Michael Culme-Seymour, Fourth Baronet

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search
Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bart., 1925.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Vice-Admiral SIR Michael Culme-Seymour, Fourth Baronet., K.C.B., M.V.O., R.N. (29 August, 1867 – 2 April, 1925) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War.

Life & Career

Michael Culme-Seymour was born on 29 August, 1867, at Brooklands, the eldest son of Captain (later Admiral Sir) Michael Culme-Seymour, of the noted Seymour family of seafarers, and Mary, daughter of the Honourable Richard Watson, M.P. and grand-daughter of Lewis Watson, Second Baron Sondes.

Culme-Seymour was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 23 August, 1889.[1]

On 31 August, 1898, Culme-Seymour was appointed to the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert. He was promoted to the rank of Commander for service in the Royal Yacht on 31 August, 1900.[2] The same day he was appointed to Empress of India for command of the Coquette.

On 17 April, 1903 Culme-Seymour was appointed to Majestic as Chief of the Staff to Vice-Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, senior officer in command of the Channel Squadron.[3]

Captain

Culme-Seymour was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January, 1905.[4]

He was appointed to command the armoured cruiser Argyll in November 1910, taking command of her on 14 December and remaining in command until May 1912.

Culme-Seymour was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Invincible on 1 May, 1912.[5]

On 10 August, 1913, he was appointed in command of the dreadnought battleship Centurion.[6] He would command Centurion at the Battle of Jutland as part of the Second Battle Squadron, being the third dreadnought in line ahead after Jellicoe deployed the Battle Fleet.

He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 June, 1916, vice Ryan.[7]

On 15 September he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) dated 31 May.[8]

On 1 September, 1918, Culme-Seymour was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the Ægean Squadron, and he took up his appointment on 21 September, flying his flag in the battleship Lord Nelson.[9]

On 1 January, 1919, Culme-Seymour became Rear-Admiral Commanding, Black Sea and Sea of Marmora. He was made Rear-Admiral Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet on 20 October.[10]

On 5 June, 1920, he was knighted and appointed a Knight Commander in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on the occasion of the King's birthday.[11] On 1 September he was superseded in the Mediterranean Fleet and on 7 October he was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral, vice Evan-Thomas.[12]

He was appointed Commander-in-Chief on the North America and West Indies Station on 1 January, 1923, flying his flag in H.M.S. Calcutta, taking command on 27 February. He was superseded on 26 May, 1924. On 14 July he was appointed to President for temporary service inside the Admiralty, and on 15 August he was appointed Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personal. He died in office on 2 April, 1925.[13]

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Sir M. Culme-Seymour" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 3 April, 1925. Issue 43927, col C, p. 16.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Murray T. Parks
Captain of H.M.S. Coquette
31 Aug, 1900[14] – 1 Apr, 1902[15]
Succeeded by
Douglas E. R. Brownrigg
Preceded by
Herbert L. Heath
Captain of H.M.S. Vulcan
4 Apr, 1905[16] – 30 Apr, 1907
Succeeded by
Robert W. Johnson
Preceded by
Francis F. Haworth-Booth
Head of Mobilisation Division
20 Mar, 1908[17] – 11 Oct, 1909[18]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Cecil F. Lambert
Captain of H.M.S. Argyll
24 Nov, 1910[19][20] – 1 May, 1912[21]
Succeeded by
Vivian H. G. Bernard
Preceded by
Henry J. L. Clarke
Captain of H.M.S. Invincible
1 May, 1912[22][23] – 10 Aug, 1913[24]
Succeeded by
Henry B. Pelly
Preceded by
The Hon. Horace L. A. Hood
Captain of H.M.S. Centurion
10 Aug, 1913[25][26] – 21 Jun, 1916[27]
Succeeded by
William M. Kerr
Preceded by
Hugh F. P. Sinclair
Director of the Mobilisation Division
12 Sep, 1916[28] – 1 Sep, 1918[29]
Succeeded by
E. Hyde Parker
as Director of the Mobilisation Department
Preceded by
Cecil F. Lambert
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Ægean Squadron
1 Sep, 1918[30][31] – 31 Dec, 1918[32]
Succeeded by
Michael Culme-Seymour
as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Black Sea & Sea of Marmora
Preceded by
Michael Culme-Seymour
as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Ægean Squadron
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Black Sea & Sea of Marmora
1 Jan, 1919[33] – 19 Oct, 1919[34]
Succeeded by
Command Disestablished
Preceded by
Sir Cecil Burney
Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Station
20 Oct, 1919[35] – 1 Sep, 1920[36]
Succeeded by
Richard Webb
Preceded by
Sir Montague E. Browning
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Fourth Battle Squadron
20 Oct, 1919[37] – 1 Sep, 1920[38][39]
Succeeded by
Richard Webb
Preceded by
Sir William C. Pakenham
Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station
1 Jan, 1923[40][41] – 26 May, 1924[42]
Succeeded by
James A. Fergusson
Preceded by
Sir Henry F. Oliver
Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
15 Aug, 1924[43][44] – 2 Apr, 1925[45]
Succeeded by
The Hon. Sir Hubert G. Brand

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 25969. p. 4738. 30 August, 1889.
  2. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 18 August, 1900. Issue 36224, col F, p. 8.
  3. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 31 March, 1903. Issue 37042, col B, p. 11.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 27750. p. 25. 3 January, 1905.
  5. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 333.
  6. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 14 July, 1913. Issue 40263, col E, p. 6.
  7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29629. p. 6066. 20 June, 1916.
  8. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29751. p. 9070. 15 September, 1916.
  9. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 6.
  10. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 31931. p. 6315. 5 June, 1920.
  12. The London Gazette: no. 32081. p. 9891. 12 October, 1920.
  13. ADM 196/42. f. 217.
  14. "Naval & Military intelligence" The Times (London). Saturday, 18 August 1900. (36224), p. 8.
  15. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  16. The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 395a.
  17. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  18. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  19. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  20. The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 279.
  21. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  22. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 333.
  23. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  24. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  25. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 392r.
  26. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  27. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  28. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  29. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  30. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. Unnumbered folio.
  31. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  32. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  33. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  34. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  35. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  36. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  37. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  38. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 477.
  39. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), 27 Aug. 1920, p. 4.
  40. "Naval & Military" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 1 January, 1923. Issue 43227, col F, p. 18.
  41. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 217.
  42. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 217.
  43. The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 119.
  44. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 217.
  45. Culme-Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 217.