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[[File:Richard Charles Mayne AS-MP.jpg|thumb|Richard Charles Mayne]]
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Rear-Admiral '''Richard Charles Mayne''' [[Order of the Bath|CB]] [[Royal Geographical Society|FRGS]] (1835 – 29 May 1892) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer and explorer.
[[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] '''Richard Charles Mayne''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB|FRGS}} (7 July 1835 – 29 May 1892<ref name="funeral">{{cite journal|title=FUNERAL OF ADMIRAL MAYNE MP - South Wales Daily News|date=1892-06-04|publisher=David Duncan and Sons|hdl = 10107/3723191}}</ref>) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer and explorer, who in later life became a Conservative politician.


Richard Mayne was the son of Sir [[Richard Mayne]] [[Order of the Bath|KCB]] (the first joint commissioner of the Metropolitan Police) and the grandson of Judge [[Edward Mayne]]. Both his father and grandfather were graduates of [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref>Alumni Dublinis</ref><ref>A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, Fourth edition. BURKE. Sir John Bernard, London: Harrison, 1875, 1886. 2 vol.</ref> Richard Mayne was educated at [[Eton College|Eton]]. He was a scion of a family that settled at Mount Sedborough<ref>Inquisition Ultonium, Fermanagh (33),(40) and (55) Car I</ref> in [[County Fermanagh]] during the [[Plantation of Ulster]] and subsequently at Freame Mount, [[County Cavan]] in Ireland.,.<ref>Calendar of State Papers Ireland, 1611-1614,HMPRO, Edited by The Rev C.W. Russell, D.D., and John P. Pendergast, Esq.,London: Longman & Co. 1877</ref><ref>The Plantation of Ulster, Rev. George Hill, Belfast: McCaw, Stevenson & Orr, 1877 in particular Pynnars Survey p.481-2</ref><ref>The Fermanagh Story, Pedar Livingston, The Clogher Historical Society, 1969</ref>
Richard Mayne was the son of Sir [[Richard Mayne]] [[Order of the Bath|KCB]] (the first joint commissioner of the Metropolitan Police) and the grandson of Judge [[Edward Mayne]]. Both his father and grandfather were graduates of [[Trinity College, Dublin]].<ref>Alumni Dublinis</ref><ref>A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, Fourth edition. BURKE. Sir John Bernard, London: Harrison, 1875, 1886. 2 vol.</ref> Richard Mayne was educated at [[Eton College|Eton]]. He was a scion of a family that settled at Mount Sedborough<ref>Inquisition Ultonium, Fermanagh (33),(40) and (55) Car I</ref> in [[County Fermanagh]] during the [[Plantation of Ulster]] and subsequently at Freame Mount, [[County Cavan]] in Ireland.<ref>Calendar of State Papers Ireland, 1611-1614, HMPRO, Edited by The Rev C.W. Russell, D.D., and John P. Pendergast, Esq., London: Longman & Co. 1877</ref><ref>The Plantation of Ulster, Rev. George Hill, Belfast: McCaw, Stevenson & Orr, 1877 in particular Pynnars Survey p.481-2</ref><ref>The Fermanagh Story, Pedar Livingston, The Clogher Historical Society, 1969</ref>


==Royal Navy career==
==Royal Navy career==

===Exploration of British Columbia===
===Exploration of British Columbia===
In 1856 Lieutenant Mayne was attached to the Nautical Survey of [[Vancouver Island]] and British Columbia. Mayne sailed with Captain [[George Henry Richards]] on his expedition in [[HMS Plumper (1848)|HMS ''Plumper'']] and also on [[HMS Hecate (1839)|HMS ''Hecate'']] to survey the coast of [[British Columbia]] (1857–1859), and there came to serve in the [[Royal Engineers]] under [[Richard Moody|Colonel Richard Moody]] and was assigned the exploration and mapping of hitherto unknown parts of the colony. His journal<ref name="FourYears"/> of these activities is a classic source of [[History of British Columbia|British Columbia history]], as are those of his [[Royal Engineer]] colleague Lieutenant [[Henry Spencer Palmer]]. [[Mayne Island]] in the [[Gulf Islands]] is named after him, and [[Hecate Strait]] for his vessel. For this work, in 1860, he was promoted to Commander and returned to England.<ref>''Journal of the Royal Geographical Society'', vol. xxxi, p.297, and vol. xxxii, p123</ref> In 1862 he was appointed to the command of [[HMS Eclipse (1860)|HMS ''Eclipse'']], for service in New Zealand, and took part in the [[New Zealand Wars]] until severely wounded in 1863 and invalided home. For these services he was mentioned in despatches and promoted to the rank of Captain; and in 1867 received the Companionship of the Bath.<ref>Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society: Obituary, p.473-5</ref>

In 1856 Lieutenant Mayne was attached to the Nautical Survey of [[Vancouver Island]] and British Columbia. Mayne sailed with Captain [[George Henry Richards]] on his expedition in [[HMS Plumper (1848)|HMS ''Plumper'']] and also on [[HMS Hecate (1839)|HMS ''Hecate'']] to survey the coast of [[British Columbia]] (1857–1859), and there came to serve in the [[Royal Engineers]] under [[Richard Moody|Colonel Richard Moody]] and was assigned the exploration and mapping of hitherto unknown parts of the colony. His journal of these activities is a classic source of [[History of British Columbia|British Columbia history]], as are those of his [[Royal Engineer]] colleague Lieutenant [[Henry Spencer Palmer]]. [[Mayne Island]] in the [[Gulf Islands]] is named after him, and [[Hecate Strait]] for his vessel. For this work, in 1860, he was promoted to Commander and returned to England.<ref>''Journal of the Royal Geographical Society'', vol. xxxi, p.297, and vol. xxxii, p123</ref> In 1862 he was appointed to the command of [[HMS Eclipse (1860)|HMS ''Eclipse'']], for service in New Zealand, and took part in the [[New Zealand land wars|native wars]] until severely wounded in 1863 and invalided home. For these services he was mentioned in despatches and promoted to the rank of Captain; and in 1867 received the Companionship of the Bath.<ref>Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society: Obituary, p.473-5</ref>


===Straits of Magellan expedition===
===Straits of Magellan expedition===


Mayne commanded [[HMS Nassau (1866)|HMS ''Nassau'']] on the survey expedition to the Straits of Magellan, 1866–9.<ref>Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885--1912</ref> The naturalist on the voyage was [[Robert Oliver Cunningham]]. [[Charles Darwin]] requested the Lords of the Admiralty to ask Capt. Mayne to collect several boatloads of fossil bones of extinct species of quadrupeds. Admiral Sulivan had previously discovered an astonishingly rich accumulation of fossil bones not far from the Straits. These remains apparently belonged to a more ancient period, than the collection by Mr Darwin on [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']] and by other naturalists and therefore of great interest to science. Many of these were collected with the aid of Hydrographer Capt. Richards R.N. and deposited in the [[British Museum]].<ref>Letter from B.J. Sulivan, 27 June 1866 and nn. 6 and 7 in the Darwin Letters. See:[http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/darwinletters/calendar/entry-5142.html], [http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/darwinletters/calendar/entry-5144.html]</ref>
Mayne commanded [[HMS Nassau (1866)|HMS ''Nassau'']] on the survey expedition to the Straits of Magellan, 1866–9.<ref>Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885--1912</ref> The naturalist on the voyage was [[Robert Oliver Cunningham]]. [[Charles Darwin]] requested the Lords of the Admiralty to ask Capt. Mayne to collect several boatloads of fossil bones of extinct species of quadrupeds. Admiral Sulivan had previously discovered an astonishingly rich accumulation of fossil bones not far from the Straits. These remains apparently belonged to a more ancient period, than the collection by Mr Darwin on [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']] and by other naturalists and therefore of great interest to science. Many of these were collected with the aid of Hydrographer Capt. Richards R.N. and deposited in the [[British Museum]].<ref>Letter from B.J. Sulivan, 27 June 1866 and nn. 6 and 7 in the Darwin Letters. See:[http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/darwinletters/calendar/entry-5142.html], [http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/darwinletters/calendar/entry-5144.html]</ref>


[[The Admiralty]] compiled advice to mariners of the Strait in 1871.{{sfn|Mayne|1871}}
Admiral Mayne was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Geographical Society]] and served on its Council. He was the author of ''Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island''.<ref>NB in the context of that title the name "Vancouver" references the [[Colony of Vancouver Island]], as the modern city of [[Vancouver]] had not yet been founded or named at the time of publication. Likewise the name "British Columbia" references the [[Colony of British Columbia]], which was not yet united with Vancouver Island as a single colony.</ref>

Admiral Mayne was elected a Fellow of the [[Royal Geographical Society]] and served on its council. He was the author of ''Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island''.<ref>NB in the context of that title the name "Vancouver" references the [[Colony of Vancouver Island]], as the modern city of [[Vancouver]] had not yet been founded or named at the time of publication. Likewise the name "British Columbia" references the [[Colony of British Columbia (1858–1866)|Colony of British Columbia]], which was not yet united with Vancouver Island as a single colony.</ref><ref name="FourYears"/>


==Marriage==
==Marriage==


In 1870 Captain Mayne married Miss Sabine Dent, a daughter of Sir Thomas Dent (1796–1872), founder of [[Dent & Co.]], [[Hong Kong]], and his wife, Sabine Ellen Robarts, daughter of James Thomas Robarts (1784–1825), another influential opium merchant. Sabine Dent was the niece of [[Lancelot Dent]], of [[Flass|Flass House]]. After his marriage he only served a short term afloat in command of [[HMS Invincible (1869)|HMS ''Invincible'']]. He retired as a Rear-Admiral in 1879.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Mayne, Richard|volume=37}}</ref>
In 1870, Captain Mayne married Miss Sabine Dent, a daughter of Sir Thomas Dent (1796–1872) and his wife, Sabine Ellen Robarts, daughter of James Thomas Robarts (1784–1825), another influential opium merchant. Sabine Dent was a relation of [[Lancelot Dent]] of [[Flass|Flass House]]. After his marriage, he only served a short term afloat in command of [[HMS Invincible (1869)|HMS ''Invincible'']]. He retired as a Rear-Admiral in 1879.<ref name="DNB">{{cite DNB|wstitle=Mayne, Richard|volume=37}}</ref>


==Political career==
==Political career==


After retiring from the Navy, he unsuccessfully contested the [[Wales|Welsh]] constituency of [[Pembroke and Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)|Pembroke and Haverfordwest]] as a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1885|1885 general election]]. He was elected as [[Member of Parliament]] (MP) there [[United Kingdom general election, 1886|the following year]], serving until his death shortly before the [[United Kingdom general election, 1892|1892 general election]].<ref name="DNB"/><ref>[http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Pcommons1.htm Historical list of MPs: P], at Leigh Rayment's Peerage pages</ref>
After retiring from the Navy, he unsuccessfully contested the [[Wales|Welsh]] constituency of [[Pembroke and Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)|Pembroke and Haverfordwest]] as a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] at the [[1885 United Kingdom general election|1885 general election]], being defeated by a narrow margin by the Liberal candidate, [[Henry George Allen|H.G. Allen]].

In 1886, Allen was among the Liberal MPs who broke with Gladstone over Irish Home Rule. Shortly after the election was announced, Mayne arrived in the constituency launch his campaign. At a meeting at the Masonic Hall in Pembroke, he emphasised that he had consulted with Allen before travelling to the constituency and stated that he had a letter in his possession from Allen confirming his decision to retire.<ref name="PH 2-7-86">{{cite news|title=The Representation of the Pembroke and Haverfordwest Boroughs.|url=http://newspapers.library.wales/view/3061305/3061307/8|access-date=21 September 2017|agency=Pembrokeshire Herald|date=2 July 1886|page=2}}</ref>

He was elected as [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) there [[1886 United Kingdom general election|the following year]], serving until his death shortly before the [[1892 United Kingdom general election|1892 general election]].<ref name="DNB"/><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080928062620/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Pcommons1.htm Historical list of MPs: P]}}, at Leigh Rayment's Peerage pages</ref>


==References==
==References==
===Citations===
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="FourYears">Mayne, Richard Charles, (1862). [https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcbooks/items/1.0222152 ''Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island. An account of their forests, rivers, coasts, gold fields, and resources for colonisation.''] London, John Murray.</ref>

}}

===Bibliography===
*{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U1MBAAAAYAAJ |title=Sailing Directions for Magellan Strait, and Channels Leading to the Gulf of Peñas |first1=Richard Charles |last1=Mayne |authorlink1=Richard Mayne (explorer)|year=1871 |publisher=Hydrogaphic Office, Admiralty |pages=37–84}}


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| title = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for {{nowrap|[[Pembroke and Haverfordwest (UK Parliament constituency)|Pembroke and Haverfordwest]]}}
| years = [[United Kingdom general election, 1886|1886]]&ndash;[[United Kingdom general election, 1892|1892]]
| years = [[1886 United Kingdom general election|1886]]&ndash;[[1892 United Kingdom general election|1892]]
| before = [[Henry George Allen|Henry Allen]]
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| after = [[Charles Francis Egerton Allen|Charles Allen]]
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[[Category:Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery]]
[[Category:Explorers of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Explorers of British Columbia]]
[[Category:Pre-Confederation British Columbia people]]
[[Category:Pre-Confederation British Columbia people]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Canada]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation British Columbia]]
[[Category:People from County Fermanagh]]
[[Category:People from County Fermanagh]]
[[Category:People from County Cavan]]
[[Category:Military personnel from County Cavan]]
[[Category:People from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dublin (city)]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Welsh constituencies]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Pembrokeshire constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1886–92]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1886–1892]]
[[Category:Royal Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Royal Navy rear admirals]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:1835 births]]
[[Category:1892 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:People educated at Eton College]]
[[Category:Immigrants to pre-Confederation British Columbia]]
[[Category:Irish explorers of North America]]
[[Category:19th-century Anglo-Irish people]]
[[Category:Irish officers in the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:19th-century Irish explorers]]
[[Category:Politicians from County Cavan]]

Latest revision as of 21:49, 14 October 2024

Richard Charles Mayne

Rear-Admiral Richard Charles Mayne CB FRGS (7 July 1835 – 29 May 1892[1]) was a Royal Navy officer and explorer, who in later life became a Conservative politician.

Richard Mayne was the son of Sir Richard Mayne KCB (the first joint commissioner of the Metropolitan Police) and the grandson of Judge Edward Mayne. Both his father and grandfather were graduates of Trinity College, Dublin.[2][3] Richard Mayne was educated at Eton. He was a scion of a family that settled at Mount Sedborough[4] in County Fermanagh during the Plantation of Ulster and subsequently at Freame Mount, County Cavan in Ireland.[5][6][7]

Royal Navy career

[edit]

Exploration of British Columbia

[edit]

In 1856 Lieutenant Mayne was attached to the Nautical Survey of Vancouver Island and British Columbia. Mayne sailed with Captain George Henry Richards on his expedition in HMS Plumper and also on HMS Hecate to survey the coast of British Columbia (1857–1859), and there came to serve in the Royal Engineers under Colonel Richard Moody and was assigned the exploration and mapping of hitherto unknown parts of the colony. His journal[8] of these activities is a classic source of British Columbia history, as are those of his Royal Engineer colleague Lieutenant Henry Spencer Palmer. Mayne Island in the Gulf Islands is named after him, and Hecate Strait for his vessel. For this work, in 1860, he was promoted to Commander and returned to England.[9] In 1862 he was appointed to the command of HMS Eclipse, for service in New Zealand, and took part in the New Zealand Wars until severely wounded in 1863 and invalided home. For these services he was mentioned in despatches and promoted to the rank of Captain; and in 1867 received the Companionship of the Bath.[10]

Straits of Magellan expedition

[edit]

Mayne commanded HMS Nassau on the survey expedition to the Straits of Magellan, 1866–9.[11] The naturalist on the voyage was Robert Oliver Cunningham. Charles Darwin requested the Lords of the Admiralty to ask Capt. Mayne to collect several boatloads of fossil bones of extinct species of quadrupeds. Admiral Sulivan had previously discovered an astonishingly rich accumulation of fossil bones not far from the Straits. These remains apparently belonged to a more ancient period, than the collection by Mr Darwin on HMS Beagle and by other naturalists and therefore of great interest to science. Many of these were collected with the aid of Hydrographer Capt. Richards R.N. and deposited in the British Museum.[12]

The Admiralty compiled advice to mariners of the Strait in 1871.[13]

Admiral Mayne was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and served on its council. He was the author of Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island.[14][8]

Marriage

[edit]

In 1870, Captain Mayne married Miss Sabine Dent, a daughter of Sir Thomas Dent (1796–1872) and his wife, Sabine Ellen Robarts, daughter of James Thomas Robarts (1784–1825), another influential opium merchant. Sabine Dent was a relation of Lancelot Dent of Flass House. After his marriage, he only served a short term afloat in command of HMS Invincible. He retired as a Rear-Admiral in 1879.[15]

Political career

[edit]

After retiring from the Navy, he unsuccessfully contested the Welsh constituency of Pembroke and Haverfordwest as a Conservative at the 1885 general election, being defeated by a narrow margin by the Liberal candidate, H.G. Allen.

In 1886, Allen was among the Liberal MPs who broke with Gladstone over Irish Home Rule. Shortly after the election was announced, Mayne arrived in the constituency launch his campaign. At a meeting at the Masonic Hall in Pembroke, he emphasised that he had consulted with Allen before travelling to the constituency and stated that he had a letter in his possession from Allen confirming his decision to retire.[16]

He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) there the following year, serving until his death shortly before the 1892 general election.[15][17]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ "FUNERAL OF ADMIRAL MAYNE MP - South Wales Daily News". David Duncan and Sons. 4 June 1892. hdl:10107/3723191. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ Alumni Dublinis
  3. ^ A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland, Fourth edition. BURKE. Sir John Bernard, London: Harrison, 1875, 1886. 2 vol.
  4. ^ Inquisition Ultonium, Fermanagh (33),(40) and (55) Car I
  5. ^ Calendar of State Papers Ireland, 1611-1614, HMPRO, Edited by The Rev C.W. Russell, D.D., and John P. Pendergast, Esq., London: Longman & Co. 1877
  6. ^ The Plantation of Ulster, Rev. George Hill, Belfast: McCaw, Stevenson & Orr, 1877 in particular Pynnars Survey p.481-2
  7. ^ The Fermanagh Story, Pedar Livingston, The Clogher Historical Society, 1969
  8. ^ a b Mayne, Richard Charles, (1862). Four years in British Columbia and Vancouver Island. An account of their forests, rivers, coasts, gold fields, and resources for colonisation. London, John Murray.
  9. ^ Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. xxxi, p.297, and vol. xxxii, p123
  10. ^ Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society: Obituary, p.473-5
  11. ^ Dictionary of national biography. Edited by Leslie Stephen and Sidney Lee. 63 vols. and 2 supplements (6 vols.). London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885--1912
  12. ^ Letter from B.J. Sulivan, 27 June 1866 and nn. 6 and 7 in the Darwin Letters. See:[1], [2]
  13. ^ Mayne 1871.
  14. ^ NB in the context of that title the name "Vancouver" references the Colony of Vancouver Island, as the modern city of Vancouver had not yet been founded or named at the time of publication. Likewise the name "British Columbia" references the Colony of British Columbia, which was not yet united with Vancouver Island as a single colony.
  15. ^ a b Lee, Sidney, ed. (1894). "Mayne, Richard" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 37. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  16. ^ "The Representation of the Pembroke and Haverfordwest Boroughs". Pembrokeshire Herald. 2 July 1886. p. 2. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  17. ^ Historical list of MPs: P[usurped], at Leigh Rayment's Peerage pages

Bibliography

[edit]
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Pembroke and Haverfordwest
18861892
Succeeded by