William Luard

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Admiral Sir William Garnham Luard, R.N., K.C.B. was a leading British naval figure during the latter half of the 19th century ^[1]. Born in 1820, he was the eldest son of William Wright Luard of Witham, Essex. The Luards were a prominent family of Huguenot merchants who had fled to England in the late 17th century following the Edict of Nantes.

Luard entered the Royal Naval College at the age of 13. After a distinguished career as a naval officer, including as captain and commander of HMS Formidible and HMS Conqueror, he served as superintendent of the Sheerness dockyard and the Malta dockyard. From 1882 to 1885, he was President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He was named Rear Admiral in 1875, Vice-Admiral in 1879 and Admiral in 1885.

Luard was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1897, during her diamond jubilee year.

Luard married Charlotte Du Cane in 1858. She was from another prominent Essex family of merchants and politicians having distinguished Huguenot descent, the Du Canes (formerly known as 'Duquesne') of Braxted Park ^[2]. He retired to his estate in Essex where he died in 1910 as a result of injuries sustained in a carriage accident.

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