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Masters, Deputy Masters and Elder Brethren of Trinity House
This gallery shows several of the men who served as Masters, Deputy Masters and Elder Brethren of the Corporation of Trinity House. The Corporation was established in 1513 and throughout its long history has provided navigational aids that have benefited the Royal Navy and commercial organisations like the East India Company. These range from storm-lashed lighthouses to lightvessels and buoys. Trinity House is also a pilotage authority and a charitable organisation for the safety and welfare of mariners. |
Admiral Sir George Byng (1663-1733). |
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| Sir George Byng was one of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's fleet. He won a great victory over the Spanish fleet off Cape Passaro in 1719. Byng was Master of Trinity House in 1711-13. | |
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Lord George Anson (1696-1762). |
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| Anson was the most experienced sailor of his age. He circumnavigated the globe in HMS 'Centurion' between 1740 and 1744. He was First Lord of the Admiralty from 1751 to 1756 and from 1757 to 1762. Between 1751-6 he was Master of Trinity House. | |
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John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-92). |
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| Sandwich was first Lord of the Admiralty from 1771 to 1782, where he was responsible for naval affairs. He introduced the coppering of ship's bottoms, preventing the growth of barnacles and weeds, and adopted the carronade as a naval weapon. He was Master of Trinity House from 1777-82. | |
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Captain John Woolmore (1755-1837). |
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| John Woolmore was a captain with the East India Company and during his long career he sailed several East Indiamen to the Far East from London. He was also one of the leading figures behind the establishment of the East India Dock Company. Woolmore served as Deputy Master of Trinity House from 1825 to 1834. | |
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Hector Rose |
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| Rose served in the Royal Navy before being appointed the Deputy Master of the Corporation of Trinity House. Like all Deputy Masters, he was responsible for the day-to-day running of Trinity House. The Masters tended to have more of a ceremonial role. | |
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Joseph Cotton (1746-1825). |
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| Cotton was appointed Deputy Master of Trinity House in 1803. He served as a Director of the East India Company between 1795 and 1823. For several years he was also the Chairman of the East India Dock Company, formed in 1793. In 1818 he published a 'Memoir on the Origin and Incorporation of the Trinity House of Deptford Strond'. | |
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Sir Robert Preston, MP (1740-1834). |
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| Robert Preston made a vast fortune through trade in the East Indies. He owned houses in Essex and a home in Downing Street, but in 1800 he inherited the baronetcy of Valleyfield in West Fife. He was also a Deputy Master of the Corporation of Trinity House. | |
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William Money (17?-96). |
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| William Money was captain of several East Indiamen and later a Director of the East India Company. Like many other Company servants, he was also an Elder Brother of the Corporation of Trinity House, having been elected to the position on 21 April 1785. His son, William Taylor Money, was also a Director of the Company and an MP. | |
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