Rear Admiral the Hon Victor A Montagu CB

Rear Admiral the Hon Victor A Montagu CB
Title:Rear Admiral the Hon
First name:Victor
Middle name(s):A
Surname:Montagu
Post-nominals:CB
Year elected:1892
Last year on list:1914
MembershipMember
Rear Admiral Victor Alexander Montagu, CB (20 April 1841 – 30 January 1915) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Navy officer. Born to John Montagu, 7th Earl of Sandwich, he was a godson of Queen Victoria. Montagu entered the Royal Navy as a cadet at the age of 11. He served in the Crimean War (1832–56), seeing action in the Baltic campaign and in the Black Sea. Montagu survived the shipwreck of HMS Raleigh in 1857 and afterwards served with the Naval Brigade of HMS Pearl in the Indian Mutiny, being commended by parliament for his actions. As a captain, Montagu commanded the corvette HMS Garnet from 1882. He was involved in an incident in Grenada where he threatened the editor of the Grenada People and, after being criticised in the House of Commons, retired in 1885. He was promoted to rear admiral following retirement.

Montagu was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron and built several boats. He designed the Montagu whaler in 1890, which was the standard seaboat of the Royal Navy for 60 years. As a cricketer Montagu played in two matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club, enjoying little success as a batsman. He wrote two autobiographical works.

He was the second son of the 7th Earl of Sandwich (RYS Member 1874-1883)


Second son of the Earl of Sandwich. Entered the navy in 1853, and served in the Baltic Cam­paign of 1854. He was in the Black Sea to the end of Crimean War on board the 91-gun ship Princess Royal. He joined the Raleigh, sailing frigate (50 guns), under Harry Keppel in 1856, but the vessel was wrecked on her passage out to China in 1857. The officers and men were distributed among the British ships in Chinese waters, and he served in continuous actions in the gunboat Hong-Kong. He was present at the Battle of Fatschan Creek under Harry Keppel. He was subse­quently

Carina. Admiral Victor Montagu.

transferred to the Pearl, which, together with the Shannon, was sent to India to form part of the Naval Brigade during the Indian Mutiny, for which services he received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament. He holds the Baltic and Crimean medal with clasps, and fifth class of the Medjidi, Chinese medal and clasp, and the Indian Mutiny medal. The Naval Brigade leaves a record of having fought twenty-four engagements with the rebels.

He commenced yachting about 1880, his first boat being Netty. She was followed by Siola, a 20-rater. He then built Corsair, followed by Vendetta, Carina, and Rendez­vous, the latter a 29-ton cutter. Carina was the first English yacht to race and win at Kiel.

Club: Royal Yacht Squadron.

Resi­dence: 43, Rutland Gate, S.W.

Vessels: Netty: Siola; Corsair; Vendetta; Carina; Rendez­vous

Yachts Owned

NameRig ClassfromtoMMSI
Corsair Cutter 1892 1892  
Vendetta Cutter 1893 1893  
Carina Cutter 1894 1895  
Rendezvous Cutter 1903 1905  

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