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Bridge, Cyprian, Admiral Sir, 1839-1924

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Admiral Sir Cyprian Arthur G. Bridge GCB (13 March 1839 - 16 August 1924) was a Royal Navy officer towards the end of the era of Pax Britannica . He was Commander-in-chief of both the Australian Squadron and China Squadron.

Early life

He was born in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador to Thomas Hobday Bridge, later archdeacon of St. John's. His maternal grandfather was John Dunscomb, an Aide-de-camp to the governor of Newfoundland.

From 1851 Bridge attended school at Walthamstow House in England.

Naval career

He was nominated for the navy by Admiral Cochrane to whom his father had been chaplain. He passed the navy entrance examination in 1853, and was appointed to the paddle sloop HMS Medea and later to the flagship HMS Cumberland stationed in North America.

During the Crimean War he operated as a cadet in the White Sea.

After he passed for midshipman he was appointed to HMS Pelorus in the East Indies.

He was promoted to lieutenant in 1859 and joined the HMS Algiers and in the Mediterranean and subsequently served on board the HMS Hawke on the Irish station, and the HMS Fawn in the West Indies from 1864 to 1867.

Bridge transferred to HMS Excellent to qualify in gunnery Admiral Sir Alfred Ryder then invited him to act as flag-lieutenant in the Channel fleet

In 1869 he was promoted to commander serving two years with HMS Caledonia in the Mediterranean. He served for one year each on the gunnery ship HMS Cambridge and then HMS Implacable, followed by Ryder’s flagship in China, HMS Audacious.

In 1877 he was promoted to captain. He took half pay and spent time writing on the German Navy, publishing in the Journal of the Royal United Services Institution.

During 1878 and 1879 he served on Admiralty and War Office committees on heavy guns, armor plate and projectiles.

He was appointed deputy commissioner for the Western Pacific with command of HMS Espiegle in Australia. Subsequently he was appointed to command the modern HMS Colossus. He was director of the newly established Naval Intelligence Department at the Admiralty (1889-1894) and helped found the Navy Records Society.

In November 1894 Bridge became Commander-in-Chief of the Australian squadron aboard the HMS Orlando. In 1898 he was appointed vice-admiral and in 1901 Commander-in-Chief in China. In 1903 he became Admiral Bridge. He retired from the Navy in March 1904.

Post Naval Career

Bridge was an assessor on the North Sea Enquiry Commission investigation into the 1904 Dogger Bank incident. He was Admiralty Representative on the Royal Patriotic Fund Corporation from 1906 to 1912. In 1916 he was part of the Mesopotamia Commission of Inquiry.

Family

Bridge’s grandfather and great uncles had all served in the Navy. His father did not due to poor eyesight. Bridge married but had no children.

Cyprian Bridge Island is named after his uncle.

He built Coombe Pines in Kingston Hill, Surrey where he died in 1924.

References

Biography by Samuel Stephenson; edited by Douglas Fix


This biographical information was gathered from the Cyprian_Bridge page, courtesy of the Wikipedia project.

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