Admiral Sir William Ramsay

"La Hogue" in 1855

23 Ainslie Place, Edinburgh

Rear Admiral Sir William Ramsay KCB (1796–1871) was a 19th century Scottish admiral in the Royal Navy.

Life

The grave of Admiral Sir William Ramsay and Dean Ramsay, St John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh

He was born William Burnett on 27 May 1796 at Balmain House in Aberdeenshire the seventh son of Alexander Burnett (later known as Sir Alexander Ramsay, 1st Baronet of Balmain), and his wife, Elizabeth Bannerman.^[1] He formally changed his name to William Ramsay in 1806 when his father became a baronet.

He entered the Royal Navy in 1809. He became a lieutenant in 1821, a commander in 1831 and a captain in 1838. His main command was HMS Terrible, a uniquely profiled paddle steamer with two pairs of funnels. He joined the ship from its initial launch at Woolwich Dockyard in 1845. He then joined the Channel Squadron. In 1847 he was put to special duties on a new ship, HMS Dragon, conveying food to Ireland during the Irish potato famine, before returning to HMS Terrible for duties in the Mediterranean. In 1852 he joined HMS Hogue, first in its duties as a guard ship at Devonport then on duties in the Baltic Sea during the Crimean War.^[2]

He was made Rear Admiral in 1857 and retired with the rank of Vice Admiral in 1866. Queen Victoria created him a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in June 1869.^[3]

He retired to live with his brother Dean Ramsay at 23 Ainslie Place on the Moray Estate in west Edinburgh.^[4]

He died on 3 December 1871 aged 75.^[5] He is buried with his brother in the eastern enclosure of St John's Episcopal Church, Edinburgh (on Princes Street). Some references erroneously place him in the immediately adjacent churchyard: St Cuthberts.^[6]

Family

His brothers included Sir Alexander Ramsay, 2nd Baronet of Balmain and Dean Edward Ramsay, leader of the Scottish Episcopalian Church.

References