Worthing Gazette Wednesday September 26th 1917
Death of Admiral Keppel - Distinguished Career - End of a Life of Stirring Adventure
One of our most distinguished residents passed away on Saturday, in the person of Rear-Admiral Leicester Chantrey Keppel, who had lived for some time past at Guelderland, Grand Avenue. The death was so sudden that it was found necessary to report the circumstances to the Coroner at Horsham; but inasmuch as the Admiral's regular medical attendant, Dr. H. Leeds Harrison, was in a position to certify the cause of death, Mr Butler was able to dispense with the formality of an inquest. The funeral with Naval honours, is taking place this afternoon.
Local Associations - Second son of the late Rev. Canon and Hon. Thomas Keppel, the deceased Admiral was eighty years old; but those who were familiar with his active habits found it difficult to believe that his years were so advanced. He was a familiar figure at many local gatherings, and was prominently identified with the affairs of West Tarring Parish Church and St. Botolph's Church, Heene.
Admiral Keppel's residence at West Worthing extended over a considerable period. At one time he left here and went to the neighbourhood of Horsham, but returned hither after a very brief absence, declaring that Worthing had attractions for him which he found impossible to resist.
The name of Keppel is an honourable one in British Naval annals, for a bearer of the name has figured continuously in the Navy List ever since 1735. Rear-Admiral Leicester Keppel, with whom we are more immediately concerned, had had a life of stirring adventure.
Entering the Navy sixty-three years ago, he served as a midshipman on the Bellerophon, and was actively engaged in embarking the Army at Varna and landing at Old Fort. He served at the bombardment of Sevastopol where he engaged the guns of Fort Constantine at six hundred yards range. After Several Feats of Peculiar Daring, including the lifting of two mines while under fire, he took an active and dangerous part in the suppression of the East African slave trade.
Among his historic exploits ranks the Zambesi expedition in company with Livingstone. Another of his up-country adventures was carried through on the Congo, when he commanded an expedition for the punishment of a band of daring pirates who had attacked and pillaged an American vessel. The skill and gallantry with which the operations against this powerful swarm of pirates were conducted earned the approval of Lord Derby, the Admiralty Lords, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Later Admiral Keppel commanded H.M. ships Constance and Cleopatra in China and Japan, fulfilling his missions with gallantry and skill.,
Worthing Gazette Wednesday 3rd October 1917
The Late Admiral Keppel - Funeral at Heene - Steyne School Cadets and the General Salute
The funeral of Rear-Admiral Leicester Chantrey Keppel, whose death, at the age of eighty years, was reported in the Gazette last week, took place at Heene Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon, the first portion of the service being conducted at St. Botolph's Church.
The coffin, which was covered with a Union Jack, on which rested the deceased officer's sword and cocked hat, was conveyed from his residence, Guelderland, Grand Avenue, to the Church on a gun carriage drawn by Coastguardsmen and Sea Scouts from Worthing and Littlehampton, under the direction of Rear Admiral Fleet and Sergeant-Major Renham. A detachment of the local Company Volunteers and the Buglers of the Steyne School Cadets were also present, under Captain G.B. Bennett.
The General Salute - The officiating Clergy were the Rev. J.P. Fallowes (Rector of Heene), the Rev. Charles Lee (Rector of West Tarring), with both of which Churches the deceased Admiral was for many years actively identified in an official capacity; the Rev. Derek Harold Keppel (Rector of Tooting and a nephew of the deceased), and the Rev. L.S. Blenkins.
"Peace, Perfect Peace" and "On the Resurrection Morn" were the hymns chosen, and appropriate selections were played by the Organist (Mr. A. Boyse) as the congregation were assembling and also as the cortege left the Church for the Cemetery, where the last honours were paid by a firing party of Volunteers ad Sergeant Jennings, and by the Buglers of the Steyne School Cadets, the latter of whom gave the General Salute.
The family mourners were the Misses R., C., and B. Keppel (daughters), Major Harry Keppel (brother), and the Rev. Derek H.E. Keppel (nephew), and Mr Sholto Douglas; and among those at the Church or at the graveside were Rear-Admiral Fleet, Lieutenant-Commander Eden, R.N., General Hobday, General Eastman, Colonel Houghton, Major W.R. Prickett, Captain Ruddach, Lady de Gex, Mr. H. Hargood, J.P., Mr E.G. Amphlett, J.P., Mr R.W. Charles, Mr A. Fleet, Mr. J.G. Saunders, Mr. T. Prowse, Mr. H.F. Hall, and Councillor C. Taylor
Floral Tributes - The floral tributes included a large anchor from the children, and other tokens of remembrance were sent by Mrs. R.D. Beasely and family, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Lousada, Sir Isidore and Lady Spielmann, Mr. and Mrs. T. Palmer Gwatkin, Mrs. Charles V. Gordon and Miss Gordon, Mrs and Miss O'Malley, Sholto and Edith Douglas, Mr. Lingard Ray and Miss Ray, Duck and Dora, George, Alice, and Gertie Keppel, Mrs Boyse (Barnes), Maria, Mrs. G. White, and Mr. Arthur Lambton.
The funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. Jordan and Cook, under the personal direction of Mr. C.B. Cook.
The Army and Navy Gazette October 6th 1917
The Navy - Rear-Admiral L.C. Keppel, who died on Sept 22 at West Worthing, aged eighty, was the second son of Rev. Canon the Hon Thomas Robert Keppel. He entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in 1850 and became Captain in 1892, and was promoted Rear Admiral on the Retired List in 1895. As a Midshipman in H.M.S. Bellerophon he served in the Russian War of 1854-5, in the Baltic and Crimea. He was engaged in embarking the Army at Varna, in the defence of Eupatoria, and the bombardment of Sebastopol. While in charge of a boat in the operations against Viborg he cleared a passage by lifting two mines. In later years he was engaged in the suppression of the slave trade on the East Coast of Africa, serviced in the expedition up the Zambesi with Dr. Livingstone, and was in command of the gunboats Janas and Insolent at Chefoo, 1867-9.
For his action in obtaining redress for outrages on British subjects at Jamone, Formosa, in 1868, he was thanked by the Commander-in-Chief, and in 1877 he was mentioned in despatches as Commander of the Avon in the Niger Expedition, when several piratical villages were destroyed and severe punishment inflicted on river pirates. He rendered similar services in the expedition up the Congo. Later he held the post of Flag-Captain to the Commander-in-Chief at the Nore. He married Emily, daughter of George Robinson, of Mauritius, who died in 1913.