William Spencer Leveson-Gower, Fourth Earl Granville

Vice-Admiral THE RIGHT HONOURABLE William Spencer Leveson-Gower, Fourth Earl Granville, K.G., K.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O., Royal Navy (11 July, 1880 – 25 June, 1953) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Leveson-Gower gained three months' time on passing out of Britannia. His first naval appointment was to Narcissus on the China Station, dated 15 June, 1896. This lasted until he was ordered home to join Dolphin on 25 July 1899, but this was swiftly cancelled in favour of Cleopatra of the Training Squadron on 29 July. At the end of October 1899, he was sent to join Cambrian.

On 6 December 1901 he was appointed to Scout in the Mediterranean.

Leveson-Gower was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 26 June, 1902. On 1 August, 1902 Leveson-Gower was appointed to Hood but was almost immediately siphoned off to the torpedo gunboat Harrier for special service in the Red Sea. This encompassed some anti-slaving patrol work, as in November, he was reported to be in command of a slaving dhow called H.M.S. Irrepressible. In May, 1903 the British Ambassador in Constantinople wrote that "it is evident that Lt. Leveson-Gower acted not only with ability and determination in his naval capacity, but with such tact & judgment that such as to avoid arousing local susceptibilities, while inflicting a severe [illeg] on the pirates & on the Turkish Authorities."

On 9 July 1903, Leveson-Gower left Aden for home, arriving 27 July in the grips of a fever which left him confined to bed. As he returned to health, he provided a useful report on the interior of Yemen.

Judged fit on 10 November, on 2 December 1903 Leveson-Gower was appointed to the armoured cruiser Monmouth of the Cruiser Squadron, but he was ordered home at the end of January, 1904. On 25 February, he was appointed to the first class protected cruiser Crescent. Crescent paid off on 31 May, 1907 and on 16 July, Leveson-Gower received his first command appointment to Coquette. He was her captain until he was appointed to the destroyer Bat on 10 January, 1910.

Leveson-Gower was superseded in Bat on 13 May 1910. On 3 June, 1910 he was appointed in command of Liffey.

Leveson-Gower was appointed to the destroyer Nymphe on 16 May, 1911, to take command upon her commissioning. Sometime later that year, he was cautioned to be more careful following an accident involving one of her guns.

On 10 June, 1913, Nymphe collided with Goldfinch and Sheldrake. Leveson-Gower was told he should keep an anchor watch set when the weather was turning sour. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1913 and left Nymphe when he was named to command destroyer Comet on 18 August, 1913.

Great War

Leveson-Gower was transferred to command the "M" Class destroyer Marmion around August, 1915, operating as part of the newly-created Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla.

On 15 March 1916, Leveson-Gower was reported sick in hospital. Lieutenant-Commander Edward Brooke was ordered to temporarily replace him in command of Marmion. This apparently lasted until 4 May when Leveson-Gower likely resumed command. He finally was superseded by Herbert Inglis Nigel Lyon on 25 May, 1917.

Leveson-Gower was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1918.

Post-War

Leveson-Gower was appointed in command of the flotilla leader Stuart on 1 January, 1919.

Leveson-Gower was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 October, 1929, vice Backhouse, promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral.

He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 8 May, 1935, vice Tweedie, and was placed on the Retired List on 9 May.

In 1937, Leveson-Gower reported that he was serving under the Crown as Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, to date 1 October, 1937.

World War II

There is no indication in the one Service Record consulted that Leveson-Gower was considered for service.

See Also

• Service Records
• "The Earl Granville" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 26 June, 1953. Issue 52658, col E, pg. 8.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Henry F. H. Wakefield	Captain of H.M.S. Coquette 16 Jul, 1907 – 10 Jan, 1910	Succeeded by Maurice C. Bomford
Preceded by Eric Q. Carter	Captain of H.M.S. Bat 10 Jan, 1910 – 13 May, 1910	Succeeded by Arthur Henniker-Heaton
Preceded by John H. Bainbridge	Captain of H.M.S. Liffey 3 Jun, 1910 – 16 May, 1911	Succeeded by George O. Hewett
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Nymphe 16 May, 1911 – 18 Aug, 1913	Succeeded by Richard M. King
Preceded by Kerrison Kiddle	Captain of H.M.S. Comet 18 Aug, 1913 – Aug, 1915[Inference]	Succeeded by Hugh T. Prichard
Preceded by Hugh T. Prichard	Captain of H.M.S. Marmion Aug, 1915 – 25 May, 1917	Succeeded by Edward Brooke
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Valkyrie 28 May, 1917 – 24 Oct, 1917	Succeeded by Aubrey T. Tillard
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Scott 29 Jan, 1918 – 15 Aug, 1918	Succeeded by Vessel Lost
Preceded by Anselan J. B. Stirling	Captain of H.M.S. Saumarez 12 Oct, 1918 – 1 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Preceded by Anselan Stirling	Captain (D), Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla 12 Oct, 1918 – 1 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Percival H. G. James
Preceded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe	Captain of H.M.S. Stuart 1 Jan, 1919 – 5 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by Charles A. Fremantle
Preceded by Roger L'E. M. Rede as Commander (D), Sixth Destroyer Flotilla	Captain (D), Sixth Destroyer Flotilla 1 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Charles A. Fremantle
Preceded by Denis G. Thynne	Captain of H.M.S. Woolwich 13 Jan, 1922 – 4 Apr, 1924	Succeeded by George W. McO. Campbell
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Cornwall 11 Jul, 1927 – Jun, 1929	Succeeded by Arthur N. Dowding
Preceded by Theodore J. Hallett	Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland 6 Jul, 1931 – 12 Jul, 1933	Succeeded by Everard J. Hardman-Jones