South East Coast of America Station

The South East Coast of America Station was a formation of the Royal Navy which existed from 1838 until just after the end of the 19th century.

South East Coast of America Station
HMS Retribution, flagship of the South East Coast of America Station
Active	1838–1905
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Formation
Garrison/HQ	Stanley, Falkland Islands

History

The station was separated from the Pacific Station in 1838^[1][2] in order to combat the slave trade in Brazil.^[3] In its early years it was often referred to as the "Brazils and River Plate Station". In the mid-1840s Rear Admiral Samuel Inglefield took decisive action to keep the Paraná River open so ensuring continuity of trade during the Uruguayan Civil War.^[4]

The station suffered significant ship reductions between 1869 and 1874.^[5] From 1870 it was commanded by a captain, designated the "senior officer",^[6] and comprised just three gunboats^[7] although it had responsibility for the Western Atlantic from Brazil South.^[8] The squadron's only permanent base was a coal station at Stanley on the Falkland Islands.^[9] It was disbanded altogether in 1905.^[10] Its area of operation, along with that of the Pacific Station, was ultimately absorbed into that of the North America and West Indies Station, with its main base at the Royal Naval Dockyard in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda, which was redesignated the America and West Indies Station.^[11]

Commanders

Commanders included:

• Commodore Thomas Sulivan (1838–1841)^[12]
• Commodore John Purvis (1842–1844)^[13]
• Rear Admiral Samuel Inglefield (1844–1846)^[14]
• Commodore Thomas Herbert (1847–1849)^[15]
• Rear Admiral Barrington Reynolds (1849–1851)
• Rear Admiral William Henderson (1851–1854)^[16]
• Rear Admiral William Hope-Johnstone (1854–1857)^[17]
• Rear Admiral Provo Wallis (May 1857 – September 1857)^[18]
• Rear Admiral Stephen Lushington (1858–1860)^[19]
• Rear Admiral Henry Keppel (1860–1861)^[20]
• Rear Admiral Richard Warren (1861–1864)^[21]
• Rear Admiral Charles Elliot (1864–1866)^[22]
• Rear-Admiral George Ramsay (1866–1869)^[23]
• Commodore Charles James Norcock (1898–1899)
• Commodore Robert Leonard Groome (1899–1902)^[24]
• Commodore Frank Finnis (1902–1904)^[25]

References

1. "Naval Estimates". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 16 March 1849. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
2. "Naval Estimates". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 April 1849. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
3. "Ships and Streets" (PDF). Victorian Historical Society. Spring 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
4. "Pax Britannica: The Parana". Retrieved 17 January 2015.
5. Bourne, p. 305
6. "Spun Yarns of a naval officer". p. 178.
7. Preston and Major, p.67
8. O'Hara, chapter 4
9. "Stations, Dockyards". p. 107. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
10. Brown, p. 32
11. Lieutenant-Commander B. Ian D. Stranack, The Andrew and The Onions: The Story of The Royal Navy in Bermuda, 1795–1975. Bermuda Maritime Museum Press; Harris, Dr Edward (3 December 2011). "HERITAGE MATTERS The Royal Gazette:Bermuda Island09". The Royal Gazette. Bermuda: The Bermuda Press. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
12. "Thomas Ball Sulivan". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
13. O’Byrne, William R. (6 February 2012). A Naval Biographical Dictionary - Volume 3. p. 942. ISBN 9781781502815.
14. "William Henry Haswell". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
15. "Thomas Herbert". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/13051. Retrieved 18 January 2015. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
16. "William Willmott Henderson". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
17. "William James Hope-Johnstone". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
18. Heathcote, p. 249
19. "Stephen Lushington". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
20. Heathcote, p. 142
21. "Richard Laird Warren". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
22. Heathcote, p. 71
23. "George Ramsey". William Loney. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
24. "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36767. London. 14 May 1902. p. 12.
25. "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36792. London. 12 June 1902. p. 12.

Sources

• Brown, David (1987). The Royal Navy and Falklands War. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-0850520590.
• Bourne, Kenneth (2008). Britain and the Balance of Power in North America, 1815-1908. ACLS History E-Book Project. ISBN 978-1597404075.
• Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995. Pen & Sword. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.
• O'Hara, Vincent (2013). To Crown the Waves: the Great Navies of the First World War. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1612510828.
• Preston, Antony; Major, John (2007). Send a Gunboat!: 150 Years of the British Gunboat. Conway. ISBN 978-0851779232.