Bible Encyclopedias
Sir John Knox Laughton

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

Search for…

Enter query below:

or

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Prev Entry
Sir John Kirk

Next Entry
Sir John Lavery

Resource Toolbox

Print Article

"SIR JOHN KNOX LAUGHTON (1830-1915), English naval historian, was born at Liverpool April 23 1830, and was educated at the Royal Institution school, Liverpool, and Caius College, Cambridge. In 1853 he entered the navy as an instructor, and served during the Crimean War, afterwards entering the Mediterranean and Channel fleets successively. In 1866 he became instructor at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, and in 1873 was transferred to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. In 1885 he was appointed professor of modern history at King's College, London, a post which he held until his death. In 1893 he founded the Navy Records Society, of which he became secretary, retiring in 1912. He was knighted in 1907. Sir John Laughton was also a distinguished meteorologist, and from 1882 to 1884 was president of the Royal Meteorological Society. His numerous writings include Physical Geography in its Relation to the Prevailing Winds and Currents (1870); A Treatise on Nautical Surveying (1872); an edition of Nelson's letters and despatches (1886); Studies in Naval History (1887); Nelson (in " English Men of Action," 1895); Nelson and his Companions in Arms (1896); A Life of Henry Reeve (1898); From Howard to Nelson (1899), and Sea Fights and Adventures (1901) He died in London Sept. 14 1915.