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[[Admiral of the Fleet]] {{RIGHTHON}} '''John Rushworth Jellicoe, First Earl Jellicoe''', G.C.B., O.M., G.C.V.O. (5 December, 1859 &ndash; 20 November, 1935) was an officer of the [[Royal Navy]].  He served as Commander-in-Chief of the [[Grand Fleet]] from 1914 to 1916, achieving a strategic victory over the German High Seas Fleet at the [[Battle of Jutland]] on 31 May, 1916.  He served as [[First Sea Lord]], the professional head of the Navy, from 1916 to 1917.  In that position he oversaw the introduction of convoy and the evolution of a proper Naval Staff at the Admiralty.

In the [[Battle of Jutland]] Jellicoe's methodical overall command seemed quite distinct from the impulsiveness of [[Battle Cruiser Fleet (Royal Navy)|Battle Cruiser Fleet]] commander,  Vice-Admiral [[David Richard Beatty, First Earl Beatty|David Beatty]].  Discomfort within and without the service with the battle's tactically indecisive outcome caused the two men to be viewed as polar figures signifying alternative styles of leadership between which must be found that of the ideal commander.  Disagreements over where that ideal commander would be placed in the Beatty-Jellicoe spectrum continues to dominate public thinking of the Dreadnought Era.

The heat of controversy has many measures.   One journalist characterised Jellicoe as "cautious, plodding."<ref>Coles.  p. 31.</ref>  Beatty has attracted similarly negative appraisals and both enjoy equally impassioned defenders.

==Background and Early Life==
:[[Jellicoe:Background and Early Life|<small>Main Article</small>]]
John Rushworth Jellicoe was born at 1 Cranbury Place,<ref>Winton.  ''Jellicoe''.  p. 8.</ref> Southampton, England on 5 December, 1859 as the second son and child of a family of four boys and two girls<ref>Bacon.  ''Earl Jellicoe''.  Plate facing p. 534.</ref> and from an early age was known as "Jack."

At the age of twelve and a half he came second in the entrance examination and passed into the training ship [[H.M.S. Britannia (Training Ship)|''Britannia'']] as a naval cadet on 15 July, 1872.<ref>Bacon.  ''Earl Jellicoe''.  pp. 8-9.</ref><ref name=ADM 196/20-136>The National Archives.  ADM 196/20.  p.&nbsp;136</ref> His term-mate [[Charles Eustace Anson|Charles Anson]] also reached flag rank on active service.<ref>Bacon.  ''Earl Jellicoe''.  Plate facing p. 14.</ref>

In 1874, Jellicoe joined the screw frigate [[H.M.S. Newcastle (1860)|H.M.S. ''Newcastle'']], which took him to such foreign destinations as China, Port Stanley, Rio de Janeiro, South Africa and St. Helena over three years.  He proved himself in this and other challenges, by 1878 qualifying in seamanship with a flair for mathematics.  He was appointed to the Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

==Service as a Lieutenant==
:[[Jellicoe:Lieutenant|<small>Main Article</small>]]
Over two years, Jellicoe studied at the Naval College and focused on gunnery and torpedoes at  [[H.M.S. Excellent (Gunnery Training School)|H.M.S. ''Excellent'']] before leaving to serve aboard ''Alexandra'' in the Mediterranean.  Before 1880 was out, he had been promoted to {{LieutRN}}.  The decade saw him meet required stints at sea while spending more energy on the study of gunnery before returning to ''Excellent'' where his talents received the influential appreciation and influence of men such as  fellow Lieutenant [[Percy Moreton Scott, First Baronet|Percy M. Scott]] and then Captain [[John Arbuthnot Fisher, First Baron Fisher|John A. Fisher]].<ref>Bacon.  ''Earl Jellicoe''.  p. 47.</ref>  Jellicoe's work distinguished him as a dynamic man who could quickly acclimate to a new environment and appear comfortable and ready to take independent action.

==Commander==
Jellicoe was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 30 June, 1891.  He remained on the staff of the Director of Naval Ordnance at the Admiralty until 9 February, 1892, when he was appointed Commander (Executive Officer) of the battleship [[H.M.S. Sans Pareil (1887)|''Sans Pareil'']], Captain [[Arthur Knyvet Wilson|Arthur K. Wilson]], on the Mediterranean Station.  In February, 1893, he was ordered back to Britain.  From 2 to 31 March he was appointed to the ironclad ''Achilles'', and 1 April he was appointed Commander in the ''Sans Pareil's'' sister-ship, [[H.M.S. Victoria (1887)|H.M.S. ''Victoria'']], flagship of the Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean, Vice-Admiral [[George Tryon|Sir George Tryon]].  He was bed-ridden with Malta Fever on 22 June when the fleet prepared to anchor off the Lebanese port of Tripoli.  There were two columns of warships, one led by Tryon, the other by his Second-in-Command, Rear-Admiral [[Albert Hastings Markham|Albert H. Markham]].  Tryon ordered the columns to turn inwards so as to reverse the fleet's direction, the ships in each column following the one ahead.  The distance between the two columns was two small for this to be feasible, which Markham knew but when he started to protest Tryon berated him by signalling "What are you waiting for?"  Hoping that Tryon knew something that he didn't, Markham obeyed, and his flagship, [[H.M.S. Camperdown (1885)|H.M.S. ''Camperdown'']], proceeded to ram ''Victoria''.  The ''Victoria'' sank rapidly, taking 358 men with her, including Tryon.  Jellicoe barely escaped with his life.

During the aftermath of the disaster Jellicoe's health recovered, and he was selected by the new Commander-in-Chief, Admiral [[Michael Culme-Seymour, Third Baronet|Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bart]], to be Commander of his new flagship, [[H.M.S. Ramillies (1892)|''Ramillies'']], to which he was appointed on 13 August.  He would remain in her until 15 December, 1896.

==Captain==
Jellicoe was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 1 January, 1897.  From 9 January to 30 December he served on the [[Ordnance Committee (Royal Navy)|Ordnance Committee]].  Whilst on holiday in Scotland he met for the first time a young lady named Florence Gwendoline Cayzer, daughter of a shipping magnate.  He was asked by the new Commander-in-Chief on the China Station, Vice-Admiral [[Edward Hobart Seymour|Sir Edward H. Seymour]], to go with him as his Flag Captain, to which he agreed, and on 31 December 1897 he took command of the battleship [[H.M.S. Centurion (1892)|''Centurion'']].<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  The National Archives.  ADM 196/38.  f. 693.</ref>  In the third year of the ship's commission, the Boxer Rebellion broke out in China.  The legations in Beijing were beseiged, and Seymour led an international contingent of sailors and marines mustered from the ships at anchor off Taku.  Jellicoe acted as his Chief of Staff.  Having advanced by rail towards Beijing, passage beyond Langfang was impossible, and the international force was compelled to make a retreat back to the coast whilst under attack from rebels and the Imperial Chinese army.  During one encounter Jellicoe was seriously wounded after being shot through the lung, and his life was despaired of.  After the retirement to the coast, however, he made a rapid recovery, and was mentioned in Seymour's despatch, for which he was nominated a Companion of the Bath (C.B.).  Seymour's term of service as Commander-in-Chief came to an end, and ''Centurion'' returned to Britain to pay off on 19 September, 1901.

On 8 November he was appointed to the Admiralty for service in the Department of the Controller, and on 26 March, 1902, he was appointed Naval Assistant to the [[Third Sea Lord|Controller of the Navy]].  His work in the Controller's office had took him to Scotland a number of times, and he had renewed his acquaintanceship with Gwendoline Cayzer.  He proposed to her in February, 1902, and on 1 July they were married at Holy Trinity, Sloane Street, London.  He remained at the Admiralty until 12 August, 1903, when he was appointed in command of the new armoured cruiser [[H.M.S. Drake (1901)|''Drake'']] in the {{UK-CS}}.

He was recalled to the Admiralty on 14 November, 1904, preparatory to becoming [[Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes]], and on 3 January, 1905, was formally appointed to the [[Committee on Designs]] which formulated the designs of the first all-big-gun battleship and armoured cruisers, the [[H.M.S. Dreadnought (1906)|''Dreadnought'']] and [[Invincible Class Battlecruiser (1907)|''Invincibles'']], respectively.  After playing a key part in the committee's work he was superseded on 1 February, and 24 February became Director of Naval Ordnance (D.N.O.) in succession to Rear-Admiral [[Henry Deacon Barry|Henry D. Barry]].

==Flag Officer==
[[File:John-Rushworth-Jellicoe-1st-Earl-Jellicoe-Men-of-the-Day-No-1046, NPG D45360.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Jellicoe, depicted as a Captain in Vanity Fair, Dec 1906.<br><small>Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.</small>]]
Jellicoe, promoted to the rank of {{RearRN}} on 8 February, 1907, was superseded as Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes on 25 August, 1907, and that day hoisted his flag in the battleship [[H.M.S. Albemarle (1901)|''Albemarle'']] as Rear-Admiral (Second-in-Command) of the [[Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy)|Atlantic Fleet]].  He was relieved in that position on 25 August, 1908.  On 1 October he was appointed temporarily to the Admiralty "on committee," and on 16 October was appointed a [[Board of Admiralty|Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty]] as Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy.

After two years as Controller, on 20 October, 1910, he was appointed {{ViceRN}} Commanding the Atlantic Fleet, whilst still a Rear-Admiral.  On 18 September, 1911, he was confirmed in the rank of Vice-Admiral.  [[Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill|Winston Churchill]] became [[First Lord of the Admiralty]] in October, and Jellicoe was seriously considered for command of the [[Home Fleet (Royal Navy)|Home Fleet]], the largest in the Navy, in spite of his lack of seniority and experience.  It was decided that Vice-Admiral [[George Astley Callaghan|Sir George A. Callaghan]] would become the new Commander-in-Chief of the fleet, and that Jellicoe would serve under him.  Therefore on 19 December he was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding the Second Division.  In May, 1912, the Second Division became the {{UK-BS|2}}.

Dissatisfied with his First Sea Lord, Admiral [[Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman|Sir Francis C. B. Bridgeman]], Churchill replaced him and invited Jellicoe to rejoin the Board of Admiralty, and on 9 December, 1912, he became [[Second Sea Lord]] in succession to the new First Sea Lord, [[Louis Alexander Mountbatten, First Marquess of Milford Haven|Prince Louis of Battenberg]].  In 1913 he went to sea for the annual manœuvres as Commander-in-Chief of the Red Fleet, opposing Sir George Callaghan, commanding the Blue Fleet.  Jellicoe's fleet represented the German navy, and was so successful at raiding the East Coast of Britain that the manœuvres were curtailed.

In mid-1914 it was officially announced that Jellicoe would succeed Callaghan as Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleets at the end of the year.  He was succeeded as Second Sea Lord on 31 July, 1914, as war with Germany became imminent, and on 1 August he was given the surprise appointment of Second-in-Command to Callaghan.  He was sent to join the fleet at its war station at Scapa Flow, and on 4 August, the day war was declared against Germany, was ordered to assume command from Callaghan.  Despite his deep misgivings at so abrupt a course, he did so, and took direct command of the First Fleet of the Home Fleets, more widely known as the Grand Fleet.

==Great War==

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jellicoe,_John_Rushworth,_1st_Earl_Jellicoe}}
{{refend}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
*"Lord Jellicoe" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Thursday, 21 November.  Issue '''47227''', p. 19.
*{{BaconJellicoe}}
*Coles, Alan (1979).  ''Three before breakfast: A true and dramatic account of how a German U-boat sank three British cruisers in one desperate hour''.  Homewell: Kenneth Mason.  ISBN 085937 1689.
*{{TemplePattersonJellicoe}}
*{{WintonJellicoe}}
{{refend}}

==Papers==
{{refbegin}}
*Papers in the possession of the British Library.  For a comprehensive list, see [[Jellicoe Papers at the British Library]]. 
{{refend}}

==Service Records==
{{refbegin}}
*{{ADM196|87|D8115254}}  Volume 2.  f. 27.
*{{ADM196|38|D7601354}}  Volume 2.  ff. 691, 693.
*{{ADM196|20|D7590381}}  Volume 8.  ff. 136, 135, 97.
{{refend}}

{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabCourt}}
{{Appt
|[[Naval Aide-de-Camp|Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King]]|[[John Locke Marx|John L. Marx]]|1906 &ndash; 1907|[[Thomas Philip Walker|Thomas P. Walker]]
}}
{{TabEnd}}
[[Category:People with old TabAppts]]
<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry John May|Henry J. May]]'''|'''[[Ordnance Committee (Royal Navy)|Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee]]'''<br>9 Jan, 1897<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 136.</ref> &ndash; 30 Dec, 1897<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 136.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Morton Tudor Tudor|Henry M. T. Tudor]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Spencer Henry Metcalfe Login|Spencer H. M. Login]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Centurion (1892)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Centurion'']]'''<br>31 Dec, 1897{{NLOct98|p. 236}}<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}}  f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 19 Sep, 1901<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/20.}}  f. 135.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Fogarty Fegen|Frederick F. Fegen]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[Third Sea Lord|Naval Assistant to the Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy]]'''<br>26 Mar, 1902<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}}  f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 12 Aug, 1903|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Arthur Cavenagh Leveson|Arthur C. Leveson]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman|Francis C. B. Bridgeman]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Drake (1901)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Drake'']]'''<br>12 Aug, 1903<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 14 Nov, 1904<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Charles Doveton Sturdee, First Baronet|Frederick C. D. Sturdee]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Deacon Barry|Henry D. Barry]]'''|'''[[Naval Ordnance Department (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes]]'''<br>24 Feb, 1905<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}}  f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 25 Aug, 1907<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Reginald Hugh Spencer Bacon|Reginald H. S. Bacon]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[George Le Clerc Egerton|George Le C. Egerton]]'''|'''[[Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy)|Second-in-Command, Atlantic Fleet]]'''<br>25 Aug, 1907<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}}  f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 25 Aug, 1908<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}}  f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[William Blake Fisher|William B. Fisher]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Bradwardine Jackson|Sir Henry B. Jackson]]'''|'''[[Third Sea Lord|Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy]]'''<br>16 Oct, 1908{{CN}} &ndash; Dec, 1910<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/87.}}  p. 27.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Charles John Briggs|Charles J. Briggs]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Louis Alexander Mountbatten, First Marquess of Milford Haven|H.S.H. Prince Louis of Battenberg]]'''<br><small>as '''Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet'''</small>|'''[[Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral Commanding, Atlantic Fleet]]'''<br>20 Dec, 1910<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 19 Dec, 1911<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Cecil Burney, First Baronet|Cecil Burney]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[Second Battle Squadron (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral Commanding, Second Battle Squadron]]'''<br>19 Dec, 1911<ref>Jellicoe Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/38}}.  f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 9 Dec, 1912<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[George John Scott Warrender, Seventh Baronet|Sir George J. S. Warrender, Bart.]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Louis Alexander Mountbatten, First Marquess of Milford Haven|H.S.H. Prince Louis of Battenberg]]'''|'''[[Second Sea Lord|Second Sea Lord]]'''<br>9 Dec, 1912{{UKNavalStaff|p. 119}} &ndash; 1 Aug, 1914<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederick Tower Hamilton|Sir Frederick T. Hamilton]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[George Astley Callaghan|Sir George A. Callaghan]] as [[Home Fleets (Royal Navy)|Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets]]'''|'''[[Grand Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Grand Fleet]]'''<br>4 Aug, 1914<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref> &ndash; 28 Nov, 1916<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38.}} f. 693.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[David Richard Beatty, First Earl Beatty|Sir David R. Beatty]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Bradwardine Jackson|Sir Henry B. Jackson]]'''|'''[[First Sea Lord|First Sea Lord]]'''<br>4 Dec, 1916{{UKNavalStaff|p. 119}} &ndash; 26 Dec, 1917<ref>Jellicoe Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/87.}} f. 27.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Rosslyn Erskine Wemyss, First Baron Wester Wemyss|Sir Rosslyn E. Wemyss]]'''<br><small>as '''First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff'''</small>}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jellicoe, John}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1859|1935}}
{{CatBritannia|July, 1872}}
{{CatGunneryOfficer|UK}}
[[Category:Naval Assistants to the Third Sea Lord]]
[[Category:Naval Aides-de-Camp to King Edward VII]]
[[Category:Vice-Admirals Commanding, Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy)]]
[[Category:Vice-Admirals Commanding, Second Division, Home Fleet (Royal Navy)]]
[[Category:Seconds-in-Command, First Fleet]]
[[Category:Commanders-in-Chief, Grand Fleet]]
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