Leith Station Explained

Unit Name:	Commander-in-Chief at Leith
Dates:	1745–1825
Country:	United Kingdom
Branch:	Royal Navy
Role:	Convoy Protection, Trade Protection
Command Structure:	Royal Navy
Garrison:	Leith Roads, Leith, Scotland
Notable Commanders:	Rear-Admiral John Byng

The Commander-in-Chief, Leith formally known as the Commander-in-Chief at Leith and on the Coast of Scotland was a military commander and formation of the Royal Navy from 1745 to 1825.

History

Royal Navy forces first began operating from Leith between 1709 and 1713 during the War of the Spanish Succession when the then Lord High Admiral Thomas Herbert ordered a new squadron to Leith Roads naval anchorage which was then placed under the command of the Provost of Edinburgh Sir Patrick Johnston.^[1] Leith was initially used as an important port to protect convoys operating between the Orkney islands and Newcastle upon Tyne and to ports on the other side of the North Sea.^[2] The station was established in 1745 at the Port of Leith during the time of the French Revolutionary Wars and existed until 1825. The station throughout its existence was under the command of Commander-in-Chief, Leith who also duel-hatted in the role as Port Admiral, Leith.

Commander-in-Chief, Leith

Incomplete list of post holders included:

• Rear-Admiral–John Byng–1745-1746
• Rear-Admiral Thomas Smith February 1746 – January 1747 ^[3]
• Commodore Sir Alexander Cochrane 1793
• Vice-Admiral of the Red—Richard Rodney Bligh, 1803 – 1804 ^[4]
• Rear-Admiral of the White–James Vashon–April 1804–1808 (promoted 9.11.1805 Rear-Admiral of the Red)
• Rear-Admiral of the Red–Edmund Nagle–July 1808 – 1812 (promoted to V.Adm July 1810) ^[5]
• Rear-Admiral William Johnstone Hope Nov. 1813 – August 1818 ^[6]
• Rear-Admiral: Robert Waller Otway August 1818 – 24 November 1821 ^[7]
• Vice-Admiral Sir John P. Beresford 1821–1825 ^[8]

Notes and References

1. Book: Murdoch . Steve . The Terror of the Seas?: Scottish Maritime Warfare 1513–1713 . 2010 . BRILL . Leiden, Netherlands . 978-9004185685 . 306 . en.
2. Book: Murdoch . Steve . The Terror of the Seas?: Scottish Maritime Warfare 1513–1713 . 2010 . BRILL . Leiden, Netherlands . 978-9004185685 . 306 . en.
3. Web site: Laughton . John Knox . Smith Thomas (d.1762) . Dictionary of National Biography, 1885–1900 . Smith, Elder & Co, 1885–1900 . 12 June 2018.
4. Web site: Jiscocks . Richard . Richard Rodney Bligh – more than Nelson . more than Nelson . Richard Hiscocks 2018 . 12 June 2018.
5. Book: The Gentleman's Magazine . 1830 . F. Jefferies . 469 . Commander-in-Chief at Leith, Rear-Admiral Edmund Nagle. . en.
6. Book: The United Service Magazine: With which are Incorporated the Army and Navy Magazine and Naval and Military Journal . 1831 . H. Colburn . 220 . en.
7. Web site: Admiral Sir Robert Waller Otway (1770–1846) – National Maritime Museum . collections.rmg.co.uk . Royal Museums Greenwich . 12 June 2018.
8. Book: Marshall . John . Royal Naval Biography; Or, Memoirs of the Services of All the Flag-officers, Superannuated Rear-admirals, Retired-captains, Post-captains, and Commanders, Whose Names Appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea Officers at the Commencement of the Present Year, Or who Have Since Been Promoted; Illustrated by a Series of Historical and Explanatory Notes ... With Copious Addenda: Commanders, flag-officers, captains . 1835 . Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown . London, England . 478 . en.