Astley Cooper Key (1821–88)

Naval officer. Entered the navy, 1833; commissioned 1842. Royal Commission on national defence, 1859–60. Captain of the steam reserve, Devonport, 1860–3. Captain of the Excellent and superintendent of the naval college, 1864. Rear admiral and first director of naval ordnance, 1866. Admiral superintendent, Portsmouth, 1869; Malta, 1870. Established the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, 1872–6. Vice-admiral, 1873. Commanded the North American station, 1876. Commanded the Baltic fleet, 1878. Principal naval aide-de-camp to the queen, 1879. First naval lord, 1879–85. Knighted, 1873.