Wilmot Fawkes


Sir Wilmot Hawksworth Fawkes, was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.

Naval career

Fawkes joined the Royal Navy in 1860 and by 1867 had been promoted to lieutenant. He served mainly in the Mediterranean on and. In 1872 he matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge, but did not graduate. In 1880, he was promoted to commander and served on on the North America and West Indies station. After a few years, he returned to England to command of the royal yacht, a post he held for two years.
Promoted to captain in 1886, he was given command of before going on to be Naval Advisor to the Inspector General of Fortifications in 1891. He then took command of on the China station, returning to England in 1897 to be Private Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty in 1897. On 1 January 1899, he was appointed an aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria. He was appointed in command of the new battleship which he commissioned in December 1899 for service in the Mediterranean Fleet, but in late 1900 was back in England as Private Secretary to Lord Selborne, First Lord of the Admiralty. Promoted to rear admiral on 1 January 1901, he was invested as a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by King Edward VII on 11 August 1902 for his part in organizing the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of the King. In October 1902, he was appointed in command of the Cruiser Squadron, and on 8 November he temporary hoisted his flag in, tender to the gunnery school Excellent. As the armoured cruiser returned from a trip to South Africa in March 1903, he transferred his flag to that ship.
He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station in 1905, became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in 1908 and retired in 1911.

Retirement

Fawkes had married Juliana Hannah Mary Spicer in 1875 and when he retired in 1911 they lived at Steel Cross, Crowborough. His wife died in 1916, and Fawkes died suddenly in 1926 at Spye Park, Chippenham when he was visiting his brother-in-law Captain Spicer.