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A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Loch, Granville Gower

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1808853A Naval Biographical Dictionary — Loch, Granville GowerWilliam Richard O'Byrne

LOCH. (Captain, 1841. f-p., 15; h-p., 6.)

Granville Gower Loch, born in 1813, is second son of Jas. Loch, Esq., of Drylaw, co. Edinburgh, an Advocate at the Scottish bar, and M.P. for Kirkwall, &c., by Ann, youngest daughter of P. Orr, Esq., of Kincardineshire; and nephew of Capt. Fras. Erskine Loch, R.N.

This officer entered the Navy 23 Feb. 1826; passed his examination in 1832; obtained his first commission 23 Oct. 1833; was appointed, 21 Aug. 1834 and 27 Aug. 1835, to the Ocean 80 and Howe 120, as Flag-Lieutenant at the Nore to Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming; joined, 18 March, 1836, the Vanguard 80, Capt. Hon. Duncombe Pleydell Bouverie, fitting for the Mediterranean; ascended the next step in his profession 28 Feb. 1837; and was invested, 12 July, 1838, and 26 Dec. 1840, with the command of the Fly 18 and Vesuvius steamer, in which vessels (with the exception of a short period which intervened between his paying off the one and his appointment to the other) he served, on the South American and Mediterranean stations, until advanced to his present rank 26 Aug. 1841.

On his return to England on the occasion of his last promotion, Capt. Loch volunteered to join the expedition in China, where, it appears, he acted as extra Aide-de-Camp to Sir Hugh Gough at the storming of Chin-Kiang-Foo 21 July, 1842,[1] and was present with Sir Henry Pottinger in his negociations with the natives. In the course of 1842 he published an able and very interesting work entitled ‘The closing Events of the War in China.’ Agent – John P. Muspratt.


  1. Vide Gaz. 1842, p. 3404.