Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Sir Thomas Henry Martyn Jerram, (6 September 1858 – 19 March 1933) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.

Naval career

Jerram was educated at Woodcote House School. He joined the

in 1871.Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
/ref> He commanded a Battalion of the Naval Brigade on an expedition to

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

in 1890. He was then Acting Vice Consul at Beira and Mpanda in

Portuguese East Africa Portuguese Mozambique () or Portuguese East Africa () were the common terms by which Mozambique was designated during the period in which it was a Portuguese Empire, Portuguese overseas province. Portuguese Mozambique originally constituted a str ...

during the unrest in 1891. He went on to command the ships HMS ''Northampton'' and HMS ''Curacoa''. From September 1899 to March 1902 he was in command of the training ship HMS ''Boscawen'', stationed at

Portland Harbour Portland Harbour is beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its surface area made it the largest human-made harbour in the world, and it remains ...

. In March 1902 he was appointed flag captain of HMS ''Albion'', second flagship on the China Station. He later commanded HMS ''Russell''. He joined the staff of the Commander of the 3rd Division of the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

in 1909 and commanded the White Fleet on manoeuvres later that year. The following year he took command of the 4th Division Battleships and then became Second-in-Command of the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

. He served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

as Commander-in-Chief, China Station from 1913 to 1915, where he was involved in the

1915 Singapore mutiny The 1915 Singapore Mutiny, (also known as the 1915 Sepoy Mutiny or the Mutiny of the 5th Light Infantry) was a mutiny of elements of the British Indian Army's 5th Light Infantry in British Singapore. Up to half of the regiment, which consi ...

before being made Commander of the

2nd Battle Squadron The 2nd Battle Squadron was a Squadron (naval), naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 2nd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to i ...

in which capacity he took part in the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland () was a naval battle between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice-Admiral Reinhard Scheer, durin ...

in 1916. Admiral Lord Beatty was subsequently critical of Jerram's role complaining that Jerram failed to support him as darkness fell.Sir Martyn Jerram at Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
/ref> He retired in 1917.

Family

In 1892 he married Clara Isabel Parsons, but had remarried Ann J before 1901, when he lived at Portland. He had two sons: * Roy Martyn Jerram, b. 1895 * Nigel Martyn Jerram, b. at Weymouth 9 March 1900

Legacy

* Mount Jerram in the

Canadian Rockies The Canadian Rockies () or Canadian Rocky Mountains, comprising both the Alberta Rockies and the British Columbian Rockies, is the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. It is the easternmost part of the Canadian Cordillera, w ...

was named for him in 1922.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jerram, Martyn 1858 births 1933 deaths Royal Navy admirals of World War I Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Military personnel from Surrey People educated at Woodcote House School People from Portuguese Mozambique British expatriates in British Kenya 19th-century Royal Navy personnel