Edward Hobart Seymour

Sir Edward Seymour
Sir Edward Seymour
Born	(1840-04-30)30 April 1840 Kinwarton, Warwickshire
Died	2 March 1929(1929-03-02) (aged 88) Maidenhead, Berkshire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1852–1910
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Commands held	China Station SS Oregon HMS Inflexible HMS Iris HMS Orontes HMS Vigilant HMS Growler HMS Waterman
Battles/wars	Crimean War Second Opium War Taiping Rebellion Boxer Rebellion
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Member of the Order of Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Hobart Seymour, GCB, OM, GCVO, PC (30 April 1840 – 2 March 1929) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he served in the Black Sea during the Crimean War. He then took part in the sinking of the war-junks, the Battle of Canton and the Battle of Taku Forts during the Second Opium War and then saw action again at the Battle of Cixi during the Taiping Rebellion.

Seymour went on to be Second-in-Command of the Channel Squadron and then Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves. After that he became Commander-in-Chief, China Station. During the Boxer Rebellion, he led an expedition of 2,000 sailors and marines from Western and Japanese warships to relieve the diplomatic legations in Peking. The expedition came under sustained attack from Chinese Imperial soldiers and had to return to Tianjin. Although the mission had failed, when Seymour arrived back at Portsmouth he was welcomed by thousands of people lining the beach and pier.

Born the son of the Reverend Richard Seymour and Frances Seymour (née Smith), Seymour was educated at Radley College and Eastman's Royal Naval Academy, Southsea and joined the Royal Navy at Portsmouth in 1852. He was appointed to the corvette HMS Encounter and, having been promoted to midshipman, then transferred to the paddle frigate HMS Terrible in 1853. He served in HMS Terrible in the Black Sea throughout the Crimean War. He was appointed to the second-rate HMS Calcutta, flagship of his uncle Sir Michael Seymour, Commander-in-Chief, China Station in 1857 and took part in the sinking of the war-junks in June 1857, the Battle of Canton in December 1857 and the Battle of Taku Forts in May 1858 during the Second Opium War.