George Sartorius

Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Rose Sartorius GCB (1790 – 13 April 1885) was a Royal Navy officer who also commanded the navy of Dom Pedro in the Portuguese Civil Wars.

Naval career

Born the son of an officer in the East India Company, he entered the British Royal Navy in 1801.^[1] Promoted to Commander in 1812, he was appointed to the 20-gun HMS Slaney in 1814.^[1] He was serving on her in the Bay of Biscay when Napoleon Bonaparte surrendered.^[1]

In 1832 he was engaged to command the small fleet of the Ex-Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro, Duke of Braganza, in the attempt to defeat his brother Dom Miguel, who had usurped the throne of Portugal, and to install Pedro's daughter as the rightful queen, Dona Maria II. Sartorius conveyed Pedro's expeditionary force from the Azores and safely effected their landing at Mindelo, from where they were able to occupy Oporto. But he subsequently lost Pedro's confidence and was succeeded in his command in 1833 by Captain Charles Napier.^[1]

Sartorius resumed an exceptionally distinguished career in the Royal Navy, commanding the ship of the line HMS Malabar in the Mediterranean from 1841 to 1844.^[1] He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1849^[1] and was commander-in-chief at Queenstown from 1855 to 1856.^[1] In 1856 he was promoted to Vice Admiral and in 1861 he became an Admiral.^[1] He was one of the earliest advocates of ram ships.^[1] In 1869 he crowned his career by promotion to Admiral of the Fleet.^[1]

He was appointed KCB in 1865^[1] and GCB in 1880.^[1] Owing to his services to the Portuguese crown he was made Visconde de Piedade^[1] in 1832 and later became first Visconde de Mindelho^[1] and Conde de Penhafirma.^[1]

He lived at Old Swan House in Chelsea in London.^[2]

Family

In 1839 he married Sophia Lamb; they had three sons, two of whom had the distinction of winning the Victoria Cross.^[1]

References