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| Lord John Hay R.N. | Explanation |
| Fourth son of George Hay, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale (1787-1876), and nephew of Lord John Hay (1783-1851) |
| |
| Date (from) | (Date to) | Personal |
| 23 August 1827 | | Born (Geneva) |
| 5 July 1855 | | C.B. (Companion of the Bath) |
| 11 April 1857 | 6 April 1859 | M.P. (Liberal) for Wick |
| 26 February 1866 | 15 February 1871 | M.P. (Liberal) for Ripon |
| 8 June 1876 | | Married Annie Christina, daughter of Nathaniel Grace Lambert |
| 4 May 1916 | | Died (Fulmer Place, Fulmer, Buckinghamshire) |
| According to the DNB he "was one of the last 'political' admirals: his family connections and Liberal politics played a vital part in his career, though his service in the Crimea and China justified his promotion". |
| |
| Date | Rank |
| 1839 | Entered Navy |
| 19 December 1846 | Lieutenant |
| 28 August 1851 | Commander |
| 7 May 1852 | Rear-Admiral |
| 27 November 1854 | Captain |
| 31 December 1877 | Vice-Admiral |
| 8 July 1884 | Admiral |
| 15 December 1888 | Admiral of the Fleet |
| 23 August 1897 | Retired Admiral of the Fl |
| |
| Date from | Date to | Service |
| 1848 | 1851 | Lieutenant in Powerful, commanded by Richard Saunders Dundas, Mediterranean |
| 20 August 1852 | 27 November 1854 | Commander in Wasp, Mediterranean, and Black Sea during the Russian War |
| 27 November 1854 | 2 February 1855 | Captain in Wasp, Black Sea during the Russian War |
| 9 December 1855 | 23 October 1856 | Captain in Forth (from commissioning), Devonport (and the 1856 Royal Naval review) |
| 20 September 1859 | 1863 | Captain in Odin, East Indies and China (in command of a division of gunboats during the second capture of the Taku forts in August 1860, and latterly as Commodore on the station) |
| 10 April 1866 | 13 July 1866 | Commissioner of the Admiralty (Fifth Naval Lord then Fourth Naval Lord) |
| 18 December 1868 | 28 June 1871 | Commissioner of the Admiralty (Junior Naval Lord) |
| 1871 | 7 May 1872 | Captain in Hotspur |
| 1875 | 1876 | Second in command, Channel squadron |
| 10 November 1877 | 10 December 1879 | Commander-in-chief, Channel squadron |
| 28 April 1880 | 3 March 1883 | Commissioner of the Admiralty (Second Naval Lord) |
| 7 February 1883 | 5 February 1886 | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean (flag in Alexandra) |
| 15 February 1886 | 3 August 1886 | Commissioner of the Admiralty (First Naval Lord) |
| 25 May 1887 | 15 December 1888 | Commander-in-chief, Devonport |