The fifth and youngest son of
James Stopford, 3rd Earl of Courtown, and his wife,
the former Lady Mary Scott, he entered the Navy on 8 November 1810 and was commissioned as
lieutenant on 17 July 1819 and as
commander on 29 January 1822. He was promoted to captain only 3 years later, on 8 April 1825, and his commands at that rank included (1842–46, in the West Indies and North America), (1850-?, during her 1850 re-commissioning), (during her 1851 commissioning, preparing her to be Vice-Admiral
James Whitley Deans Dundas's flagship in the Mediterranean, until was selected for this role instead), and (during her commissioning January–March 1852). He was captain in the
Waterloo again from 1 April 1852, this time during her service as Vice-Admiral
Josceline Percy's flagship. He left that role on 5 December 1853 on being promoted to
rear admiral, becoming the admiral superintendent of
Malta Dockyard in 1855, flying his flag in
HMS Ceylon. He also remarried, to Lucy Cay, daughter of John Cay, on 29 September 1853, and the couple had three more children (one of whom was Colonel Sir
Lionel Stopford). He became a
Knight Commander of the Bath on 5 July 1855, and was promoted to
vice-admiral on 25 June 1858, and finally admiral on 30 November 1863. He had retired by 9 February 1864. ==See also==