Charles Elliot

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Gilbert John Brydone Elliot (12 December 1818 – 21 May 1895) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he was involved in the bombardment of Acre during the Egyptian–Ottoman War.

During the Second Opium War Eliott led a unit of 300 sailors and marines that successfully breached the walls of Canton and then led another unit that destroyed 23 Chinese war-junks in the estuary South of the city. After that, he led a small squadron of British ships which pursued a fleet of 41 Chinese war-junks at the Battle of Escape Creek: his squadron chased the war-junks upriver and then, once the British ships were grounded as the river narrowed, they chased them in the ships' boats until all the war-junks had been overhauled. He also took part in the larger action, under Commodore Henry Keppel, involving around 100 war-junks at the Battle of Fatshan Creek.

Elliot went on to be Commander-in-Chief, South East Coast of America Station, then Commander-in-Chief, The Nore and finally Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.

Early career

Born the son of Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 2nd Earl of Minto and Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound (née Brydone), Elliot joined the Royal Navy in May 1832. Promoted to lieutenant on 27 June 1838, he was appointed to the second-rate HMS Rodney in August 1838. In response the Commander-in-Chief on the East Indies and China Station, Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, decided to enter Canton.

Elliott went on to be commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Cressy in the Mediterranean Fleet in April 1859 and commanding officer of the second-rate HMS St Jean d'Acre in the Mediterranean Fleet in September 1860.

Senior command

Promoted to rear admiral on 5 August 1861, Elliot became Commander-in-Chief, South East Coast of America Station, with his broad pennant in the second-rate HMS Bombay, in April 1864. Elliot went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, with his flag in the base ship HMS Pembroke, in July 1870 and, having been promoted to full admiral on 8 February 1873, he became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in January 1880. promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 1 December 1881 and then retired in December 1888.

Elliot died at his home, Brydone House in Bitterne, Southampton, on 21 May 1895.

Family In 1863 Elliot married Louisa Blackett, daughter of Sir Edward Blackett, 6th Baronet; they had four children, three of whom died in infancy. Following the death of his first wife, he married Lady Harriet Emily Liddell, daughter of Henry Liddell, 1st Earl of Ravensworth in 1874; they had three daughters and a son.