| The slight diversion
about the newspapers did not seem to affect Edmund's career much, for after less than two years on half-pay he was again in
command of a ship the 'Hawke' and subsequently the 'Frederick William'.
After that two year command he had five years on half pay which gave him
ample time to enjoy his house at Fritham and the opportunities to travel
around the country contacting old friends. Half way through that period he was promoted to the
rank of rear admiral, 1st January 1869. He had made flag rank, the aim of
all Royal Navy professionals. Two and a half years later he hoisted his
flag on the 'Mersey' and then in 1873 was commander-in-chief of a
coastguard fleet based in Queenstown near Cork: his flagship the
'Revenge'. Edmund struck his flag on Jan 1st 1874 as he was promoted to
vice admiral. There followed a five year period on half-pay, which allowed
him to enlarge Fritham lodge to its current size, and he retired
[by the navy rules of age] on the first of January 1879 with the rank of
full admiral on a pension of £770 per annum. |
| Edmund died at Fritham Lodge on the 29th Oct
1881, three months before his 68th birthday. Jessie continued to live at
the Fritham house until she died, intestate, aged 88, on 19th December 1915. She
had been 34 years a widow on a pension of £120 per annum and died 101
years after Edmund was born. |
| By chance, there is a link Edmund had with
the Royal Navy that physically stretched into the 20th century, apart from
his second wife Jessie's longevity. In 1865 Edmund was captain of the
'Frederick William' a first rate [that is a 100 gun ship] for a year. This
ship was laid down in 1860, first named 'Royal Frederick' then 'Frederick
William', then 'Worcester'. She later became a training ship then given
other roles. She continued in service until 1948 when she was sent for
breaking but sank in the channel on the way to the scrap yard. The wreck
was finally raised in 1953 and scrapped that year, 124 years from the time
Edmund started his navy career as a 13 year old 'particular servant'.
There is at least one link with Edmund that exists still: the figurehead
of the Constance is kept by the navy on Whale Island, Portsmouth. |
 |
| |
Figurehead of the
'Constance'. Kept at Whale Island - HMS Excellent. |
| We have now
recited a 'bare bones' history
of Admiral Edmund Heathcote's life; but what about the detail? Edmund's
'Evolution Book' was written up at the beginning of 1847 when he was the
senior lieutenant on the ship 'Constance' in the Pacific. Why was the ship
there and what did it do during the three years and 47 days he was with
the ship as lieutenant? We know he was with the 'Constance' from 11th July
1846 to 25th of August 1849; shown in his service record, PRO ADM 196 36
page 415. He was promoted that August to commander, released from duty in
'Constance' and took a further 91 days to get back to England, on the
standard two thirds rations for a passenger, arriving 24th November 1849
at Plymouth and the next day at Portsmouth. An hour or two by horse or
carriage would have seen him at Fritham to embrace his wife Lucy after
nearly three and a half years apart. 'The voyage of the Constance' is a
separate tale which explains his time in the Pacific. |