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 by | Sir William Paxton |
| Succeeded by | John Frederick Campbell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 August 1759 |
| Died | 23 January 1821 (aged 61) |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1772–1821 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Terrible HMS Berwick The Downs Portsmouth Command |
| Battles/wars | French Revolutionary Wars |
Naval career
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 that role in 1821.[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
He married Eustacia Campbell-Hooke.[8]
References
- "Royal Garrison Church, Portsmouth - Memorials". Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2010.
- 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.
- The gentleman's magazine, Volume 7, p. 658
- The Annual biography and obituary. A & R Spottiswoode, London. 1827. p. 448.
Vice-Admiral George Campbell Rowley Downs Station.
- History in Portsmouth Archived 27 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 129, p. 87
- Gurney, W.B. (1809). Minutes of a court-martial . . . on the trial of James Lord Gambier. Mottey, Harrison & Miller.
- The Peerage.com
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir William Paxton |
Member of Parliament for Carmarthen 1806–1813 |
Succeeded by John Frederick Campbell |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Bartholomew Rowley |
Commander-in-Chief, The Downs 1808–1811 |
Succeeded by Sir Thomas Foley |
| Preceded by Sir Edward Thornbrough |
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth 1818–1821 |
Succeeded by Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed |