KEITH, GEORGE KEITH ELPHINSTONE, VISCOUNT (1746-1823), British admiral, fifth son of the loth Lord Elphin stone, was born in Elphinstone Tower, near Stirling, on Jan. 7, 1746. He entered the navy in 1761, in the "Gosport," then com manded by Captain Jervis, afterwards Earl St. Vincent. In 1767 he made a voyage to the East Indies in the Company's service, and made a fortune in trading. He was engaged afloat through out the American War. At the outbreak of the War of the French Revolution in 1793 he was appointed to the "Robust" (74), in which he took part in the occupation of Toulon by Hood. He distinguished himself by beating a body of the French ashore at the head of a naval brigade of English and Spaniards. In 1794 he was promoted rear-admiral, and in 1795 he was sent to occupy the Dutch colonies at the Cape of Good Hope and in India, and in August 1796 captured a whole Dutch squadron in Saldanha Bay. When the mutiny at the Nore broke out in 1797 he was appointed to the command, and restored order there and at Plymouth. At the close of 1798 he was sent as second in command to St. Vin cent. St. Vincent was at once half incapacitated by ill-health and very arbitrary, while Nelson, who considered that Keith's ap pointment was a personal slight to himself, was insubordinate. The escape of a French squadron which entered the Mediterranean from Brest in May 1799 was mainly due to jarrings among the British naval commanders. Keith followed the enemy to Brest
on their retreat, but failed to bring them to action. He returned to the Mediterranean in November as commander-in-chief, and was in charge of the operations at Genoa (I800). The close of i8oi and the beginning of the following year were spent in transport ing the army sent to Egypt. He was made a baron of the United Kingdom—an Irish barony having been conferred on him in 1797. In 18o3–o7 he was commander-in-chief in the North Sea. In February 1812 he was appointed commander-in-chief in the Channel, and in 1814 he was raised to a viscounty. He was at Plymouth when Napoleon surrendered and was brought to Eng land in the "Bellerophon" by Captain Maitland (1777-1839). The decisions of the British government were expressed through him to the fallen Emperor. Keith died on March ro, 1823 at Tullyallan, and was buried in the parish church.