A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Stopford, Montagu
STOPFORD. (Capt., 1825. f-p., 14; h-p., 23.)
The Honourable Montagu Stopford, born 11 Nov. 1798, is fourth son of John George, third Earl of Courtown, K.P., by Mary, eldest daughter of Henry, third Duke of Buccleuch; brother (with the present peer) of Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Edw. Stopford, who died 5 July, 1840; and nephew of the late Admiral Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.
This officer entered the Navy, 8 Oct. 1810, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Scipion 74, Capt. Jas. Johnson, bearing the flag at the Cape of Good Hope of his uncle Hon. Robt. Stopford, under whom, in the ensuing year, he assisted as Midshipman at the conquest of the island of Java. After serving for 12 months at the Cape with Capt. Henderson Bain in the Lion 64, he returned home in the early part of 1813 in the President 38, Capt. Sam. Warren. On his arrival he was placed as a Supernumerary in the Trent, Capt. Jones, lying at Cork; and in the course of the same year he was sent in the Leonidas 38, Capt. Geo. Fras. Seymour, to the West Indies, where he remained until Sept. 1814. He next, in June and Dec. 1815, joined the Tonnant 80, fitting at Plymouth for the flag of Sir Benj. Hallowell, and Alceste 38, Capt. Murray Maxwell. In the latter ship he accompanied Lord Amherst in his embassy to China, and was wrecked in the Straits of Gaspar, on his passage home, 18 Feb. 1817. In Oct. 1819, at which period he had been serving for six months on the Halifax station in the Newcastle 60, flagship of Rear-Admiral Edw. Griffith, he was presented with a commission dated 17 July preceding. He was appointed, 24 Feb. 1820, to the William and Mary yacht, Capts. Andrew Sproule, John Phillimore, and Wm. Bowles, employed in attendance on the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland; was promoted, 29 Jan. 1822, to the rank of Commander; and on 8 April, 1825, after having served for about 14 months in that capacity in the Algerine 10, in the Mediterranean, was advanced to Post-rank. He subsequently, from 1 Aug. 1842 until paid off in 1846, commanded the Pique 36 on the North America and West India station.
Capt. Stopford married, 25 Aug. 1827, Cordelia Winifreda, second daughter of Major-General Sir Geo. Whitmore, Kt., K.C.H., then Colonel Commandant of the Royal Engineers in the island of Malta. By that lady he has issue. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.