Thomas Maitland, 11th Earl of Lauderdale
| Thomas Maitland, 11th Earl of Lauderdale | |
|---|---|
| Born |
3 February 1803 Frankfort, County Cork |
| Died | 1 September 1878 (aged 75) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1816–1873 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands held |
HMS Sparrowhawk HMS Tweed HMS Wellesley Pacific Station |
| Battles/wars |
Greek War of Independence Irish and German Mercenary Soldiers' Revolt First Carlist War First Opium War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral of the Fleet Thomas Maitland, 11th Earl of Lauderdale, GCB (3 February 1803 – 1 September 1878) was a Royal Navy officer and peer. As a junior officer he saw action supporting the blockade of Algiers by Greek revolutionaries in July 1824 during the Greek War of Independence and then took part in an operation to land a naval brigade in Brazil to protect Pedro I, the Emperor of Brazil, in the face of the Irish and German Mercenary Soldiers' Revolt. He also took part in the Battle of Luchana, an operation to defend the Port of Bilbao on the north coast of Spain, during the First Carlist War.
Maitland also fought at various battles during the First Opium War including the Battle of Canton at which he commanded the 1st naval battalion. He gave evidence to the Royal Commission on the Defence of the United Kingdom and argued that building powerful ships was more important than building fortifications. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station.
Born the only son of General the Hon. William Maitland (himself the fourth son of James Maitland, 7th Earl of Lauderdale) and Mary Maitland (née Orpen), Maitland joined the navy on 22 September 1816. Promoted to lieutenant on 16 May 1823, he was appointed to the frigate HMS Euryalus in the Mediterranean Fleet. In HMS Euryalus he saw action supporting the blockade of Algiers by Greek revolutionaries in July 1824 during the Greek War of Independence. He transferred to the guard ship HMS Superb at Portsmouth in December 1825 and to the second-rate HMS Ganges, flagship of Admiral Sir Robert Otway serving as Commander-in-Chief of the South America Station, in March 1826. Promoted to commander on 30 April 1827, he saw action again when HMS Ganges took part in an operation to land a naval brigade in Brazil to protect Pedro I, the Emperor of Brazil, in the face of the Irish and German Mercenary Soldiers' Revolt in June 1828. He returned home when HMS Ganges became the guard ship at Portsmouth in 1829.
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