Sir Anthony Hoskins | |
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Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins
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Born |
North Perrott, Somerset, England |
1 September 1828
Died | 21 June 1901 Dorking, Surrey, England |
(aged 72)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Navy |
Years of service | 1842–1893 |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held |
First Naval Lord Mediterranean Fleet Australia Station HMS Sultan HMS Eclipse HMS Zebra HMS Plumper HMS Hecate HMS Slaney HMS Beaver |
Battles/wars |
Cape Frontier War Second Opium War Anglo-Egyptian War |
Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Order of the Medjidie, First Class (Ottoman Empire) |
Admiral Sir Anthony Hiley Hoskins, GCB (1 September 1828 – 21 June 1901) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer, he took part in the Cape Frontier War of 1851 and then saw action at the Battle of Canton in December 1857 and the Battle of Taku Forts in May 1858 during Second Opium War. Once promoted to flag officer rank, he acted as Second-in-Command of the Fleet at the bombardment of Alexandria in July 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War. He went on to be First Naval Lord in September 1891 but in that role took a relaxed view of the size of the Fleet and did not see the need for a large shipbuilding effort on the scale envisaged by some of his colleagues, such as Admiral Sir Frederick Richards and Admiral Sir John Fisher who were concerned about French and German naval expansion.
Born the son of Henry Hoskins and Mary Hoskins (née Phelips) and educated at Winchester College, Hoskins entered the Royal Navy in April 1842. During his early career he served in the sixth-rate HMS Conway and then fourth-rate HMS President taking action against slave traders off the coast of East Africa.
Promoted to lieutenant on 26 March 1849, while serving in the fifth-rate HMS Castor on the Cape of Good Hope Station, he took part in the Cape Frontier War of 1851. After being given command of the gunboat HMS Beaver in 1856, he was promoted to commander on 26 February 1858 and commanded the gunboat HMS Slaney on the China Station seeing action at the Battle of Canton in December 1857 and the Battle of Taku Forts in May 1858 during Second Opium War.