment and Escape of Capt. Chas. H. Brown, from the Chilian Convicts, published by Geo. C. Rand, Boston, Second Edition, 1854. This city was "a penitentiary colony for relapsing criminals and relegated military". When Virago arrived, the port was in the hands of a group of mutinous prisoners "headed by one Cambiaso, second lieutenant of the troops stationed there; who... had committed some offence and been imprisoned a short time before."Chapter II, Brown, Insurrection at Magellan. Cambiaso had captured two merchant vessels: the barque Florida of New Orleans and the brig Eliza Cornish of Liverpool. The officers of the Virago came on shore, visited the barracks, and the Florida, and then left the harbour without having their suspicions excited. When Virago arrived Cambiaso had considered trying to capture her, but was deterred because of "the order and discipline on board, the well manned guns, the well drilled marines", and "of the capability of even the smallest midshipman to take command of the crew in case of the absence of the superior officers". Early in January 1852, intelligence of the mutiny was transmitted to the Chilean government at Valparaíso. "The Chilean authorities despatched two Chilean men-of-war [Indefatigable and Meteoro], and some Chilean troops under Don Santiago Jorge Bynon. The troops were put on board the Chilean men-of-war; the latter on board the Virago, on the same service. The English steamer proceeded immediately to the Straits, and it was to be hoped that her officers would learn a lesson from experience, and prove themselves more sharp sighted than they had done a month before, in their former visit to the colony."Chapter IX, Brown, Insurrection at Magellan. The mutineers and their prisoners sailed from Punta Arenas on the Florida and the Eliza Cornish. Virago searched for, and recaptured the Eliza Cornish at sea and rescued some colonists who had been abandoned on Wood's Bay. Meanwhile, Cambiaso and his men on board the Florida had been overpowered by some of her original crew.Chapter VIII, Brown, Insurrection at Magellan. When Virago and the Chilean ships encountered the Florida, at a place called Ancud
Ancud
Ancud is a city in southern Chile located in the northernmost part of the island and province of Chiloé, in Los Lagos Region .-Geography:...
, the Florida was back in friendly hands. Viragos crew lent assistance to Florida, took the prisoners and treasure on board. After the incident, there was some dispute about treasure recaptured by the Virago; an American called Charles H. Brown from the Florida tried to claim it was his, and wrote a book to back up his claims. On 5 April 1853, Commander Edward Marshall took over command of Virago.
Crimean War service
On 9 July 1854, Stewart was promoted to captain. He was then appointed captain of the 4-gun 2nd-class paddle-frigate Firebrand, replacing Captain Hyde Parker. During this time Firebrand was serving in the Black SeaBlack 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...
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...
. On 29 August, Stewart was superseded by Captain William Moorsom.
On 2 February 1855, he was appointed captain of the 6-gun 2nd-class paddle-frigate Dragon; his predecessor, Captain James Willcox, had only commanded her for 11 days. Under Stewart, Dragon served in the Baltic Fleet in the second year of 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...
.
After the Crimean War
From 4 May 1857 to 3 May 1860, Stewart was captain of the ImpregnableHMS Impregnable (1810)
HMS Impregnable was a 98-gun second rate three-decker ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 1 August 1810 at Chatham. She was designed by Sir William Rule, and was the only ship built to her draught...
, the harbour flagship of Vice-Admiral Barrington Reynolds, 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...
. Impregnable was a 47-year old 98-gun sail three-decker, which had been modernised in 1825-26, but had been a harbour flagship since 1839.
On 3 May 1860, he became captain of the modern 131-gun steam three-decker Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (1855)
HMS Marlborough was a first-rate three-decker 131 gun screw ship built for the Royal Navy in 1855. She was begun as a sailing ship of the line , but was completed to a modified design and converted to steam on the stocks.She served as flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1858-64 HMS...
, flagship of Vice-Admiral William Fanshawe Martin, C-in-C 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...
. Vice-Admiral Robert Smart superseded Vice-Admiral Martin on 20 April 1863. Stewart was superseded by Captain Charles Fellowes in June 1863.
Stewart was then Superintendent of Chatham dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
from 19 November 1863 to 30 November 1868; for part of this time, from 3 January 1866, he flew his flag in Wellesley
HMS Wellesley (1815)
HMS Wellesley was a 74-gun third rate, named for the Duke of Wellington, and launched in 1815. She captured Karachi for the British, and participated in the First Opium War, which resulted in Britain gaining control of Hong Kong...
, guard ship of ordinary, Chatham. On 1 April 1870 Stewart was promoted to rear admiral. From 13 July 1870 to 21 November 1871 Stewart was Superintendent of Devonport dockyard. The from 20 November 1871 to 28 April 1872 he was 28 April 1872 he was Superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
.
Controller
Rear Admiral Stewart was appointed Controller of the NavyThird Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
on 29 April 1872, and held this post until 1 December 1881. During this time he was promoted to vice admiral (12 November 1876) and then admiral (23 November 1881). He was awarded the K.C.B. (Knight Commander of the Bath) on 2 June 1877.
End of His Career
Admiral Stewart's last post was Commander-in-Chief, PlymouthCommander-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,...
, which he held from 1 December 1881 to 1 December 1884.
He retired on 30 March 1885. He was awarded the G.C.B. (Knight Grand Cross of the Bath) on 21 June 1887, and died in London on 13 November 1901.
Legacy
Houston Stewart ChannelHouston Stewart Channel
Houston Stewart Channel is a strait in the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia, Canada. It separates Moresby Island and Kunghit Island....
, in the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
, is named for William Houston Stewart.