Admiral Andrew Kennedy Bickford CMG (16 July 1844 – 9 October 1927) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station.
Admiral Andrew Kennedy Bickford | |
---|---|
Born | Madras, India | 16 July 1844
Died | 9 October 1927 Hove, England | (aged 83)
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held | HMS Thalia Pacific Station |
Battles/wars | Anglo-Egyptian War |
Awards | Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George |
Bickford was educated at the South Devon Collegiate School and Stubbington House School.[1]
Bickford joined the Royal Navy in 1858 and took part in the action involving the Huáscar in 1877.[2] He commanded HMS Thalia during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882 and became Commander-in-Chief, Pacific Station in 1900.[2] His flagship in the Pacific was HMS Warspite until March 1902, when he hoisted his flag on board the first class cruiser HMS Grafton, and Warspite returned home.[3] Promoted to vice admiral in 1904[4] and to full Admiral in 1908, he retired later that year.[2]
The Bickford Tower erected at Esquimalt, British Columbia for signalling purposes in 1901 is called after him.[2]
Bickford married Kathleen Dore on 16 April 1868 in the parish church of Queenstown (Cobh).[5] She was the daughter of Dr. Patrick Dore of Skibbereen who had died in 1847 from inflammation of the lung during the Irish famine.[6][7] The mortality rate amongst physicians in Ireland at this time was in the order of 25%, due to the outbreak of deadly infectious diseases contracted by many of the weakened famine victims.[8] Kathleen's mother, Catherine Power, was sister of Maurice Power, Member of Parliament for Cork 1847–1852.