Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet

Sir Alexander Milne

Sir Alexander Milne
Born 10 November 1806
Died 29 December 1896
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service 1817 - 1876
Rank Admiral of the Fleet
Commands held Crocodile
Cleopatra
Caledonia
North America and West Indies Station
Mediterranean Fleet
Battles/wars Crimean War
Awards GCB

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet, GCB (10 November 1806 – 29 December 1896) was a Royal Navy admiral, the second son of the Scot Admiral Sir David Milne, and the younger brother of the advocate, geologist and meteorologist David Milne-Home.

Contents

Naval career

He entered the Royal Naval Academy, 8 February 1817.[1] In 1819 he was serving in his father's flagship HMS Leander, on the North American station.[1] Over the next few years he served in Conway, Ramillies, Ganges and Albion.[2] In June 1827 he was an acting Lieutenant in Cadmus on the Brazilian station,[2] and was promoted to substantive Lieutenant on 8 September of that year.[2] Promoted to Commander on the 25 November 1830,[2] he was appointed to Snake in the West Indies in 1836.[2]

He was promoted to Captain on 30 January 1839,[2] he was given command of Crocodile in the North America and the West Indies[2] with a brief spell from November 1840 to March 1841 as Captain of Cleopatra.[2] He was Flag-captain in Caledonia to his father, the Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth from 27 April 1842 to April 1845[2] and Flag-captain to Sir Charles Ogle at Portsmouth from 7 October 1846 to December 1847.[2]

A Commissioner of the Admiralty, he served as Fourth Naval Lord from 1847 to 1852, as Fifth Naval Lord from 1852 to 1853 and again as Fourth Naval Lord from 1853 to 1857, when he was in charge of British and French transports during the Crimean War.[1] He served as Third Naval Lord from 1857 to 1859.

He was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 20 January 1858[2] and awarded KCB (civil) on 20 December 1858.[2] He served as Fourth Naval Lord again from April to June 1859.

He became Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station on 13 January 1860 and continued in that post until 7 January 1864.[2] He was awarded the KCB (military) on 20 February 1864[2] and was promoted to Vice-Admiral on 13 April 1865.[2] He served as First Naval Lord from July 1866 to December 1868.[2]

He served as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean from 28 April 1869 to 25 October 1870[2] and was promoted to Admiral on 1 April 1870.[2] He was awarded the GCB on 24 May 1871.[2] He served as First Naval Lord again from November 1872 to September 1876.[2] He was created a Baronet on 1 November 1876 and placed on the retired list on 10 November 1876.[2] He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 10 June 1881.[2]

In retirement he lived at Inveresk House in Musselburgh.[1]

Milne's papers have been published by the Navy Records Society, edited by Professor John Beeler.

Honours

The baronetage of Inveresk, East Lothian, Scotland, was created for Alexander Milne, see Milne Baronets.

Milne Bay, the easternmost inlet of the island of New Guinea, was named after him in 1873.

Family

In 1850 he married Euphemia Cochran; they had two daughters and one son.[1]

References

Further reading

External links

Military offices
Preceded by
Lord John Hay
Fourth Naval Lord
1847–1852
Succeeded by
Arthur Duncombe
Preceded by
Arthur Duncombe
Fourth Naval Lord
1853–1857
Succeeded by
Sir Frederick Pelham
Preceded by
Henry Eden
Third Naval Lord
1857–1859
Succeeded by
Sir Henry Leeke
Preceded by
Sir Swynfen Carnegie
Fourth Naval Lord
April 1859–June 1859
Succeeded by
Charles Frederick
Preceded by
Sir Houston Stewart
Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station
1860–1864
Succeeded by
Sir James Hope
Preceded by
Sir Frederick Grey
First Naval Lord
1866–1868
Succeeded by
Sir Sydney Dacres
Preceded by
Lord Clarence Paget
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
1869–1870
Succeeded by
Sir Hastings Yelverton
Preceded by
Sir Sydney Dacres
First Naval Lord
1872–1876
Succeeded by
Sir Hastings Yelverton
Baronetage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
New Creation
Baronet
(of Inveresk)
1876–1896
Succeeded by
Archibald Berkeley Milne