Excerpt from Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. 22: November 1897 to July 1899

Admiral Sir alexander milne, Bart., was born at Inveresk in 1806. His father was Sir David Milne, g.c.b. Sir Alexander received his education successively at Musselburgh, Ports mouth, Bordeaux, Halifax, and Bermuda, his places of schooling being in a great measure determined by the situation of the com mands held by his father. He was subsequently entered as a pupil at the Edinburgh Royal High School, and thereafter, in 1817, he entered the navy as a volunteer and midshipm'an on the Leander, which carried his father's flag. In 1825 he was lieutenant m 1830 commander and while in command of the Snake, in 1837 - 38, he captured four slavers off the coast of Cuba, setting free 952 slaves. He was acting captain in 1839, and in 1842 became flag captain to his father. In 1847, while commanding Nelson's ship Victory, Captain Milne was installed a Junior Naval Lord of the Admiralty, and was nominated Superintending Lord of the Store, Victualling, Transport, and Medical Depart ments, - ih all of which he introduced great reforms. He was at the Admiralty for upwards Of eleven years. In recognition of his work he received in 1855 a good service pension, was gazetted a g.c.b. After the Crimean War, and was promoted to rear-admiral's rank in 1858. In 1859 he quitted Whitehall to take the command Of the North American and West Indian Stations. He was appointed vice-admiral in 1865, Senior Naval Lord of the Admiralty in 1866, commander-in-chief Of the Mediterranean Station in 1868, and Admiral in 1870. He was again invited to become a Lord of the Admiralty in 1872, a position which he resigned in 1876. He was created a Baronet in 1875, and became Admiral of the Fleet in 1881.

In dealing with the grant Of a year which had been made by Parliament for the benefit of petty officers and seamen, his plan for the introduction of good conduct badges and pay was adopted. Previously there was nothing to mark the good from the bad or in different men. At his instance the first Signal Book was drawn up by Captain Wilmot, and he established the first Cipher Secret Signal Book for communication between the commander-in-chief and the Admiralty. He was the means of bringing under the notice of the authorities at Whitehall the defenceless state of Jamaica, Antigua, Bermuda, and Barbadoes, and Of securing the strengthening of their defences. He was one of the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition.

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