Francis Bridgeman (Royal Navy officer)

Sir

Francis Bridgeman
Sir; Francis Bridgeman
	Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

First Sea Lord in November 1911 but clashed with First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill

on technical issues as well as matters relating to a perceived overriding of naval traditions by Churchill: this led to Bridgeman's resignation just a year later.

Naval career

Born the son of Reverend William Bridgeman-Simpson and Lady Frances Laura Wentworth FitzWilliam (herself daughter of the

China Station as gunnery officer in 1874 and then to the battleship HMS Temeraire in the Mediterranean Fleet also as gunnery officer.^[1] Promoted to commander on 30 June 1884,^[3] he joined the battleship HMS Triumph on the Pacific Station in 1885 and then went to the gunnery training ship HMS Excellent in 1888.^[1]

He was promoted to captain on 1 January 1890,^[4] and that year requested he be referred to as Bridgeman-Simpson. He became Captain of the battleship HMS Ramillies and Flag Captain of the Mediterranean Fleet in October 1893.^[5]

Having shortened his name to Bridgeman in 1896, he became Flag Captain at

armoured cruiser HMS Drake on its first commission in January 1903,^[9]^[10] and was appointed a Member of the 4th Class of the Royal Victorian Order on 5 May 1903.^[11] Promoted to rear admiral on 12 August 1903,^[12] he became Second-in-Command of the Channel Fleet in June 1904, Second-in-Command of the Atlantic Fleet in December 1904 and Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet in March 1906.^[5]

Promoted to

Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order on 24 June 1911.^[19]

Bridgeman became

First Sea Lord in November 1911,^[20] and allegedly "got the job by default. From a thin list, Bridgeman had one unusual quality in the pre-1914 navy: a willingness to delegate".^[20] By October 1912 he had clashed with First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill on technical issues as well as matters relating to a perceived overriding of naval traditions. Churchill's actions were denigrating the authority of senior officers and harming the efficiency of the service, thought Bridgeman, who planned to take his case to Prime Minister H. H. Asquith and King George V. Churchill acted on reports of personal correspondence from Bridgeman to other officers concerning his attacks of appendicitis and bronchitis, and advised Bridgeman on 2 December 1912 that his resignation would be accepted. He was replaced that month.^[20] It was subsequently acknowledged, in response to questions in Parliament, that the initiative for resignation on grounds of health emanated from Churchill rather than from Bridgeman himself.^[21] In the opinion of one historian: "The combination of frequent change and weak appointees (Wilson, Bridgeman and Battenberg) ensured that the professional leadership of the Royal Navy lost its direction in the four years preceding the war."^[20] However, others have taken a more nuanced view of these men. Arthur Marder wrote that while Bridgeman and Battenberg "were not especially forceful and allowed Churchill a good deal of rope", Bridgeman "did possess sound judgement and he might have made a moderately successful First Sea Lord had he served under anybody but Churchill."^[22] Indeed, it was Bridgeman's efforts to blockade some of Churchill's more controversial schemes that led to his dismissal, as he himself recognized in a letter to Francis Hopwood: "I was forced out without warning, but it was not because I was too weak, but because I was too strong!"^[23]

Following his resignation Bridgeman was advanced to

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 10 December 1912.^[24] In retirement he lived at Copgrove Hall near Burton Leonard in North Yorkshire^[1] and officiated as Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom from 1920 until his death^[25] at Nassau in The Bahamas on 17 February 1929.^[1]

Family

On 6 November 1889, he married Emily Charlotte Shiffner, daughter of Thomas Shiffner; they had no children.[26]

References

^
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32062. Retrieved 4 December 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

^ "No. 23966". The London Gazette. 11 April 1873. p. 1922.
^ "No. 25372". The London Gazette. 1 July 1884. p. 3009.
^ "No. 26007". The London Gazette. 31 December 1889. p. 7553.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Senior Royal Navy Appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
^ "No. 27322". The London Gazette. 11 June 1901. p. 3926.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36794. London. 14 June 1902. p. 9.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36821. London. 16 July 1902. p. 9.
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36960. London. 25 December 1902. p. 9.
^ "Captains commanding Royal Navy Warships" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
^ "No. 27560". The London Gazette. 2 June 1903. p. 3526.
^ "No. 27589". The London Gazette. 18 August 1903. p. 5223.
^ "No. 27998". The London Gazette. 22 February 1907. p. 1281.
^ "No. 28001". The London Gazette. 5 March 1907. p. 1573.
^ "No. 28048". The London Gazette. 6 August 1907. p. 5390.
^ "No. 28151". The London Gazette. 23 June 1908. p. 4641.
^ "No. 28401". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 July 1910. p. 5481.
^ "No. 28485". The London Gazette. 14 April 1911. p. 2967.
^ "No. 28510". The London Gazette. 4 July 1911. p. 4928.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Strachan, p. 380
^ Massie, pp. 778–779
^ Marder, pp. 255, 258
^ Marder, p. 259
^ "No. 28670". The London Gazette. 10 December 1912. p. 9395.
^ "No. 33480". The London Gazette. 26 March 1929. p. 2084.
^ "thePeerage". Retrieved 4 December 2012.

Sources

ISBN 978-0192151223
.

ISBN 978-1-84413-528-8
.

ISBN 0-19-820877-4
.

External links

The Dreadnought Project biography
Francis Bridgeman at Find a Grave

Military offices
Preceded by New post	Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet 1907–1909	Succeeded by Sir William May
Preceded by Sir William May	Second Sea Lord 1909–1911	Succeeded by Sir George Egerton
Preceded by Sir William May	Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet 1911	Succeeded by Sir George Callaghan
Preceded by Sir Arthur Wilson	First Sea Lord 1911–1912	Succeeded by Prince Louis of Battenberg
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bt	Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom 1920–1929	Succeeded by Sir Stanley Colville

[odnb-1] 
doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32062. Retrieved 4 December 2012. (Subscription or UK public library membership
required.)

[2] "No. 23966". The London Gazette. 11 April 1873. p. 1922.

[3] "No. 25372". The London Gazette. 1 July 1884. p. 3009.

[4] "No. 26007". The London Gazette. 31 December 1889. p. 7553.

[appoints-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Senior Royal Navy Appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

[6] "No. 27322". The London Gazette. 11 June 1901. p. 3926.

[7] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36794. London. 14 June 1902. p. 9.

[8] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36821. London. 16 July 1902. p. 9.

[9] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36960. London. 25 December 1902. p. 9.

[warships-10] "Captains commanding Royal Navy Warships" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2012.

[11] "No. 27560". The London Gazette. 2 June 1903. p. 3526.

[12] "No. 27589". The London Gazette. 18 August 1903. p. 5223.

[13] "No. 27998". The London Gazette. 22 February 1907. p. 1281.

[14] "No. 28001". The London Gazette. 5 March 1907. p. 1573.

[15] "No. 28048". The London Gazette. 6 August 1907. p. 5390.

[16] "No. 28151". The London Gazette. 23 June 1908. p. 4641.

[17] "No. 28401". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 July 1910. p. 5481.

[18] "No. 28485". The London Gazette. 14 April 1911. p. 2967.

[19] "No. 28510". The London Gazette. 4 July 1911. p. 4928.

[ToArms380-20] Strachan, p. 380

[21] Massie, pp. 778–779

[FDSF-22] Marder, pp. 255, 258

[Hopwood-23] Marder, p. 259

[24] "No. 28670". The London Gazette. 10 December 1912. p. 9395.

[25] "No. 33480". The London Gazette. 26 March 1929. p. 2084.

[26] "thePeerage". Retrieved 4 December 2012.

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First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
Senior Naval Lords (1689–1771)	Arthur Herbert Sir John Chicheley Edward Russell Henry Priestman Earl of Orford Sir George Rooke Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Matthew Aylmer Sir George Byng Sir John Jennings Sir John Norris Sir Charles Wager Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Harry Powlett Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Vere Beauclerk Lord Anson Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen John Forbes Earl Howe Sir Charles Saunders Augustus Keppel Sir Peircy Brett Sir Francis Holburne
First Naval Lords (1771–1904)	Augustus Hervey Sir Hugh Palliser Robert Man George Darby Sir Robert Harland Sir Hugh Pigot John Leveson-Gower Lord Hood Sir Charles Middleton James Gambier Sir Thomas Troubridge James Gambier John Markham James Gambier Sir Richard Bickerton William Domett Sir Joseph Yorke Sir Graham Moore Sir William Johnstone Hope Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
First Sea Lords (1904–present)	Sir John Fisher Sir Arthur Wilson Sir Francis Bridgeman Prince Louis of Battenberg The Lord Fisher Sir Henry Jackson Sir John Jellicoe Sir Rosslyn Wemyss The Earl Beatty Sir Charles Madden, Bt Sir Frederick Field The Lord Chatfield Sir Roger Backhouse Sir Dudley Pound The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope Sir John Cunningham The Lord Fraser of North Cape Sir Rhoderick McGrigor The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Sir Charles Lambe Sir Caspar John Sir David Luce Sir Varyl Begg Sir Michael Le Fanu Sir Peter Hill-Norton Sir Michael Pollock Sir Edward Ashmore Sir Terence Lewin Sir Henry Leach Sir John Fieldhouse Sir William Staveley Sir Julian Oswald Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir Jock Slater Sir Michael Boyce Sir Nigel Essenhigh Sir Alan West Sir Jonathon Band Sir Mark Stanhope Sir George Zambellas Sir Philip Jones Sir Antony Radakin Sir Ben Key

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Naval career

Family

References

Sources

Further reading

External links