Francis Henry Shortt (1822 - 1881)

Born 8 Sep 1822 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Emily (de Sausmarez) Shortt — married 4 May 1858 in Saint Martin, Guernsey

Died 28 Oct 1881 at age 59 in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey

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Biography

Francis Shortt was born in Scotland.

Francis was born in Edinburgh on 8 September 1822^[1] to Thomas Shortt,^[1] a military physician, and his wife Henrietta Young.^[1] Francis was baptised in St Cuthbert's Church, Edinburgh on 5 November 1822.^[1]

He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1836.^[2] He saw active service as Midshipman in HMS Cambridge during the Autumn 1840 campaign off Syria and Egypt. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in January 1843, having submitted the best examination within his cohort at the Royal Naval College.^[3]

Before and after his promotion he served for a period in the gunnery training ship HMS Excellent permanently moored at Portsmouth, commanded by Captain Sir Thomas Hastings (later Admiral).^[4]

From February 1844 until paid off at the end of 1847,^[4] he served in the Pacific, then in the Channel, and off the coast of Portugal, in HMS America,^[4] commanded by Captain Hon. John Gordon^[4] and then by Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, (later Earl of Lauderdale and Admiral of the Fleet).^[4]

In 1848 he was a Lieutenant in HMS Powerful under Captain Hon. Richard Saunders Dundas.^[4]

He was promoted to the rank of Commander in January 1854,^[3] and in January 1855^[3] took his first command, of HMS Spiteful, a paddle steamer sloop^[3] in operations in the Mediterranean Sea, and during the Crimean War in the Black Sea, until it was paid off in May 1857.^[3] HMS Spiteful was engaged at the fall of Kinburn in October 1855 (towards the end of the Crimean War), and the state of her gunnery was publicly commended by Commodore Shepherd.^[3]

In 1858 he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and he married Emily de Sausmarez.^[5][6]

He returned to sea briefly in March 1864 in command of HMS Gladiator^[3] for a particular service, but apart from this had almost seven years' ashore in Guernsey on half-pay. During this time he and Emily grew their family:

1. Harriet Shortt (b. 1859)
2. Sausmarez Dobrée Shortt (b. 1860)
3. Emily Frances Shortt (b.1862)
4. Francis de Sausmarez Shortt (b.1863)
5. Helen Mary Shortt (b.May 1866 d. Jul 1866)
6. Lilian Mary Shortt (b.1869)

Between February 1866 and November 1867 he was in command of HMS Favorite in North America and the West Indies.^[3]

From September 1870 to August 1873^[3] he commanded HMS Princess Charlotte^[3] and was Commodore in charge of the Hong Kong naval base,^[3] hoisting his flag as Commodore there on 28 November 1870.^[3] Having left Hong Kong to return to Europe in August 1873^[3] he relinquished his command and retired from active service in November 1873,^[3] joining the Retired List as Captain in July 1874.^[3] He was subsequently promoted to Retired Rear Admiral in December 1875^[3] and finally Retired Vice Admiral in January 1880.^[3]

He died aged 59 at St Peter Port, Guernsey on 28 October 1881 after a protracted illness.^[7]

Research Notes

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQCZ-8VF : 16 September 2021), Francis Henry Shortt, 1822.
2. ↑ P.Davis (compiler), "Biographies of officers in command", database, TheVictorianRoyalNavy (https://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=1121 : accessed 20 February 2023), record for Francis Henry Shortt, RN.
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16} United Kingdom, The National Archives, Kew, "Naval service records", online catalogue and some images, Discovery (https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9669066 : accessed 20 February 2023), records ADM 196/1/538 and ADM 196/37/850.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5} William R. O'Byrne Esq, A Naval Biographical Dictionary: comprising the life and services of every living officer in Her Majesty's navy, from the rank of admiral of the fleet to that of lieutenant, inclusive (London: John Murray, 1849), p.1066; online copy at Archive.org (https://archive.org/details/cu31924027921372/page/1066/mode/2up : accessed 7 May 2023).
5. ↑ The National Archives: Catalogue of Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, GB 0524 MSS Correspondence of the Shortt family "...before his marriage to Emily de Sausmarez in 1858."
6. ↑ Greenock Advertiser, issue 14 May 1858, Marriages column, page 3.
7. ↑ Principal Probate Registry. Calendar of the Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration made in the Probate Registries of the High Court of Justice in England. London, England © Crown copyright.