Seymour, Michael, Sir, 1802-1887 : Michael Seymour was born on December 5, 1802, in England, the third son of naval officer Sir Michael Seymour and his wife Jane Hawker. In December of 1813 at the age of 11, Michael Seymour entered the Royal Navy, joining his father on board the H.M.S. Hannibal. Just over two years later in March of 1816, Michael Seymour began attending the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth from which he graduated in 1818. He then embarked on a long naval career that included stints in South America, the West Indies, the Baltic, and China. In 1833 Seymour was appointed Commander of the H.M.S. Challenger which was shipwrecked on May 19, 1835 off the coast of Chile. After seven weeks stranded on the desolate coastline near Leubu, the Challenger's officers and crew were rescued, and Seymour was returned to England and court martialled for the loss of his ship. He was cleared, however, and was ultimately commended for his efforts following the shipwreck. From 1845 to 1848 Seymour was assigned to the North American and West Indies Station, where he was second-in-command as flag-captain to Vice-Admiral Francis William Austen, the brother of novelist Jane Austen. Following this three-year stint as commander of the H.M.S. Vindictive, Seymour returned to Europe where he carried out an inspection of the dockyards, arsenals and engineering works in France (1849) before being appointed superintendent of Sheerness dockyard (1850). In September of 1851 Seymour was transferred to Devonport, and in1854 he was appointed captain of the fleet and sent to the Baltic as war broke out between England and Russia. During the Crimean War, Seymour was promoted to rear-admiral. He also lost the sight in one eye when a small sea mine exploded in his face. Despite this injury, Seymour's naval career continued, and in 1856 he was sent to take command of the China Station, fighting in the second China War. His three years at the China Station were regarded as very successful, and Seymour was knighted in 1859. In the summer of 1859, Michael Seymour returned to England and was elected the member of parliament for Devonport. He remained a naval officer and was promoted to vice-admiral in November of 1860. Seymour's time as a politician, however, would be limited. He resigned his seat in February of 1863 and one month later assumed the position of commander-in-chief at Portsmouth. A year later Seymour was promoted to the rank of admiral and remained on active duty until 1870 when he retired. Five years later he received the honorary office of vice-admiral of the United Kingdom. Sir Michael Seymour died on February 23, 1887.
