The table below is intended to include all commissioned officers (that is, with the rank of Lieutenant or above) in command of a Royal Navy vessel between 1840 and 1880. The data are chiefly derived from service records in the National Archives in Kew, contemporary Navy Lists, William R. O'Byrne's "Naval Biographical Dictionary" (1849) and the "Naval Intelligence" column of the Times newspaper.
Follow the links in the first column for available biographic and career data. The 'Rank reached' column shows the highest substantive rank reached (thus not including "retired ..."); as the data are incomplete, however, some officers may have actually reached a higher rank.
For officers not shown here, try Paul Benyon's extensive list. For persons other than naval sea officers, go here.
Officer | Born | Died | Rank reached | Entries | |
John | Packwood R.N. | <1850 | >1854 | Lieutenant | 3 |
Arthur Cecil Henry | Paget R.N. | 1839 | 1924 | Captain | 18 |
Lord Clarence Edward | Paget R.N. | 1811 | 1895 | Admiral | 31 |
Frederick George Charles | Paget R.N. | <1852 | 1866 | Lieutenant | 4 |
John | Paget R.N. | <1800 | 1857 | Commander | 6 |
Thomas Alexander | Pakenham R.N. | 1820 | 1889 | Captain | 21 |
Wray Richard Gledstanes | Palliser R.N. | <1847 | 1891 | Commander | 8 |
George | Palmer R.N. | <1845 | >1873 | Captain | 13 |
John | Palmer R.N. | <1841 | >1860 | Commander | 3 |
John Jervis | Palmer R.N. | 1820 | 1861 | Commander | 15 |
John Edward | Parish R.N. | 1822 | 1894 | Captain | 17 |
George | Parker R.N. | <1846 | >1884 | Captain | 9 |
Hyde | Parker R.N. | 1784 | 1854 | Vice-Admiral | 20 |
Hyde | Parker R.N. | 1824 | 1854 | Captain | 10 |
John | Parker R.N. | <1805 | >1864 | Captain | 13 |
George Henry | Parkin R.N. | 1828 | 1902 | Captain | 30 |
Abraham | Parks R.N. | <1806 | >1847 | Lieutenant | 6 |
Alfred Arthur Chase | Parr R.N. | 1849 | 1914 | Vice-Admiral | 28 |
Robert Augustus | Parr R.N. | <1854 | >1868 | Captain | 6 |
Charles | Parry R.N. | <1855 | >1868 | Commander | 8 |
William Edward | Parry R.N. | 1790 | 1855 | Rear-Admiral | 36 |
George | Parsons R.N. | <1855 | >1886 | Captain | 8 |
John | Parsons R.N. | 1791 | 1864 | Lieutenant | 11 |
William Luke | Partridge R.N. | 1819 | 1876 | Commander | 14 |
John | Pasco R.N. | 1774 | 1853 | Rear-Admiral | 10 |
William Montagu Isaacson George | Pasco R.N. | <1820 | >1864 | Commander | 8 |
Russell Graves Sabine | Pasley R.N. | 1838 | 1888 | Commander | 8 |
Thomas Malcolm Sabine | Pasley R.N. | 1828 | 1870 | Captain | 10 |
Thomas Sabine | Pasley R.N. | 1804 | 1884 | Admiral | 21 |
Augustus Robert Lloyd | Passingham R.N. | <1819 | 1844 | Lieutenant | 3 |
Charles George Edward | Patey R.N. | 1813 | 1881 | Captain | 19 |
George Edwin | Patey R.N. | 1814 | 1862 | Captain | 20 |
Frederick | Patten R.N. | <1814 | >1873 | Captain | 9 |
John Robert Ebenezer | Pattisson R.N. | 1844 | 1928 | Rear-Admiral | 16 |
George | Paulet R.N. | 1803 | 1879 | Admiral | 20 |
William Berjew | Pauli R.N. | <1854 | >1856 | Lieutenant | 2 |
John Thomas | Paulson R.N. | <1812 | >1842 | Commander | 8 |
Richard | Pawle R.N. | 1795 | >1836 | Lieutenant | 4 |
James Aylmer Dorset | Paynter R.N. | <1826 | 1876 | Rear-Admiral | 15 |
Joseph | Pearse R.N. | 1794 | >1870 | Captain | 10 |
Richard Bulkeley | Pearse R.N. | 1830 | 1895 | Captain | 12 |
William Alfred Rumbulow | Pearse R.N. | <1841 | >1868 | Captain | 10 |
Mark Robert | Pechell R.N. | 1830 | 1902 | Captain | 15 |
Edmund | Peel R.N. | 1801 | 1871 | Commander | 13 |
Francis | Peel R.N. | <1848 | >1857 | Commander | 4 |
William | Peel R.N. | <1824 | 1858 | Captain | 21 |
Mountford Stephen Loviele | Peile R.N. | 1824 | 1885 | Captain | 12 |
Edward | Peirse R.N. | <1827 | >1879 | Captain | 17 |
Dudley Worsley Anthony | Pelham R.N. | 1812 | >1839 | Commander | 7 |
Frederick Thomas | Pelham R.N. | 1808 | 1861 | Rear-Admiral | 22 |
Watkin Owen | Pell R.N. | 1788 | 1869 | Rear-Admiral | 17 |
Pownoll William | Pellew R.N. | 1837 | >1860 | Commander | 8 |
Richard Wilson | Pelly R.N. | 1814 | 1890 | Commander | 11 |
Charles Cooper | Penrose Fitzgerald R.N. | 1841 | 1921 | Admiral | 41 |
Henry Legge | Perceval R.N. | 1836 | 1869 | Commander | 7 |
John Laisné | Perry R.N. | 1831 | 1917 | Captain | 17 |
Charles Adolphus | Petch R.N. | 1797 | >1843 | Lieutenant | 5 |
Robert | Peter R.N. | <1804 | >1830 | Lieutenant | 2 |
Lumley Woodyear | Peyton R.N. | <1846 | >1885 | Lieutenant | 8 |
George Annesley | Phayre R.N. | <1843 | >1866 | Commander | 4 |
Henry | Phelps R.N. | <1832 | 1905 | Captain | 8 |
John Phillips | Philipps R.N. | <1807 | >1860 | Lieutenant | 6 |
Alexander | Philips R.N. | <1850 | >1889 | Captain | 8 |
Augustus | Phillimore R.N. | 1822 | 1897 | Admiral | 23 |
Henry Bouchier | Phillimore R.N. | 1833 | 1893 | Vice-Admiral | 24 |
Robert | Phillipps R.N. | 1807 | >1855 | Commander | 6 |
Charles Gerrans | Phillips R.N. | <1820 | >1855 | Commander | 6 |
William Charles | Phillott R.N. | <1826 | >1841 | Commander | 4 |
Benjamin Spencer | Pickard R.N. | 1822 | 1890 | Captain | 19 |
Shute Barrington | Piers R.N. | 1828 | 1876 | Captain | 21 |
Hugh | Pigot R.N. | 1775 | 1857 | Admiral | 41 |
John William | Pike R.N. | 1827 | 1894 | Captain | 20 |
Bedford Clapperton Tryvellion | Pim R.N. | 1826 | 1886 | Captain | 17 |
John Charles | Pitman R.N. | 1814 | >1864 | Commander | 9 |
James Hanway | Plumridge R.N. | 1787 | 1863 | Admiral | 25 |
Edward | Plunkett R.N. | 1808 | >1864 | Captain | 16 |
James Augustus | Poland R.N. | 1832 | 1918 | Captain | 24 |
Edwin John | Pollard R.N. | 1833 | 1909 | Captain | 16 |
Walter James | Pollard R.N. | <1843 | >1868 | Commander | 7 |
George | Poole R.N. | <1855 | 1878 | Commander | 7 |
Brunswick | Popham R.N. | <1817 | >1841 | Captain | 12 |
George Otway | Popplewell R.N. | 1816 | 1889 | Captain | 16 |
Edwin Augustus | Porcher R.N. | <1846 | >1856 | Lieutenant | 2 |
Charles James | Postle R.N. | <1836 | 1851 | Commander | 8 |
Richard Ashmore | Powell R.N. | 1816 | 1892 | Captain | 21 |
Edward Roche | Power R.N. | <1824 | >1858 | Commander | 13 |
Francis Mowbray | Prattent R.N. | 1833 | 1892 | Vice-Admiral | 21 |
George William | Preedy R.N. | 1817 | 1894 | Captain | 30 |
Henry | Prescott R.N. | 1783 | 1874 | Admiral | 16 |
D'Arcy Spence | Preston R.N. | 1827 | 1890 | Captain | 14 |
William | Preston R.N. | <1811 | >1841 | Captain | 11 |
William | Pretyman R.N. | <1809 | >1846 | Commander | 4 |
James Charles | Prevost R.N. | <1829 | 1891 | Rear-Admiral | 15 |
Lewis de Teissier | Prevost R.N. | 1814 | 1898 | Commander | 12 |
David | Price R.N. | 1790 | 1854 | Rear-Admiral | 15 |
John Adolphus Pope | Price R.N. | <1842 | >1869 | Captain | 9 |
John Rolleston | Prickett R.N. | 1848 | 1921 | Commander | 24 |
Benjamin Pentland | Priest R.N. | <1827 | >1863 | Commander | 14 |
Daniel | Pring R.N. | 1780 | 1847 | Captain | 16 |
Charles | Pringle R.N. | <1856 | >1875 | Captain | 8 |
Richard Davison | Pritchard R.N. | 1777 | 1948 | Commander | 6 |
Samuel | Pritchard R.N. | <1843 | >1855 | Commander | 3 |
Samuel Perkins | Pritchard R.N. | 1784 | 1868 | Captain | 11 |
Samuel Rosser | Protheroe R.N. | <1811 | >1846 | Lieutenant | 3 |
Henry | Pryce R.N. | 1786 | 1866 | Commander | 9 |
William David | Puget R.N. | <1813 | >1844 | Captain | 12 |
William John Samuel | Pullen R.N. | 1813 | 1887 | Captain | 15 |
Edward | Purcell R.N. | <1808 | >1852 | Captain | 5 |
Francis Reginald | Purvis R.N. | 1833 | 1895 | Captain | 10 |
George Thomas Maitland | Purvis R.N. | 1829 | >1880 | Commander | 11 |
John Brett | Purvis R.N. | 1787 | 1857 | Vice-Admiral | 11 |
John Child | Purvis R.N. | 1832 | 1904 | Captain | 11 |
Richard | Purvis R.N. | <1846 | 1875 | Captain | 13 |
Frederick Whiteford | Pym R.N. | <1852 | >1855 | Lieutenant | 3 |
Richard Elsworthy | Pym R.N. | 1792 | 1876 | Lieutenant | 10 |
William Henry | Pym R.N. | 1828 | 1886 | Commander | 19 |
Michael | Quin R.N. | <1812 | 1870 | Vice-Admiral | 14 |
Richard Robert | Quin R.N. | 1820 | 1870 | Captain | 14 |
William Henry | Quin R.N. | <1813 | 1840 | Commander | 5 |
Henry James | Raby R.N. | 1827 | 1907 | Captain | 21 |
William | Radcliffe R.N. | 1796 | >1866 | Captain | 9 |
George | Ramsay R.N. | 1806 | 1880 | Vice-Admiral | 18 |
William | Ramsay R.N. | 1796 | 1871 | Vice-Admiral | 17 |
George Granville | Randolph R.N. | 1818 | 1907 | Vice-Admiral | 29 |
William Hector | Rason R.N. | <1855 | 1859 | Lieutenant | 5 |
Harry Holdsworth | Rawson R.N. | 1843 | 1910 | Admiral | 32 |
James | Rawstorne R.N. | 1795 | 1878 | Captain | 17 |
Edward Hood Lingard | Ray R.N. | <1849 | 1885 | Captain | 9 |
George | Raymond R.N. | 1795 | 1866 | Lieutenant | 8 |
James Grant | Raymond R.N. | <1812 | >1844 | Lieutenant | 3 |
William Viner | Read R.N. | 1797 | >1860 | Captain | 16 |
Archibald | Reed R.N. | <1815 | >1856 | Commander | 7 |
John | Reeve R.N. | <1799 | >1851 | Commander | 15 |
John Milward | Reeve R.N. | <1846 | >1860 | Commander | 3 |
Robert | Reid R.N. | <1843 | >1859 | Commander | 5 |
Walter | Reid R.N. | <1836 | >1851 | Commander | 4 |
Hugh Arthur | Reilly R.N. | <1848 | 1862 | Commander | 4 |
Barrington | Reynolds R.N. | 1785 | 1861 | Admiral | 21 |
George Stewart | Reynolds R.N. | <1814 | 1882 | Commander | 13 |
Louis Rivett | Reynolds R.N. | <1846 | >1857 | Commander | 4 |
Edward Bridges | Rice R.N. | 1819 | 1902 | Admiral | 23 |
Ernest | Rice R.N. | 1840 | 1927 | Commander | 15 |
Frederic Dampier | Rich R.N. | <1846 | 1876 | Captain | 10 |
George Frederick | Rich R.N. | <1805 | 1863 | Vice-Admiral | 14 |
Frederick William | Richards R.N. | 1833 | 1912 | Admiral of the Fleet | 27 |
George Henry | Richards R.N. | 1820 | 1896 | Rear-Admiral | 17 |
Harry Lord | Richards R.N. | <1798 | >1840 | Commander | 4 |
Peter | Richards R.N. | 1787 | 1869 | Rear-Admiral | 27 |
John | Richardson R.N. | <1834 | >1841 | Commander | 3 |
Richard McKinley | Richardson R.N. | <1831 | >1848 | Lieutenant | 10 |
Cornwallis | Ricketts R.N. | 1803 | 1885 | Captain | 12 |
Stuart Hamilton | Rickman R.N. | 1843 | 1913 | Commander | 14 |
Charles Gray | Rigge R.N. | <1825 | >1847 | Lieutenant | 9 |
Charles Compton | Rising R.N. | 1841 | 1913 | Captain | 10 |
John Erskine Field | Risk R.N. | <1826 | >1865 | Commander | 6 |
Richard Hawkins | Risk R.N. | 1811 | 1865 | Captain | 21 |
William Thomas | Rivers R.N. | 1814 | >1850 | Commander | 7 |
George | Rivington R.N. | <1856 | >1856 | Lieutenant | 2 |
John | Robb R.N. | <1812 | 1859 | Captain | 10 |
Edward Forward | Roberts R.N. | <1828 | >1847 | Lieutenant | 5 |
Samuel | Roberts R.N. | 1787 | 1848 | Captain | 16 |
Nicholas | Robilliard R.N. | <1810 | >1845 | Commander | 9 |
Charles Aylmer Pembroke Vallancey | Robinson R.N. | <1849 | >1869 | Captain | 4 |
Charles Gepp | Robinson R.N. | 1805 | 1875 | Rear-Admiral | 16 |
Frederick Charles Bryan | Robinson R.N. | 1836 | 1896 | Vice-Admiral | 14 |
George | Robinson R.N. | 1830 | 1921 | Captain | 25 |
John James | Robinson R.N. | 1811 | >1860 | Commander | 17 |
Loftus Christopher Hawker | Robinson R.N. | <1847 | >1856 | Lieutenant | 2 |
Robert Spencer | Robinson R.N. | 1809 | 1889 | Vice-Admiral | 31 |
William | Robinson R.N. | <1811 | >1860 | Captain | 8 |
Charles Rufus | Robson R.N. | <1851 | 1861 | Lieutenant | 7 |
William | Robson R.N. | 1796 | >1860 | Captain | 11 |
John Rashleigh | Rodd R.N. | <1830 | >1866 | Captain | 8 |
Arthur George Robertson | Roe R.N. | <1858 | >1878 | Captain | 9 |
Richard Henry | Roe R.N. | <1853 | >1877 | Commander | 4 |
Justus Peter | Roepel R.N. | 1793 | 1847 | Captain | 11 |
Henry Downing | Rogers R.N. | <1837 | >1861 | Captain | 14 |
William Rae | Rolland R.N. | 1817 | 1904 | Captain | 26 |
George | Rose R.N. | <1832 | >1839 | Lieutenant | 2 |
James Clark | Ross R.N. | 1800 | 1862 | Rear-Admiral | 19 |
John Francis | Ross R.N. | 1821 | 1899 | Captain | 23 |
Frank | Rougemont R.N. | 1842 | 1882 | Commander | 8 |
Henry Lewis | Round R.N. | <1854 | >1864 | Commander | 7 |
Hon. Henry John | Rous R.N. | 1795 | 1877 | Admiral | 24 |
Charles John | Rowley R.N. | 1832 | 1919 | Admiral | 31 |
Richard Freeman | Rowley R.N. | 1806 | 1854 | Captain | 10 |
Robert Hibbert Bartholomew | Rowley R.N. | 1817 | 1860 | Commander | 12 |
Thomas Harvey | Royse R.N. | 1835 | 1909 | Captain | 12 |
Joseph Sparkhall | Rundle R.N. | 1815 | 1880 | Commander | 10 |
Lord Edward | Russell R.N. | 1805 | 1887 | Admiral | 23 |
Francis John | Russell R.N. | 1808 | 1888 | Commander | 8 |
John | Russell R.N. | <1833 | >1839 | Lieutenant | 2 |
John | Russell R.N. | <1824 | >1863 | Captain | 10 |
Robert | Russell R.N. | <1820 | 1848 | Captain | 8 |
Gilbert Brydone | Rutherford R.N. | <1840 | >1885 | Captain | 13 |
William FitzHerbert | Ruxton R.N. | 1830 | 1895 | Captain | 15 |
Alfred Phillipps | Ryder R.N. | 1820 | 1888 | Admiral of the Fleet | 25 |
Herbert Thomas | Ryves R.N. | 1812 | 1880 | Lieutenant | 9 |