A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Eardley-Wilmot, Arthur Parry
EARDLEY-WILMOT. (Commander, 1847. f-p., 18; h-p., 1.)
Arthur Parry Eardley-Wilmot, born 24 April, 1815, at Berkswell Hall, co. Warwick, is fourth son of the late Sir John Eardley Eardley-Wilmot, Bart., M.P. for Warwickshire, and Governor of Van Diemen’s Land, by his first wife, Elizabeth Emma, sister of Capt. Sir Wm. Edw. Parry, Kt., LL.D. His great-grandfather, the Right Hon. Sir John E. Eardley Wilmot, was Lord-Chief-Justice of the Court of Common Pleas.
This officer entered the Royal Naval College 7 Aug. 1828; and embarked, 28 June, 1830, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Wolf 18, Capt. Wm. Hamley, fitting for the East Indies, where we find him engaged, in unison with a fleet of Siamese proas, in various operations against the Malay pirates, and present in particular at the blockade of the fortress of Quedah. He was also at Canton in the early part of 1832, when the Chinese first displayed symptoms of insolence and aggression. In Oct. of the latter year, having returned to England as Midshipman in the Crocodile 28, Capt. John Wm. Montagu, he joined the Asia 84, flag-ship at Lisbon of Rear-Admiral Wm. Parker, under whom he witnessed the expulsion of Don Miguel from Portugal, and the hoisting of the constitutional flag of Donna Maria on the walls of the capital. After serving for a few months on the same station in the Hastings 74, bearing the flag of Sir Wm. Hall Gage, he was appointed, in Nov. 1834, Mate (he had passed his examination 20 Sept. preceding) of the Action 26, Capt. Lord Edw. Russell. In that ship, in which he remained until she was paid off in March, 1838, he visited the South Sea Islands, and assisted in affording protection to British property at the Sandwich Islands, security to the missionary interests at the Marquesas, and support to the cause of peace and good order in the Rio de la Plata. The Action, while he was in her, discovered a group of islands, known now by her name. In the summer of 1838 Mr. Wilmot joined the Castor 36, Capt. Edw. Collier, in which ship he was chiefly, until the commencement of the Egyptian war, employed in protecting British interests on the south coast of Spain. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 3 July, 1840; and was appointed next – 9 Nov. 1840, to the Powerful 84, Commodore Sir Chas. Napier, under whom he served on the coast of Syria and at the blockade of Alexandria – 30 Dec. 1841, to the Wolverene 16, Capt. John Sam. Willes Johnson, in which vessel he sailed for the coast of China, and was there, towards the close of the war, employed in blockading the Canton river – 6 May, 1843,[1] to the Cornwallis 72, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Wm. Parker, on the East India station, whence he returned in Nov. 1844 – and, 14 July, 1845, to the Hibernia 104, again as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Wm. Parker, in the Mediterranean. On the death at Malta of Capt. Nich. Lockyer of the Albion, and the appointment of Commander Chas. Wise of the Hibernia[2] as his successor, Mr. Wilmot was promoted, 28 Feb. 1847, into the vacancy created by the removal of the latter. In the ensuing April he was nominated Acting-Captain of the Spartan 22; and after he had been for four months stationed in her as Senior officer on the coast of Syria, he was appointed, 26 Sept. 1847, Second-Captain of the Superb 80, Capt. Armar Lowry Corry, also in the Mediterranean. The latter ship he paid off 28 Nov. 1848. He is the author of a work published in 1849, entitled “Manning the Navy – a statement in which the evils and losses arising from the present system are set forth, and a remedy is proposed whereby a permanent Navy may be established, and the moral, social, and physical condition of the British seaman improved.” Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.