Astley Cooper Key

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Astley Cooper Key
18 January 1821 – 3 March 1888
Sir Astley Cooper Key
Place of death	Maidenhead, Berkshire, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1833 - 1885
Rank	Admiral
Battles/wars	Crimea War
Awards	GCB

Admiral Sir Astley Cooper Key, GCB, ADC, FRS (18 January 1821 - 3 March 1888), English admiral, was born in London, and entered the navy in 1833.

His father was Charles Aston Key (1793-1849), a well-known surgeon, the pupil of Sir Astley Cooper, and his mother was the latter's niece. After distinguishing himself in active service abroad, on the South American station (1844-1846), in the Baltic during the Crimean War (CB 1855) and China (1857), Key was appointed in 1858 a member of the Royal Commission on national defence, in 1860 Captain of the steam reserve at Devonport, and in 1863 captain of HMS Excellent and superintendent of the Royal Naval College.

He had a considerable share in advising as to the reorganization of administration, and in 1866, having become rear-admiral, was made Director of Naval Ordnance. On 4 June 1868, he was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society.^[1] Between 1869 and 1872 he held the offices of Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard, Superintendent of Malta Dockyard, and second in command in the Mediterranean.

In 1872 he was made president of the projected Royal Naval College at Greenwich, which was organized by him, and after its opening in 1873 he was made a KCB and a vice-admiral. In 1876 he was appointed commander-in-chief on the North American and West Indian station. Having become full admiral in 1878, he was appointed in 1879 principal ADC, and soon afterwards First Sea Lord, retaining this post till 1885. In 1882 he was made GCB. He died at Maidenhead on the 3 March 1888.

[edit] References

1. ^ Lists of Royal Society Fellows. Retrieved on 2006-12-15.

See Memoirs of Sir Astley Cooper Key, by Vice-Admiral Colomb (1898).

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir George Wellesley	First Sea Lord 1879–1885	Succeeded by Sir Arthur Hood

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