William Kennedy (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir William Robert Kennedy GCB
(4 March 1838 – 9 October 1916) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
, Italy where his father John Kennedy was the British Chargé d'affaires
, Kennedy joined the Royal Navy
in 1851 and served with the Naval Brigade
during the Crimean War
. He was present at the bombardment of Canton
in 1856, at the Battle of Fatshan Creek
in 1857 and at the attack on the Peiho Forts
in 1858 during the Second Opium War
.
Kennedy married Edith Louisa Stopford in Daventry
in 1868; they had one daughter Alice Emily Kennedy. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies
in 1892 and Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1900. He was promoted to Admiral
in August 1901 and retired in November 1901.
He was also an accomplished author who wrote an extensive autobiography and other books.
His brothers included Sir John Gordon Kennedy KCMG
(1836–1912), who became an eminent diplomat, and Gilbert George Kennedy
(1844–1909) who played for the Scottish XI in the second international football match
against England.
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...
(4 March 1838 – 9 October 1916) was a 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 Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
Biography
Born in NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy where his father John Kennedy was the British Chargé d'affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
, Kennedy joined 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 1851 and served with the Naval Brigade
Naval Brigade
A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...
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...
. He was present at the bombardment of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in 1856, at the Battle of Fatshan Creek
Battle of Fatshan Creek
The Battle of Fatshan Creek was a naval engagement fought between the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and Chinese pirates on June 1, 1857. Commodore Henry Keppel sought out and destroyed the Chinese fleet before advancing to the city of Canton for its capture....
in 1857 and at the attack on the Peiho Forts
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
in 1858 during the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
.
Kennedy married Edith Louisa Stopford in Daventry
Daventry
Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22,367 .-Geography:The town is also the administrative centre of the larger Daventry district, which has a population of 71,838. The town is 77 miles north-northwest of London, 13.9 miles west of Northampton and 10.2...
in 1868; they had one daughter Alice Emily Kennedy. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies
East 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...
in 1892 and Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1900. He was promoted to Admiral
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"...
in August 1901 and retired in November 1901.
He was also an accomplished author who wrote an extensive autobiography and other books.
His brothers included Sir John Gordon Kennedy KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(1836–1912), who became an eminent diplomat, and Gilbert George Kennedy
Gilbert G. Kennedy
Gilbert George Kennedy was a Scottish amateur sportsman who played for the Scottish XI in the second international football match against England. He was also a regular member of the Wanderers club and an occasional cricketer...
(1844–1909) who played for the Scottish XI in the second international football match
England v Scotland representative matches (1870–1872)
Between 1870 and 1872, the Football Association organised five representative association football matches between teams from England and Scotland, all held in London. The first of these matches was held at The Oval on 5 March 1870, and the fifth was on 21 February 1872. The matches, which were...
against England.
Honours and awards
- 22 June 1897 - To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria Vice-Admiral William Robert Kennedy is appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
- 19 June 1911 - On the occasion of the Coronation1911 Coronation HonoursThe Coronation Honours 1911 for the British Empire were announced on 19 June 1911, to celebrate the coronation of George V which was held on the 22 June 1911....
of King George V, Admiral Sir William Robert Kennedy, KCB, is promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.
Publications
- Kennedy, Sir William, Hurrah for the life of a sailor! - Fifty Years in the Royal Navy, Kessinger Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1436878692
- Kennedy, Sir William, Sport, Travel, and Adventure in Newfoundland and the West Indies, BiblioBazaar, 2010, ISBN 978-1142886301
- Kennedy, Sir William, Sporting Adventures in the Pacific: Whilst in Command of the Reindeer, BiblioBazaar, 2010, ISBN 978-1142180324
- Kennedy, Sir William, Sporting Sketches in South America, Kessinger Publishing, 2008, ISBN 978-1437104486