George Campbell (Royal Navy officer)

Admiral Sir George Campbell GCB (14 August 1759 – 23 January 1821) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

Sir George Campbell
Member of Parliament
for Carmarthen
In office
1806–1813
Preceded bySir William Paxton
Succeeded byJohn Frederick Campbell
Personal details
Born14 August 1759
Died23 January 1821 (1821-01-24) (aged 61)
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch/service Royal Navy
Years of service1772–1821
RankAdmiral of the White
CommandsHMS Terrible
HMS Berwick
The Downs
Portsmouth Command
Battles/warsFrench Revolutionary Wars
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Campbell joined the Royal Navy in 1772.[1] He was given command of HMS Terrible and took part in the Battle of Genoa in 1795 during the French Revolutionary Wars; he subsequently commanded HMS Berwick.[2] In 1802 he went to Jamaica where he commanded the squadron.[3] He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, The Downs in 1808[4] and Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1818[5] and committed suicide in 1821 while still in that role.[6] Campbell was a Groom of the Bedchamber from 1816 until his death.[6]

In the summer of 1809 he served on the panel of judges at the Court-martial of James, Lord Gambier which assessed whether Admiral Lord Gambier had failed to support Captain Lord Cochrane at the Battle of Basque Roads in April 1809. Gambier was controversially cleared of all charges.[7]

Family

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He married Eustacia Campbell-Hooke.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth - Memorials". Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
  2. ^ Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. p. 48, ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
  3. ^ The gentleman's magazine, Volume 7, p. 658
  4. ^ The Annual biography and obituary. A & R Spottiswoode, London. 1827. p. 448. Vice-Admiral George Campbell Rowley Downs Station.
  5. ^ History in Portsmouth Archived 27 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 129, p. 87
  7. ^ Gurney, W.B. (1809). Minutes of a court-martial . . . on the trial of James Lord Gambier. Mottey, Harrison & Miller.
  8. ^ The Peerage.com
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Carmarthen
1806–1813
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, The Downs
1808–1811
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1818–1821
Succeeded by