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Henry St John (Royal Navy officer)

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Henry St John
Vice-Admiral Henry Craven St John in 1898
Born(1837-01-05)5 January 1837
Died21 May 1909(1909-05-21) (aged 72)
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch Royal Navy
RankAdmiral
CommandsHMS Iron Duke
Coast of Ireland Station

Admiral Henry Craven St John (5 January 1837 – 21 May 1909) was a Royal Navy officer who became Senior Officer, Coast of Ireland Station.

Background

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He was the son of Charles William George St John and the great-grandson of Frederick St John, 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke.[1]

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The Last Shot, a sketch by St John illustrating an action against a Chinese junk

On 12 April 1866 the Admiralty announced that Lieutenant St John, in command of her Majesty's gunboat Opossum was promoted to Commander in consideration of the skill and judgement displayed in effecting the destruction of a large piratical force of 54 Chinese Junks, without loss in the attack and capture.[2][3]

St John became commanding officer of the sloop HMS Sylvia in November 1873.[4]

His memoir Notes and Sketches from the Wild Coasts of Nipon. With chapters of cruising after pirates in Chinese waters were published in 1880 by David Douglas, Edinburgh.[5]

He was appointed commanding officer of the Central battery ship HMS Iron Duke in August 1885[6] and Senior Officer, Coast of Ireland Station in January 1892 before he retired in January 1895.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage. Dean & Son, Ltd. 1902. p. 109.
  2. ^ "Admiralty 12 April". London, Middlesex: London Daily News. Admiralty. 14 April 1866. p. 6. Retrieved 21 May 2020. Admiralty, April 13. Frederick Thomas has this day been promoted boatswain of the second class, for gallantry in action against pirates.
  3. ^ "Full biography". Thornbury Roots. Thornbury & District Museum. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  4. ^ "Henry St John". William Loney. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  5. ^ St John, Henry Craven (1880). "Notes and Sketches from the Wild Coasts of Nipon. With chapters of cruising after pirates in Chinese waters" (1 ed.). David Douglas. Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Captains commanding Royal Navy warships" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
  7. ^ "Senior Royal Navy appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
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Military offices
Preceded by Senior Officer, Coast of Ireland Station
1892–1895
Succeeded by