Born on 16 September 18332. He was the son of Sir David Baird of Newbyth, 2nd Bt. (1795-1852) and Lady Anne Kennedy (c.1798-1877). He married Constance Barbara Clarke, daughter of Edward Clarke1, on 6 March 1905.
The death occurred of Admiral Baird on the 8 December at Woodside House, Wootton, Isle of Wight aged 75. He joined the Navy in 1845 and was promoted to lieutenant around 1853 and joining Rear Admiral Dundas' flagship H.M.S. Duke of Wellington at the time the ship operated in the Baltic during the war with Russia.
He was promoted to commander in 1857 and given command of the sloop Devastation serving in North America and the West Indies, other posting followed in the Mediterranean and China Station.
From 1878 to 1879 he was aide-de-camp to Queen Victoria and advanced to flag rank. As a Rear Admiral he first hoisted his flag on Swiftsure as commander on the Pacific Station from 1884 to 1885, on his return home he was appointed Admiral-Superintendent of Naval Reserves. The next appointment was to the Channel Squadron, where in 1888 and 1889 he was involved in naval manoeuvres which highlighted defence weakness and resulted in the great Naval Defence Act 1899.
At the Jubilee Review, Admiral Baird was one of the four admirals in charge of the fleet, and two years later he was in command of Northumberland when the German Emperor visited and reviewed the fleets at Spithead.
After manoeuvres he took the Channel Fleet to Kiel, hoisting his flag as Hon. Admiral of the Fleet on the mast of Northumberland for inspection by the German Emperor. The Emperor later entertained him and his officer in Berlin.
In 1890 he relinquished command of the Channel Fleet and was made a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (K.C.B.)3 finally retiring from the Navy in 1897 after more than 50 years service. It would appear that he came to live at Woodside in 1905, and was actively involved in the village.
The funeral took place at St Edmunds Church with the Rev. Dr. Coleman officiating, it must have been a very impressive affair, nine family members are listed plus the following:-
Admiral Sir A.D. Fanshaw K.C.B. [Commander in Chief Portsmouth].
Admiral Hopkins.
Admiral Sir Walter Hunt-Grubbe
Admiral Sir William Kennedy.
Admiral Sir Michael Culine-Seymour.
General Fetherston-Haugh
There were numerous other officers and naval ratings together with people from the Island.
His grave in the churchyard of St Edmunds is marked with an anchor tied to a cross with the epitaph ‘And so He bringeth them into the haven where they would be’.
Family: Constance Barbara Clarke b. before 1890, d. 3 November 1931. No issue
Source: Isle of Wight County Press December 1908
[1] Peter W. Hammond, editor. The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members from the Earlist Times, Volume XIV; Addenda & Corrigenda (Sutton Publishing, 1998), page 13
[2] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, (Genealogical Books Ltd, 2003), vol. 1, page 225
[3] Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.