John Durnford
Royal Navy Admiral (1849–1914)
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Admiral Sir John Durnford, GCB, DSO (6 February 1849 – 13 June 1914) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station.
Sir John Durnford | |
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| Born | 6 February 1849 |
| Died | 13 June 1914 (aged 65) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
Branch |  Royal Navy |
Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | HMS Mariner HMS Defiance HMS Hecla HMS Vulcan HMS Vernon HMS Jupiter Medway Dockyard Reserve Fourth Sea Lord Cape of Good Hope Station Royal Naval College, Greenwich |
Conflicts | Third Anglo-Burmese War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
Naval career
Educated at Eton College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Durnford joined the Royal Navy in 1862 and served in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885 to 1886 for which he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the DSO.[1] Promoted to captain in 1888, he commanded the torpedo school HMS Vernon from 1895 to 1899.[1] In October 1899 he was appointed in command of the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Jupiter, serving in the Channel Fleet, and in December the following year he was appointed to Algiers for the Medway steam reserve.[2]
Durnford became Junior Naval Lord in February 1901 and was promoted to rear-admiral on 1 January 1902.[3] He served as Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station from 1904 to 1907.[1] He was President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich from 1908 to 1911 and retired in 1913.[1]
Family
In 1881 he married Mary Louisa Eleanor Kirwan; they had one son and three daughters.[1]