Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom

Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Incumbent General Sir Gordon Messenger since 6 December 2021
Appointer	Monarch
Formation	1683
First holder	Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington

Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is a now honorary office generally held by a senior (possibly retired)

• Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington 1683–1687 ^[1]
• Sir Roger Strickland 12 December 1687 – 13 December 1688^[2]
• N.S.
  – 1 May 1707

Rear-Admirals of Great Britain

• Sir Cloudesley Shovell 1 May 1707 – 23 October 1707
• vacant
• Sir John Leake 24 May 1709 – 1 August 1714
• vacant
• N.S.
  – 18 August 1720
• George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington October 1720 – 17 January 1733
• N.S. – 1743^[3]
• Thomas Mathews 18 February 1743 – 1749^[4]
• Sir William Rowley 4 July 1749 – 1763^[5]
• Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke 4 January 1763 – 5 November 1765
• Sir Charles Knowles 5 November 1765 – October 1770
• Francis Holburne October 1770 – 14 July 1771
• George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
  17 August 1771 – 6 November 1781
• George Darby 6 November 1781 – 1790
• Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport 6 April 1790 – March 1796
• Sir William Cornwallis March 1796 – 1 January 1801

Rear-Admirals of the United Kingdom

• Sir William Cornwallis 1 January 1801 – 14 May 1814^[6]
• Sir William Young
  14 May 1814 – 18 July 1819
• James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez 18 July 1819 – 21 November 1821^[7]
• William Carnegie, 7th Earl of Northesk 21 November 1821 – 28 May 1831^[8]
• Sir Thomas Foley 14 June 1831 – 9 January 1833^[9]
• Sir George Martin 23 January 1833 – April 1834^[10]
• Sir Robert Stopford April 1834 – 5 May 1847^[11]
• Sir Thomas Byam Martin 5 May 1847 – 10 August 1847^[12]
• Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet 10 August 1847 – 19 August 1853^[13]
• Sir William Hall Gage 24 October 1853 – 6 November 1854^[14]
• Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess do Maranhão 6 November 1854 – 31 October 1860^[15]
• Sir Graham Hamond, 2nd Baronet 22 November 1860 – 5 June 1862^[16]
• Sir Francis William Austen 5 June 1862 – 11 December 1862^[17]
• Sir William Parker, 1st Baronet 11 December 1862 – 16 May 1863^[18]
• Sir George Francis Seymour 16 May 1863 – 23 September 1865^[19]
• Sir William Bowles 23 September 1865 – 26 November 1866^[20]
• Sir Phipps Hornby 26 November 1866 – 19 March 1867
• Sir Fairfax Moresby 20 April 1867 – 17 July 1869^[21]
• Sir Provo Wallis 17 July 1869 – 12 February 1870^[22]
• Sir William James Hope-Johnstone 12 February 1870 – 11 July 1878^[23]
• Sir William Fanshawe Martin, Bt 19 September 1878 – 24 March 1895^[24]
• abolished under
  King Edward VII
• Sir Edmund Robert Fremantle 25 July 1901 – 31 December 1926^[25]
• Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville 31 December 1926 – 22 March 1929^[26]
• Sir Montague Edward Browning 22 March 1929 – 13 February 1939^[27]
• Sir Hubert George Brand 13 February 1939 – 19 June 1945^[28]
• Sir Percy Lockhart Harnam Noble 19 June 1945 – 25 July 1955^[29]
• Sir John Hereward Edelsten 10 October 1955 – 12 October 1962^[30]
• Sir John Peter Lorne Reid 12 October 1962 – 11 March 1966^[31]
• Sir Alexander Noel Campbell Bingley 11 March 1966 – 1972^[32]
• Sir Nigel Stuart Henderson 11 January 1973 – 12 April 1976^[33]
• Sir John Fitzroy Duyland Bush 29 April 1976 – 1 August 1979^[34]
• Sir William Donough O'Brien 1 August 1979 – 1984^[35]
• Sir Leslie Derek Empson 1984 – 13 November 1986
• Sir Anthony Templer Frederick Griffith Griffin 13 November 1986 – 29 October 1988^[36]
• Sir Anthony Storrs Morton 29 October 1988 – 24 November 1988^[37]
• Sir James Henry Fuller Eberle 24 November 1988 – 17 January 1994^[38]
• Sir Nicholas John Streynsham Hunt 17 January 1994 – 6 November 1997^[39]
• Sir Jeremy Black 6 November 1997 – 30 April 2001^[40]
• Sir Kenneth Eaton 30 April 2001 – 2007^[41]
• Sir Gordon Messenger 6 December 2021 – present^[42]

See also

• Lieutenant of the Admiralty
• Admiralty

References