This is Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Hobart Seymour GCB, OM, GCVO. 1840 – 1929. There appears to be only four degrees of separation between this august gentleman and myself. In order to explain this I need to go back a couple of weeks.
Every couple of years The St Hilda’s School Fellowship holds a reunion in Somerset. The latest was two weeks ago, and a cracking good time was had by all. During the AGM it was mentioned that the hon sec needed material for the newsletter. What also came up in conversation was that some of the ‘younger’ (and I use the word advisedly!) old girls did not remember the Bursar (and brother to the two Miss Burridge’s who ran the school) Captain Robert Burridge RN. Having given it a little (though not much) thought I offered to do a bit of research and write an article about him. What a can of worms! There is just so much information out there in the ether if you start to look for it. There are many, many Navy Lists charting his promotions and his various ships, apart from the obvious census lists showing his family connections. All this now needs to be collated and put into some sort of order. But one thing has emerged. During the late 1890’s, at the time of the Boxer Rebellion in China, he was in China, on board, amongst others, HMS Phoenix. The Commander – in – Chief of the China Station was one Admiral Sir Edward Hobart Seymour. Why does this have any connection with me? He was born in the village of Kinwarton, Warwickshire where I live, his father Rev. Richard Seymour was vicar of the parish, and the road I live in is Seymour Road, named, not after the Seymour family at Ragley Hall (though they are a branch of the family) but after the local vicar. Me, Captain Burridge, Admiral Sir Edward Seymour, Me! I am sorry I have been unable, at present, to find a usable picture of Captain Burridge. Perhaps by next month..?
I seem to have spent most of the last week sitting at my computer. Partly because the weather has been so horrible, partly searching the Navy Lists etc, and partly doing a MOOC on the archaeology of Portus, the port of Ancient Rome. This has been a fascinating exercise. I call myself an ancient historian, and certainly not an archaeologist, but the course has been a bit of an eye-opener.
The other thing I have been doing is watching the French Open Tennis from Paris. It has been an interesting year, especially in the women’s section of the competition. But I have the niggling feeling that ‘my man’ is not going to win this year. I will just sign off wishing Rafa all the best, and here’s hoping I am wrong!
