John Markham CB RN (1761 - 1827)

Born 13 Jun 1761 in Headmasters House, Westminster, London, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 13 Feb 1827 at age 65 in Naples, Italy

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Short Biography

Admiral John Markham (1761–1827) was a distinguished Royal Navy officer and politician. Born in Westminster, he was the son of William Markham, Archbishop of York. Educated at Westminster School, he joined the Royal Navy in 1775, quickly rising through the ranks. Markham served on notable ships, including HMS Perseus, where he managed to thwart a prisoner mutiny. By 1783, he achieved the rank of Post-Captain and later commanded several vessels, such as HMS Centaur. Illness forced him to return to England after a period in the West Indies, where he lost many crew members to yellow fever. Politically, he served in Parliament for Portsmouth and held roles on the Admiralty board, including as First Naval Lord. In 1796, he married Maria Rice, with whom he had four children. Markham retired in 1826 and died in Naples in 1827, leaving a legacy of naval reform and service.

Full Biography

Early Life and Education

John Markham was born on June 13, 1761, in Westminster, London. He was the second son of William Markham, who served as the headmaster of Westminster School and later became the Archbishop of York, and Sarah (Goddard) Markham, daughter of a Rotterdam merchant. Markham received his education at Westminster School, where his father was headmaster.

Naval Career

Markham entered the Royal Navy in March 1775 at the age of 13, initially serving on HMS Romney under George Elphinstone. In March 1776, he transferred to HMS Perseus, also under Elphinstone's command.

Rise Through the Ranks

In 1777, while serving on the HMS Romney and later the HMS Perseus under George Elphinstone. In 1777 the Perseus captured a privateer and Markham acted as Prize-master. The prisoners tried to retake the ship during a storm when Markham's crew were drunk and the ship sprang a leak and began sinking. Markham managed to beat back the prisoners, on inspecting the ship’s state, it was found to be laden with barrel-staves. This kept it afloat until her crew were rescued by a passing vessel. Upon his return to England, he discovered his family in mourning, Elphinstone having written that he was lost with the ship. He was promoted to Commander of HMS Volcano in March 1782 and achieved the rank of Post-Captain on January 3, 1783.

In August 1794 John Markham was moved to HMS Hannibal and was again sent to the West Indies. Upon arrival he discovered that his younger brother David, colonel of the 20th regiment had been killed.

John Markham was invalided after coming down with yellow fever and returned home. Almost a quarter of his company died at this time, with another quarter hospitalized.

In 1797 Markham commissioned HMS Centaur at Woolwich. He served off Ireland, in the Mediterranean and also off the French coast.

He was promoted to the Admiralty board in 1801, a position he held until 1804 and again 1806-1807 after which he retired. He remained in the Navy but did not command again after 1807.

• 1801 to 1804: Lord of the Admiralty.
• 1806 to 1807: First Sea Lord.

Command Positions

Markham commanded several ships throughout his career, including:

• HMS Sphinx (1784) in the Mediterranean
• HMS Blonde (1793) during the reduction of Martinique
• HMS Hannibal (1794) in the West Indies
• HMS Centaur (1797) off Ireland, in the Mediterranean, and the French coast

Political Career

Markham's political career was closely intertwined with his naval service:

• Member of Parliament for Portsmouth (1801-1818 and 1820-1826)
• Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty (February 1801 - May 1804 and February 1806 - April 1807)
• First Naval Lord (January 26, 1806 - March 24, 1807)

During his time in Parliament, Markham was instrumental in passing a bill to investigate abuses and irregularities in Naval Departments and prize agencies.

Personal Life

On November 21, 1796, Markham married Maria Rice, daughter of George Rice and Baroness Dinevor in 1796. They had three sons and a daughter.

• John Markham born 27 Oct 1801
• William Rice Markham born 5 Feb 1803
• Frederick Markham born 16 Aug 1805 at Ades, Challey, Sussex, England.
• Maria Frances Markham born 13 Sep 1806 in Eastbourne, Sussex England.

Tragically, Maria died in childbirth on December 22, 1810, at the age of 37.

Markham owned an estate called Ades in Chailey, Sussex, where his family resided until 1826. Ades is near (about 11 miles) to Horsted Place where his sister Henrietta Sarah "Harriet" Law lived with her family.

Later Years and Death

In 1826, Markham retired from public life due to poor health. He travelled to Naples, Italy, in September of that year with his eldest son and daughter, hoping to improve his condition. Unfortunately, his health did not recover, and he passed away in Naples on February 13, 1827. He was buried in the British Cemetery of Naples, also known as the English Cemetery.

Admiral John Markham's legacy includes a distinguished naval career, significant contributions to naval reform through his political work, and a family line that continued to serve in various capacities, including his son Frederick, who became a major-general in India.

Sources

• Wikipedia: John Markham (Royal Navy Officer). [1]

• History Of The Markham Family By The Rev. David Frederick Markham. 1854. Chapter II Markham’s of Beckham Pages 70 to 73 refer to John Markham (1761–1827)

• The Selections from the correspondence of Admiral John Markham during the years 1801-4 and 1806-7 edited by Sir Clements Markham, K.C.B.

• Yale Center for British Art