The Lord Aylmer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | c.1650 Meath, Ireland |
| Died | August 18, 1720 (aged 69–70) Queen's House, Greenwich |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  England  Great Britain |
| Service |  Royal Navy (1678–1707) Royal Navy (1707–1720) |
| Years of service | 1678–1699, 1709–1720 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands | HMS Chatham HMS Date Tree HMS Castle HMS Swann HMS Tiger HMS Charles HMS Swallow HMS Mary HMS Royal Katherine HMS Monck HMS London Greenwich Hospital |
| Battles / wars | Nine Years' War |
| Other work | Ranger of Greenwich Park |
Admiral of the Fleet Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer (c. 1650 – 18 August 1720), of Covent Garden, Westminster, and Westcliffe, near Dover, was an Anglo-Irish Royal Navy officer and Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1695 and 1720.
Aylmer was one of the captains who sent a letter to Prince William of Orange, who had just landed at Torbay, assuring the Prince of the captains' support; the Prince's response ultimately led to the Royal Navy switching allegiance to the Prince and the Glorious Revolution of November 1688.
Aylmer saw action at the Battle of Bantry Bay in May 1689, at the Battle of Beachy Head in July 1690 and again at the Battle of Barfleur in May 1692 during the Nine Years' War.
Aylmer became Commander-in-Chief of the Navy on 12 November 1709. However, when Aylmer met a French squadron and convoy, he was only able to capture one merchantman and the 56-gun Superbe: the new Harley Ministry used this failure as an excuse to remove him as Commander-in-Chief and did so a few months later. Following the accession of George I and the appointment of the Townshend Ministry, Aylmer was reappointed Commander-in-Chief on 5 November 1714. He was also appointed Governor of Greenwich Hospital: in this post, he founded the Royal Hospital School for the sons of seamen.