William Parker (admiral)
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir William Parker, 1st Baronet, GCB
(1 December 1781 – 13 November 1866), was a Royal Navy
officer. He was born in Almington
, Staffordshire
, England. He was not related to the previous Admiral Sir William Parker. His father, George Parker, was the second son of Sir Thomas Parker
, who had been Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
. Sir Thomas Parker's nephew and son-in-law (by marriage to his daughter Martha) was John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
.
in February 1793 as a captain's servant on the HMS Orion
, serving under Captain John Thomas Duckworth. The Orion was part of the Channel fleet under Lord Howe and took part in the Battle of The Glorious First of June. When Captain Duckworth was assigned to another ship, Leviathan
, Parker followed him, and sailed with him to the West Indies where Duckworth appointed him acting lieutenant of the frigate Magicienne
. In May 1798 he was appointed to the Queen
, flagship of Sir Hyde Parker, and on 1 May 1799 became acting captain of the Volage. During the next few months he cruised in the Gulf of Mexico
and the coast of Cuba
.
In 1800 he returned to England and then spent nearly a year with the blockade fleet off Brest
. He became post captain in October 1801. In November he assumed command of HMS Amazon
, which he commanded for nearly 11 years. He was attached to the fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson and accompanied the fleet to the West Indies. The Amazon was then sent on a cruise westward and therefore missed the Battle of Trafalgar
. She was later attached to a squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren
, participating in the capture of the French ships Marengo
and Belle Poule
at the Action of 13 March 1806
. Parker was almost constantly on the move with the Amazon, mainly along the coast of Spain and Portugal, until January 1812 when the ship was paid off.
Parker purchased Shenstone Lodge near Lichfield
, where he lived for the next 15 years. In 1827, however, he returned to sea as captain of HMS Warspite
, and acted in 1828 as senior officer off the coast of Greece. In December that year he was appointed to command the royal yacht
. On 22 July 1830 he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral and in April 1831 was appointed second in command of the Channel Squadron, under Sir Edward Codrington
. In September 1831 he was detached on an independent command on the Tagus, aboard Asia
where he went to protect British interests during the Portuguese Civil War. When he returned to England he was appointed one of the Lords of the Admiralty. He left the Admiralty in 1841, and was appointed commander-in-chief of the East Indies and China Station
. Parker sailed for Hong Kong
and assumed command of the squadron on 10 August 1841. The British proceeded to capture Amoy
, Ningpo
, Woosung
and Shanghai
, ending with the seizure of Chinkiang
and closing the entrance to the Grand Canal
on 21 July 1842.
in 1843, a good-service pension in 1844 and a baronetcy in 1841. In November 1841 he had been appointed Vice-Admiral and in 1845 was Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
. In May 1846, because of his knowledge of Portugal and its politics, he was given the additional command of the Channel Squadron
while still remaining in charge of the Mediterranean
. He was briefly (for a week) First Naval Lord
in July 1846 but gave up the role due to ill health.
In 1852 he attained the rank of Admiral and returned to England. He served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
from 1854 to 1857. He continued to be active, serving as a consultant on a variety of projects. In 1863 he became an Admiral of the Fleet
. He died on 13 November 1866 from complications from bronchitis. He was buried in his parish churchyard near his home at Shenstone Lodge, and a monument to his memory was erected in Lichfield Cathedral
.
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
Sir William Parker, 1st Baronet, GCB
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...
(1 December 1781 – 13 November 1866), 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. He was born in Almington
Almington
Almington is a village in Staffordshire, England....
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England. He was not related to the previous Admiral Sir William Parker. His father, George Parker, was the second son of Sir Thomas Parker
Thomas Parker (judge)
Thomas Parker was an English judge, Privy Counsellor and Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer.-References:*Dictionary of National Biography, Parker, Sir Thomas , judge, by J. A. Hamilton. Published 1895....
, who had been Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" of the English Exchequer of pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e...
. Sir Thomas Parker's nephew and son-in-law (by marriage to his daughter Martha) was John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent
Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis, 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB, PC was an admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom...
.
Naval career
William Parker entered the Royal 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...
in February 1793 as a captain's servant on the HMS Orion
HMS Orion (1787)
HMS Orion was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford on 1 June 1787 to the design of the , by William Bately...
, serving under Captain John Thomas Duckworth. The Orion was part of the Channel fleet under Lord Howe and took part in the Battle of The Glorious First of June. When Captain Duckworth was assigned to another ship, Leviathan
HMS Leviathan (1790)
HMS Leviathan was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 9 October 1790. At the Battle of Trafalgar under Henry William Bayntun, she was near the front of the windward column led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard his flagship, , and captured the Spanish ship San Augustin.In...
, Parker followed him, and sailed with him to the West Indies where Duckworth appointed him acting lieutenant of the frigate Magicienne
HMS Magicienne
Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Magicienne. The origins of the name are from the French word for a female magician or sorceress and are used following the capture of the French frigate Magicienne in 1781....
. In May 1798 he was appointed to the Queen
HMS Queen (1769)
HMS Queen was a three-deck 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 18 September 1769 at Woolwich Dockyard. She was designed by William Bateley, and was the only ship built to her draught...
, flagship of Sir Hyde Parker, and on 1 May 1799 became acting captain of the Volage. During the next few months he cruised in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
and the coast of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
In 1800 he returned to England and then spent nearly a year with the blockade fleet off Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. He became post captain in October 1801. In November he assumed command of HMS Amazon
HMS Amazon (1799)
HMS Amazon was a 38-gun Amazon-class fifth rate of the Royal Navy. This frigate served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars under several notable naval commanders and played a key role in the Battle of Copenhagen under Captain Edward Riou, when Riou commanded the frigate squadron...
, which he commanded for nearly 11 years. He was attached to the fleet under Admiral Lord Nelson and accompanied the fleet to the West Indies. The Amazon was then sent on a cruise westward and therefore missed the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. She was later attached to a squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren
John Borlase Warren
Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...
, participating in the capture of the French ships Marengo
French ship Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1795)
The Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.In October 1796, under captain Racord, she was part of the Villeneuve's squadron that sailed from Toulon to Brest...
and Belle Poule
HMS Belle Poule (1806)
HMS Belle Poule was a 40-gun Royal Navy fifth rate frigate, formerly Belle Poule, a Virginie-class frigate of the French Navy, which was built by the Crucy family's shipyard at Basse-Indre to a design by Jacques-Noël Sané...
at the Action of 13 March 1806
Action of 13 March 1806
The Action of 13 March 1806 was a naval engagement of the Napoleonic Wars, fought when a British and a French squadron met unexpectedly in the mid-Atlantic. Neither force was aware of the presence of the other prior to the encounter and were participating in separate campaigns...
. Parker was almost constantly on the move with the Amazon, mainly along the coast of Spain and Portugal, until January 1812 when the ship was paid off.
Parker purchased Shenstone Lodge near Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, where he lived for the next 15 years. In 1827, however, he returned to sea as captain of HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite (1807)
HMS Warspite was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1807. She served in the Napoleonic Wars and was decommissioned in 1815. After conversion to a 76-gun ship in 1817 she circumnavigated the world, visiting Australia. She was cut down to a single decker 50-gun...
, and acted in 1828 as senior officer off the coast of Greece. In December that year he was appointed to command the royal yacht
Royal Yacht
A royal yacht is a ship used by a monarch or a royal family. If the monarch is an emperor the proper term is imperial yacht. Most of them are financed by the government of the country of which the monarch is head...
. On 22 July 1830 he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral and in April 1831 was appointed second in command of the Channel Squadron, under Sir Edward Codrington
Edward Codrington
Admiral Sir Edward Codrington GCB RN was a British admiral, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar and the Battle of Navarino.-Early life and career:...
. In September 1831 he was detached on an independent command on the Tagus, aboard Asia
HMS Asia (1824)
HMS Asia was an 84-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 19 January 1824 at Bombay Dockyard.She was Codrington's flagship at the Battle of Navarino....
where he went to protect British interests during the Portuguese Civil War. When he returned to England he was appointed one of the Lords of the Admiralty. He left the Admiralty in 1841, and was appointed commander-in-chief of the East Indies and China Station
East Indies and China Station
The East Indies and China Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1831 to 1865.-History:The Station was formed in 1831; it ceased to exist when it was separated into the East Indies Station and the China Station in 1865. Its area covered the Indian Ocean and the coasts of China and...
. Parker sailed for Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and assumed command of the squadron on 10 August 1841. The British proceeded to capture Amoy
Battle of Amoy
The Battle of Amoy was fought between British and Chinese forces in Amoy, China, on 26 August 1841, during the First Opium War. The British captured the forts in Amoy and Gulangyu Island.Description of the Battle...
, Ningpo
Battle of Ningpo
The Battle of Ningpo was fought between British and Chinese forces in Ningpo, China, on 10 March 1842 during the First Opium War. After the British captured Chinhai on 10 October 1841, they captured the nearby city of Ningpo unopposed three days later...
, Woosung
Battle of Woosung
The Battle of Woosung was fought between British and Chinese forces in Woosung, China, on 16 June 1842 during the First Opium War. The British victory opened the way to Shanghai, which was captured with little resistance on 19 June.- References :...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, ending with the seizure of Chinkiang
Battle of Chinkiang
The Battle of Chinkiang was fought between British and Chinese forces in Chinkiang, China, on 21 July 1842 during the First Opium War. It was the last major battle of the war. The British capture of this stronghold allowed them to proceed forward to Nanking....
and closing the entrance to the Grand Canal
Grand Canal of China
The Grand Canal in China, also known as the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is the longest canal or artificial river in the world. Starting at Beijing, it passes through Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the city of Hangzhou...
on 21 July 1842.
Later life
Parker was appointed GCBOrder 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 1843, a good-service pension in 1844 and a baronetcy in 1841. In November 1841 he had been appointed Vice-Admiral and in 1845 was Commander-in-Chief, 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...
. In May 1846, because of his knowledge of Portugal and its politics, he was given the additional command of 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...
while still remaining in charge of the Mediterranean
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...
. He was briefly (for a week) First Naval Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
in July 1846 but gave up the role due to ill health.
In 1852 he attained the rank of Admiral and returned to England. He served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-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,...
from 1854 to 1857. He continued to be active, serving as a consultant on a variety of projects. In 1863 he became an Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
. He died on 13 November 1866 from complications from bronchitis. He was buried in his parish churchyard near his home at Shenstone Lodge, and a monument to his memory was erected in Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
.