Edward Tatham

1811 - 1880  (69 years)

• Name	Edward Tatham  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Birth	04 Feb 1811	Cadogan Place, Chelsea   [1, 2, 3, 5, 6]
  Baptism	05 Apr 1811	St George, Hanover Square, Mayfair   [1]
  		Edward Tatham (1811-1880) Baptism register
  Occupation	1831 -	Royal Navy  [5]
  Post/Rank/Title	12 Jan 1838	Lieutenant  [7]
  Post/Rank/Title	06 Jun 1846	Commander  [5]
  Marriage	17 Dec 1851	Holy Trinity, Cuckfield   [5, 8, 9, 10]
  	Catherine Agnew Brown,   b. abt 1818, Cheam ,   d. 09 Apr 1904, Villa Adelina, Sanremo, Italy
  Post/Rank/Title	21 Aug 1854	Captain RN  [5]
  		HMS Fury, 1854 The First Gun fired in the East H.M. Steam Sloop "Fury", Comr. Edw. Tatham, being dispatched off Sebastopol immediately after the Declaration of War, was chased for several hours by two Russian frigates, two brigs and two steamers. On getting to windward of the enemy, she fired the First Gun. This print is respectfully dedicated to The Officers of the Black Sea Fleet. Alfred C. May Mate of H.M. Ship "Fury"
  Occupation	Apr 1861	Captain RN, half pay  [2]
  Residence	Apr 1861	Cant's Hill, Glen Owen, Llanstadwell   [2]
  Occupation	1862	Gulf of Mexico ; Captain, HMS Phaeton  [11]
  		Edward Tatham (1811-1880) Captain of HMS Phaeton in 1862. Exchange of letters with French Naval Command.
  Occupation	1866	Captain, HMS Bellerophon  [12]
  	Portsmouth, Wednesday [14 Mar 1866] -- The Bellerophon, iron-clad steam-ship, Captain E. Tatham, got up steam this morning for a trial of her machinery, the result being that the official trial intended to take place tomorrow has been postponed until after another preliminary one has been made. [Morning Post]
  Occupation	1867 - 1870	Plymouth ; Superintendent of the Naval Hospital and Victualling Yard  [5]
  Decoration	02 Jun 1869	CB  [5, 13]
  Post/Rank/Title	01 Apr 1870	Rear-Admiral  [5]
  Occupation	Apr 1871	Rear-Admiral, retired list  [3]
  Residence	Apr 1871	St John's, West St, Midhurst   [3]
  Post/Rank/Title	- 1880	JP, Sussex  [13]
  Residence	- 1880	St John's, West St, Midhurst   [5]
  Death	21 May 1880	St John's, West St, Midhurst   [5, 6, 13]
  Probate	08 Jul 1880	London ; < £4,000  [14]
  	The Will of Edward Tatham late of Midhurst in the County of Sussex a Rear Admiral in Her Majesty's Service who died 21 May 1880 at Midhurst was proved at the Principal Registry by Catherine Agnew Tatham of Midhurst Widow the Relict and Robert Twiss of 99 St. George's-square in the County of Middlesex Esquire the Nephew two of the Executors. 8 July. Personal Estate under £4000. [NPC]
  Burial		St Mary Magdalene, West Lavington   [5]
  Notes	He entered the Navy in 1831, and obtained his first commission 12 Jan., 1838. His succeeding appointments were: 2 Aug., 1838, as Additional Lieut. to the Melville, 74, flagship of Hon. Geo. Elliot at the Cape of Good Hope; 15 Nov. following, to the Columbine, 16, Capts., Geo. Elliot and Thos. Jordaine Clarke, on the North America and West India and East India stations; 31 Aug. and 9 Oct., 1841, as First, to the Belvidera, 38, Capt. Hon. Geo. Grey, and Sparton, 26, Capt. Hon. Chas. G. J. B. Elliot, the latter attached to the force on the coast of North America and in the West Indies, whence he returned in 1845; and, 18 Feb., 1846, in a similar capacity, to the Raleigh, 50, fitting for the broad pendant of Sir Thos. Herbert, K.C.B. While lying in Pinop Reach, on the North American coast, at half past twelve o'clock, on the night of 16 April,1846, Mr. Tatham, hearing from his bed that a sentinel had fallen over-board, immediately sprang upon deck and precipitated himself off the gangway into the river. Although an intense fog prevailed at the time, and the weather was cold in the extreme, he succeeded at the peril of his own life, in saving the marine. When taken on board he retired to his berth in a state of great exhaustion, but in the morning was up and at his duty. For his heroic conduct he was promoted to the rank of Commander, 6 June following [1846]. He was re-appointed to the Raleigh in the course of the same month, and is now (1849) serving in her on the S.E. coast of America;" [and, later, on other stations; "Times" Obit. Notice, 27 May, 1880, p.6.] He commanded H.M.S. "Fury" during the Crimean War, and he was Senior Officer at Balaclava when it was attacked by Liprandi. He was promoted to a Captain, 20 Aug., 1854, and became a Rear-Admiral on the Retired List, 1 April, 1870. From 1867 to 1870, he was Superintendent of the Naval Hospital and Victualling Yard at Plymouth. He was nominated Companion of the Order of the Bath, Military Division, on 2nd June, 1869, and was a Knight of the Legion of Honour, and of the Medjidie. Rear-Admiral Tatham, who was a J.P. for Sussex, m., 1852, at Cuckfield, Sussex, Catherine Agnew Brown, dau. of Thos. Brown Esq., of Cheam, Surrey. In 1875 he was residing at St. John's, Midhurst, Sussex, and belonged to the United Services Club. He d. 21 May, 1880, s.p., in his 69th year, at his residence at St. John's, Midhurst; and was bur. at Lavington, near Midhurst, Sussex; "Times", 27 May, 1880, p.6. A Lithograph: "The First Gun fired in the East, March 28, 1854", by Day & Son, (no artist's name or publisher mentioned) depicts the steam-sloop H.M.S. "Fury", 6 guns, Commander Edward Tatham, R.N., being despatched by Admiral Dundas to scout off Sebastopol, immediately after the Declaration of War. She was chased for several hours by two Russian frigates and four other vessels, mounting in all some 120 guns; and on getting to windward she fired the first gun; "Naval Prints", by Harry Parker,1911. The "Fury" was a 6-gun paddle-steamer, employed in 1849, against Chinese pirates, under Commander J. Willcox. There is another lithograph, 9½" x 14", by Lieut.H.B.Roberts, pub. by Dickinson, entitled "The Fury sounding off Sebastopol". The Official Catalogue of the Royal United Services Museum, Whitehall, 1914, gives the following descriptions of two exhibits, the first being apparently the original oil-painting from which the Lithograph above mentioned, "The First Gun fired in the East", was made:- "No.6083. A Painting in Oils, by Nibbs, representing H.M.S. 'Fury', 6 guns, Captain Edward Tatham, after having been ordered by Admiral Dundas to reconnoitre Sebastopol early in the Russian War (1854-1856), being chased by Russian warships mounting in all some 120 guns. The 'Fury', on the occasion, succeeded in making prisoners the crew of a Russian schooner." Given by E. T. Twiss, Esq. "No.6084, The First Shot directed against the British Fleet at Sebastopol, in 1854, having been fired at H.M.S. 'Fury', 6 guns, Captain Edward Tatham." Given by E. T. Twiss, Esq. The description on this Lithograph given in "Naval Prints", however, makes it clear that the first shot was by, not at, the 'Fury'. [Curtis quoting Wm. R. O'Byrne's Naval Biography, 1849] We have to record the death of Admiral Edward Tatham, C.B., which occurred at the end of last week, at his residence, St. John's, Midhurst, Sussex, in the 69th year of his age. The son of Mr. Thomas Tatham, of Cadogan-place, Sloane-street, he was born in the year 1811, and entered the Navy in 1831. He obtained his first commission in 1838. In the same year he was appointed additional lieutenant on board the Melville, flag-ship to the Hon. George Elliot at the Cape of Good Hope, but was shortly afterwards transferred to the Columbine, on the North America and West India and East India stations. In 1841 he became first lieutenant to the Belvidera and the Spartan, the latter vessel being attached to the force on the coast of North America and in the West Indies, whence he returned in 1845. In 1846 Mr. Tatham was appointed in a similar capacity to the Raleigh, While serving on board, he succeeded, at the peril of his own life, in saving that of a marine who had fallen overboard, and for this act he was promoted to the rank of commander. He afterwards served on the south-east coast of America and other stations, and commanded the Fury during the Crimean war. He was senior officer at Balaklava when it was attacked by Liprandi. He was promoted to a captaincy in 1864, and became a rear-admiral on the retired list in 1870. From 1867 to 1870 he was Superintendent of the Naval Hospital and Victualling Yard at Plymouth. He was nominated a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) in 1869, and he was also a Knight of the Legion of Honour and of the Medjidie. Admiral Tatham, who was a Magistrate for Sussex, married Miss Catherine Agnew Brown, daughter of Mr. Thomas Brown, of Cheam, Surrey. [The Times, 27 May 1880]
  Person ID	I0876	Tatham | Bloxham branch | Descendant - male line
  Last Modified	04 Dec 2014

  
  

  Father	Thomas Tatham,   b. 22 Sep 1762, London ,   d. 01 Jan 1818, Marlborough Place, Brighton  (Age 55 years)
  Mother	Susanna Shepherd,   b. abt May 1777, Brandesburton ,   d. 13 Apr 1856, 17 Albion St, Paddington  (Age ~ 78 years)
  Marriage	28 Nov 1799	St Mary, Brandesburton   [15]
  Notes	Thomas Tatham married, late in life [sic: he was 37], Susanna Shepherd, dau. of the Rev. Henry Shepherd, Rector of Brandesburton, near Beverley, and Hull, Yorks [Curtis] Thomas Tatham's aunt, Mary Bloxham, was the wife of Susanna Shepherd's uncle, Richard Shepherd.
  Family ID	F0270	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Catherine Agnew Brown,   b. abt 1818, Cheam ,   d. 09 Apr 1904, Villa Adelina, Sanremo, Italy  (Age ~ 86 years)
  Marriage	17 Dec 1851	Holy Trinity, Cuckfield   [5, 8, 9, 10]
  	At Cuckfield, Sussex, on the 17th inst., by the Rev. Alfred Tatham, of Southwell, Notts, Edward Tatham, Esq., Commander, H.M.S. Fury, to Catherine Agren [sic], eldest daughter of the late Thomas Brown, Esq., of Cheam, county of Surrey. [Morning Post]
  Notes	no known children 4 serv. in Apr 1871
  Last Modified	23 May 2019
  Family ID	F0094	Family Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Sources

  [S06] Parish Registers, baptisms, St George, Hanover Square, 05 Apr 1811. b 04 Feb 1811 [S01] Census, UK, 1861. age 50 [S01] Census, UK, 1871. age 60 [S03] Family Members, WGT. [S04] H Curtis: Notes for a Pedigree of the Tathams of Co. Durham. [S02] BMD Index, death reg Midhurst, 2Q1880. age 68 [S07] Other Sources, HMS Surprise - a frigate simulator. website accessed 18 May 2012 [S02] BMD Index, marriage reg Cuckfield, 4Q1851. [S06] Parish Registers, marriages, Holy Trinity, Cuckfield (FS), 17 Dec 1851. [S11] Newspaper, Daily News, 20 Dec 1851. [S05] The Times, news item, 13 Dec 1862. [S11] Newspaper, Morning Post, 15 Mar 1866. [S05] The Times, death notice, 27 May 1880. [S14] National Probate Calendar. [S06] Parish Registers, marriages, Brandesburton, computer printout (IGI), 28 Nov 1799.