Arthur Cumming ( Royal Navy officer ) Admiral Sir Arthur Cumming KCB ( 6 May 1817 – 17 February 1893 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy . He was born in Nancy , France to Sir Henry Cumming , a general in the British Army and received naval education at the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth . Cumming served as a midshipman in the Mediterranean and North America before being promoted to lieutenant in 1840 for his actions in the Syrian War . He remained with the Mediterranean Fleet until appointed to HMS " Frolic " , a sloop stationed in South America . Whilst detached from " Frolic " and in command of a small pinnace on 6 September 1843 Cumming and seven men boarded a Portuguese slave ship , subdued her 27 man crew and brought her back to Rio de Janeiro . He had expected to be promoted for his efforts , but was overlooked and resented the decision for the rest of his life . Cumming spent some time in the Navy ' s Experimental Squadron before being promoted commander on 9 November 1846 . Cumming ' s first command was HMS " Rattler " , stationed off West Africa , during which he captured another slave ship . He saw active service against the Russia ns during the Crimean War , captaining the frigate HMS " Gorgon " and being promoted to post - captain on 19 April 1854 . Subsequently Cumming was transferred to HMS " Conflict " and , in company with HMS " Amphion " , was able to capture the Baltic Sea port of Libau without firing a shot . Towards the end of the war he took command of the ironclad floating battery HMS " Glatton " but arrived in the Black Sea after the peace had been agreed . He returned to the UK in time for " Glatton " to take part in Queen Victoria ' s 1856 Fleet Review . Cumming was appointed captain of the frigate HMS " Emerald " on 14 May 1859 and remained with the ship until the end of her Royal Navy career on 7 November 1863 . " Emerald " served in the Channel Fleet , the Baltic Sea and Admiralty propeller trials . She also made several trips to the Americas including " one of the quickest passages on record " to Bermuda in 1860 . After her decommissioning Cumming was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath , served aboard HMS " Victory " and " Duke of Wellington " and in the Packet Service . Cumming achieved flag rank on 27 February 1870 when he was promoted to rear - admiral . He served for a while as a port admiral before becoming the Naval Commander - in - Chief of the East Indies in 1872 , remaining there until 1875 . Cumming continued to receive promotions , becoming vice - admiral in 1876 and admiral in 1880 , but retired from the Navy in 1880 . In retirement he lived at Foston Hall , near Derby . Cumming was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath as part of Queen Victoria ' s Golden Jubilee celebrations on 21 June 1887 and died in London on 17 February 1893 . Early life . Arthur Cumming was born at Nancy in France on 6 May 1817 , his father was General Sir Henry Cumming . Arthur was entered into the Royal Naval College at Portsmouth in January 1831 , passing the course and being discharged on 8 August 1832 . His first ship was the sloop HMS " Rover " on which he served in the Mediterranean ( presumably as a midshipman ) , also serving on the Lisbon and North American Station s . In 1837 Cumming passed his examinations to become eligible for the position of lieutenant and was promoted to the rank of mate on 4 April . By early 1840 Cumming was stationed at HMS " Excellent " , a navy stone frigate in Portsmouth that housed the gunnery school . Syrian War . On 14 March 1840 Cumming was appointed mate on the frigate HMS " Cyclops " ( commanded by Horatio Thomas Austin ) , part of Commodore Charles John Napier ' s squadron sent to intervene for Britain in the Syrian War , and reached the ship in April . The war had begun when Mehemet Ali , Pasha of Egypt , attempted to claim independence from the Ottoman Empire . Ali invaded Syria and took control of the Ottoman Fleet forcing young Sultan Abdülmecid I to request help from the European powers . Great Britain , Austria , Prussia and Russia agreed to assist and issued an ultimatum to Ali demanding his withdrawal from Ottoman possessions ( Arabia , Crete and Syria ) in return for being made hereditary Viceroy of Egypt . " Cyclops " was detached from patrolling to carry the ultimatum into Alexandria on 9 August 1840 . The ultimatum was refused and the European allies intervened , the naval side of the war becoming the responsibility of Britain and Austria . " Cyclops " played an active role ; arriving at Beirut on 7 September 1840 to fire shells in support of the landing of Ottoman troops , attempting to capture the fort at Gebail on 11 September , landing marines and further troops at Jouna on 12 September and capturing Batroun on 15 September . On 25 September " Cyclops " arrived at Sidon , the main Egyptian southern division supplies depot , alongside HMS " Thunderer " , " Gorgon " , " Wasp " , " Stromboli " , " Hydra " , SMS " Guerriera " ( Austrian ) and " Gulfideh " ( Ottoman ) . The ships proceeded to bombard the citadel and surrounding fort on 26 September before a force of 500 Ottoman troops were landed . The 2 , 700 strong defending force continued to resist so the bombardment was resumed and reinforcements of 750 British Marines and 100 Austrian troops landed , alongside some British sailors . The fort was overrun and the entire garrison captured , Cumming being mentioned in despatches for his bravery during the action . The Admiralty rewarded him with promotion to the rank of lieutenant , dated just two days after the action . " Cyclops " remained in the theatre until leaving for Malta in October and saw action at Tsour , the Syrian War continued into November . Cumming transferred to HMS " Princess Charlotte " , a first - rate ship of the line commanded by Arthur Fanshawe and flagship of Robert Stopford , Commander - in - Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet , on 28 November 1840 . By January 1841 Cumming had transferred again , being appointed lieutenant in HMS " Britannia " . " Britannia " , commanded by Michael Seymour , was another first - rate and the new flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet , John Ommanney having succeeded Stopford as Commander - in - Chief . Cumming ' s next posting was again within the Mediterranean Fleet , serving under Houston Stewart from 19 June 1841 to 23 May 1842 on the 74 - gun third - rate HMS " Benbow " . South America . On 5 November 1842 Cumming was appointed to the newly built 16 - gun sloop HMS " Frolic " , under the command of William Alexander Willis . " Frolic " was posted to South America and on 6 September 1843 Cumming was cruising off Santos , São Paulo , in command of the ship ' s pinnace , when he encountered the large brigantine Portuguese slaver " Vincedora " in company with two other slaving vessels . The British slave trade had been outlawed by the Slave Trade Act 1807 and the Royal Navy viewed all slavers as pirates , liable to be arrested and their ships confiscated . Cumming positioned the pinnace to cut off the " Vincedora " ' s retreat but the brigantine made to ram the boat . At the last moment , perhaps wary of intentionally killing a Royal Navy officer and his men , the " Vincedora " changed course . Shortly afterwards Cumming was able to shoot the brigantine ' s captain . With their captain killed the crew were thrown into confusion and Cumming was able to board the vessel , followed by a marine and six sailors – all that could fit on the deck at the time . Cumming and his men were able to drive the 27 - strong and fully armed crew below and lock them beneath the hatches . He got the rest of the pinnace ' s crew aboard and ordered the Portuguese crew shackled to the anchor cable . The other two slavers could have changed the course of events if they chose to get involved but instead made their escape . The " Vincedora " displaced just 55 tons but was found to be carrying 338 slaves , having left Africa with 450 . The ships set sail for Rio de Janeiro , arriving there on 10 September when the slaves were transferred to the hulk " Crescent " under the supervision of Sir Thomas Paisley . Paisley said that he had " never witnessed anything so shocking " , particularly as most of the slaves were suffering from emaciation and sores and others were infected by smallpox and had to be quarantined aboard the " Vincedora " . The slaves included parentless children , babies and a harem of women for the brigantine ' s crew . Although the slaves continued to die over the next month , most recovered to be set free . The event was recorded in the memoirs of Sir Astley Cooper Key . Cumming hoped that he would be promoted to commander as a result of the action given the unusual circumstances and danger involved . However the event was reported to London merely as the commonplace capture of a slaver and hence merited no reward , a fact that Cumming resented for the rest of his life . Instead all he received was a period of quarantine , followed by an attack of smallpox and a long convalescence in England . Cumming remained nominally with " Frolic " until 21 October 1843 . Experimental Squadron . Cumming was posted to the brig HMS " Espiegle " on 2 October 1844 , serving under Captain Thomas Pickering Thompson in the East Indies until 27 March 1845 . The next day he was appointed to HMS " Caledonia " , a first - rate commanded by Alexander Milne that served as the flagship of his father Admiral Sir David Milne who was the Commander - in - Chief , Plymouth . On 29 April Cumming transferred to the first - rate HMS " Queen " , under the command of Baldwin Wake Walker and the flagship of John West in Devonport . Cumming was transferred again on 13 July 1845 to the second - rate HMS " Albion " , captained by Nicholas Lockyer and remained aboard until 30 November 1846 . " Albion " , alongside Cumming ' s previous ships " Caledonia " and " Queen " and other vessels , was part of the 1845 Experimental Squadron . Cumming sailed on the first trial of 1845 that lasted from 15 July to the 20 September and was supervised by Rear Admiral Hyde Parker . The trial was part of a series that attempted to compare new methods of ship building with traditional ones . Cumming at last received promotion to Commander on 9 November 1846 . His first command was HMS " Rattler " , a 12 - gun sloop that had been the first warship powered by a steam engine and screw propeller , that he captained from 12 February 1849 to 15 April 1851 on the west coast of Africa . Whilst in command of " Rattler " Cumming captured the Brazilian slave brigantine " Alepide " on 30 October 1849 . In 1853 Cumming married Adelaide Stuart with whom he had at least one child . Crimean War . Cumming saw active service against the Russians during the Crimean War . On 25 February 1854 he received command of the frigate HMS " Gorgon " , being promoted to post - captain on 19 April . Cumming was transferred to command HMS " Conflict " on 9 May 1854 and served aboard her in the Baltic Sea until 6 February 1855 . In company with HMS " Amphion " , under the command of Captain Astley Cooper Key , the " Conflict " sailed into Libau on 17 May 1854 . The harbour contained eight Russian merchant vessels and was defended by a force of 4 – 500 soldiers with 2 – 3 cannon . Cumming went ashore under a flag of truce to meet with the town ' s governor and demand the handing over of the merchant ships within three hours . The governor refused to comply but the Russian troops left the town shortly afterwards and the governor stated that , whilst he could not order them out of the harbour , Cumming and Key would be permitted to enter the harbour to take them . They proceeded to do so , finding themselves in control of the entire town of 10 , 000 inhabitants with just 110 men , and took out the eight merchant vessels without firing a shot . The ships were sent with prize crew s to the Prussian port of Memel . Cumming and " Conflict " also saw service at the port of Riga in this period and from 15 April to 22 May were responsible for boarding 19 vessels . Cumming returned to England in 1855 and on 22 May was appointed to HMS " Glatton " , an ironclad floating battery with orders to sail her to the Black Sea . He carried out these orders but arrived after the end of the war and returned " Glatton " to the United Kingdom by Spring 1856 . He remained captain of the battery until 3 May 1856 and commanded her during the 23 April 1856 Fleet Review , where " Glatton " was one of four floating batteries that were the first ironclad ships to appear at any fleet review . HMS " Emerald " . Cumming was appointed captain of the 51 - gun frigate HMS " Emerald " on her commissioning at Sheerness on 14 May 1859 and remained with the ship until the end of her Royal Navy career on 7 November 1863 . The vessel was initially part of the Channel Fleet and as part of her duties visited Plymouth , Spithead , Torbay , Cork and Devonport . Cumming was reunited with his old commander , Rear - Admiral Sir Alexander Milne , when " Emerald " became his temporary flagship on 19 January 1860 in order to carry him to the West Indies where he was to replace Vice Admiral Sir Houston Stewart , another former shipmate , as Commander - in - Chief on the North America and West Indies Station . " Emerald " left Devonport on 18 February and arrived at Bermuda 19 days and 6 hours later , completing " one of the quickest passages on record " at the time . The feat is all the more impressive for the fact that Cumming relied almost entirely on sail power , engaging the steam engines only when he was within of her destination . Whilst in Bermuda " Emerald " ran aground and tore her coppering , the first of several times she was damaged in her career . Cumming and " Emerald " returned to Plymouth on 4 July 1860 and was heading to Keyham steam - yard on 10 July when she ran aground on a beach at Hamoaze whilst trying to avoid a merchant brig under tow , this and the Bermuda grounding were found to have damaged of her coppering . Cumming was next ordered to Alderney , in the Channel Islands to transport a replacement Royal Artillery garrison . On the return journey on 28 August the ship ran aground once more , whilst in the charge of a Trinity House pilot , necessitating more repairs . In September Cumming sailed to Antwerp to provide a British presence and salute to Queen Victoria who was passing through the port . Cumming made another trip to South America in April 1861 when he carried Rear - Admiral Richard Laird Warren in " Emerald " to his new appointment as Commander - in - Chief of the Brazil Station , returning with Rear - Admiral Sir Henry Keppel . On his return Cumming was again ordered to America , transporting guns , shot and stores to the West India Squadron , but was hit by storms off Newfoundland and forced to turn back to Plymouth . Once again " Emerald " was damaged , losing three boats , damaging rigging and equipment and being said to leak " like a sieve " . This necessitated another period of repair in Keyham , before Cumming set out for Brazil once more , this time encountering storms in the Bay of Biscay and again being damaged and repaired in dock . " Emerald " saw service in the Baltic and participated in propeller trials for the Admiralty but was decommissioned in 1863 and sold in 1869 . Cumming was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 13 May 1867 . In November of that year he became part of the Royal Navy ' s Packet Service and served in that role as an additional captain in HMS " Victory " , under the command of Captains Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour and George Le Geyt Bowyear . During this time " Victory " served as the flagship of the Port Admiral of Portsmouth and Cumming transferred to HMS " Duke of Wellington " when she became the flagship on 2 March 1869 . Cumming remained on the " Duke of Wellington " , on harbour service duties , until 26 February 1870 . Admiral . Cumming ' s service aboard the " Duke of Wellington " ended with his promotion to rear - admiral on 27 February 1870 . He served for a while as a port admiral before being appointed , on 14 February 1872 , Commander - in - Chief of the East Indies Station . He remained in the East Indies until March 1875 and was promoted to vice - admiral on 22 March 1876 . Cumming ' s promotion to admiral came on 9 January 1880 and he retired from the service on 6 April 1882 . After retirement he lived mainly at Foston Hall , near Derby . Cumming was a keen patron of his former shipmates including Surgeon William Loney , who had served aboard " Emerald " , which Cumming had captained , and " Glasgow " , part of his East Indies squadron . In 1877 Cumming wrote to Vice - Admiral Beauchamp Seymour , 1st Baron Alcester , Commander - in - Chief of the Channel Squadron , and Lord Gillford , Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty , to recommend Loney for promotion . Cumming was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath as part of Queen Victoria ' s Golden Jubilee celebrations on 21 June 1887 . Cumming became an early victim of identity theft on 27 March 1888 when a man impersonating him stole goods worth 100 , 000 francs ( equivalent to approximately £ in current terms ) from a Nice jewellery shop . The thief had identified himself to the shop ' s owner , Mr Boxta , as " Admiral Sir Arthur Cumming " and presented a card in that name with Cumming ' s coat of arms printed on it . Having made a small purchase the thief requested that Boxta bring a large quantity of diamond rings , bracelets and a necklace to his rooms so that he could choose a present for his wife . Boxta was reassured by the high status neighbourhood and a pile of Bank of England notes that the thief showed him and allowed the thief to take the jewellery to an adjacent room from which he was able to escape . The thief was never caught . Sir Arthur Cumming died in London on 17 February 1893 . He was survived by his wife and is buried in Brookwood Cemetery , Surrey .