in a private memorandum, the year 1756 is given as the

time of his decease.

WINDHAM, James-was, on the 30th of May 1721, appointed captain of the Solebay. He was afterwards removed into the Diamond, and ordered to the Weft Indies. He died in the bay of Honduras on the 3d of January 1724-5.

1722.

BRAITHWAITE, Samuel,-was, on the 28th of January 1721-2, promoted to be captain of the Exeter. The only fubfequent command in which we find him was that of the Kingston, a fourth rate of fixty guns, one of eight two-decked fhips put in commiffion on the 15th of February 1727, and intended to form a part of the fleet collecting for the Baltic. The deftination, however, of feveral of the fhips was afterwards changed, and in this number the Kingston was included, being fent, in the month of June following to Gibraltar, with a convoy of tranfports, having troops on board for the reinforcement of that garrifon. The Kingston remained on that station, under fir Charles Wager, during the continuance of the fhort rupture; and when that was concluded, was ordered, with feveral other fhips of war, to convoy back to Ireland the different regiments that had been drawn from thence on the above emergency. We do not find captain Braithwaite to have held any command fubfequent to that of the Kingston, and believe him to have totally retired from the fervice many years before his death, which happened in the month of June 1750, or, as others fay, 1751.

LAWES, Jofeph, was, on the 28th of October 1722, appointed captain of the Mermaid; and in the month of February 1726-7, was promoted to the command of the Lyon, a fourth rate, fitted out with the fame intention the Kingfton was, which we have already noticed in the life of captain Braithwaite. The Lyon

alfo did not proceed to the Baltic, but accompanied the Kingston to Gibraltar, and failed from thence to the Weft Indies, in the month of December, with Mr. Hopfon*, who was appointed to the chief command in that part of the world. On his return from thence the Lyon was paid off, and captain Lawes is not known to have held any fubfequent command till the year 1731, when he was made captain of the Flamborough, a fixth rate of twenty guns, one of four veffels, all of the fame defcription, ordered to be fuddenly equipped and fent to the West Indies for the purpose of restraining the infults and depredations then daily committed by the Spanish guarda costa's in that part of the world. Whether captain Lawes ever proceeded on the above fervice does not clearly appear, nor do we know any thing farther relative to him, except that he died at Plymouth on the 19th of March 1733, being at that time commander of the York, to which thip he had been just before appointed.

MACCARTHY, Robert, commonly called Lord Mufkerry, was the eldeft fon of Charles Maccarthy, earl of Clancarty, in the kingdom of Ireland. This unfortunate nobleman having exerted himself in the most confpicuous manner in fupport of the arbitrary measures of king James the Second, was attainted by act of parliament. His fon, being born after the above event, was, confequently, not implicated in his guilt, and was always diftinguished by the fame honorary title he would have had a legal right to, had not his father's delinquency destroyed it. The family poffeffions being nearly annihilated by the foregoing procedure, his lordship entered early in life into the navy, and was, on the 17th of March 1721-2, appointed captain of the Solebay. We hear nothing of him after that time till the month of January 1728, when he was appointed captain of the Adventure, a large fifth rate mounting forty guns. In 1729 that fhip was one of the fleet collected at Spithead, under fir Charles Wager. From thence he was fent to the West Indies, where he continued two years without any opportunity of fignalizing himself, for the behaviour and note of the Spaniards was of late much altered: and though depredations in fome degree continued, yet these were rather to be confidered as the piracies of individuals than as a national insult, the * See page 84.

VOL. IV.

court

court having given the most pofitive and peremptory orders to all the Spanish fubjects to obferve the most peaceable demeanour towards the British. Many who were hardy enough to act in contravention of that edic were imprisoned and otherwife punished in the most exemplary manner.

The conduct of the British was of courfe equally amicable and polite. Several Spanifh fhips of war, with a confiderable quantity of fpecie on board, having been wrecked on Point Pedro fhoals, off the ifland of Jamaica, all poffible exertions were made to fave the money. Thefe were fo fuccessful, that, in the month of April 1731, two hundred and twenty thousand pieces of eight, belonging to the public treasure, were carried by his lordship to Cadiz, together with an unregistered fum equal in value, as it was faid, to the above. We are unacquainted with any command his lordship held after the above time, notwithstanding we believe him to have been occafionally. employed, more particularly previous to the rupture with Spain in 1739. Having then fallen under the unhappy fuspicion of being strongly infected with those principles and attachments, which had on a former occafion proved the ruin of his father; he was ordered to be ftruck off the lift of naval officers on the 16th of July 1749. He afterwards entered into a foreign service, so that the time of his death is unknown to us.

SOLGUARD, Peter,-was a gentleman of foreign extraction, we believe Danish; and having entered into the English service, was, on the 2d of July 1722, appointed captain of the Greyhound. He remained in the fame command feveral years, ferving in the Weft Indies under vice-admiral Hofier, where he had at least an equal fhare with his cotemporaries in the feveral events which took place there, and was not alfo without his portion of fuccefs. His moft confequential fervice was the capture of a Spanifh fhip, in June 1727, bound from the Havannah to Teneriffe, with a valuable cargo, and upwards of seventy thousand dollars in fpecie, and of a large pirate fhip which had committed many depredations. mainder of his fervices were, as well as thofe of all his colleagues, confined to the mere act of cruising during

The re

the

the continuance of the enfuing armed peace. In this interval he commanded the Hector of forty guns on the Mediterranean ftation, and afterwards the Royal Oak of 70, one of the guardships. On the profpect of a rupture with Spain, he was appointed captain, in 1739, of the Berwick, of feventy guns, in which fhip he was immediately afterwards ordered for the Mediterranean. Soon after his arrival at Gibraltar he was most unhappily feized with a fever of which he died at that place on the 19th of March, 1740. Of this gentleman we have briefly to remark, that as no man ever lived more efteemed, fo did no one ever die more lamented. It may be truly added, and without a figure, that at his funeral, every feaman, every officer, under his command, bewailed him as affectionately as if each individual had loft a friend most truly beloved, or a parent most highly revered.

1723.

NO perfon appears to have been advanced to the rank of poft captain between the 1ft of January 1722-3, and the first of January following.

1724.

ANSON, George, Lord,

was the defcendant of a very refpectable family long fettled in the county of Stafford. He was the fecond and youngest son of William Anfon, efq. of Shugborough in that county, and his wife Elizabeth Lane, one of the daughters and co-heirs of Ralph Lane, efq. and fifter to Mary, countess of Macclef

G 2

Macclesfield. Having very early in life difcovered the ftrongest propenfity to the naval fervice, he received the education neceffary for fuch a purfuit; and paffing through the fubordinate stations of midshipman and lieutenant with much credit and reputation, was, in 1722, advanced to the rank of commander of the Weazle floop. He was, on the 1ft of February 1723-4, promoted to the rank of captain, and appointed to the Scarborough frigate, No mention is made either of the fervices or ftations on which he was employed, or even the fhips he commanded, till the year 1731, at which time he was captain of the Diamond, a fifth rate of forty guns. This veffel was one of those originally intended to have been fent to the Mediterranean with fir Charles Wager, but never proceeded thither. In 1737, till which time we have no farther account of him, he was appointed to the Centurion of fixty guns, and fent as commanding officer, with a diftinguishing pendant, to the coaft of Africa, from whence he paffed to Carolina. On the eve of the rupture with Spain he was pitched upon to command a fquadron, confifting of five or fix two-decked fhips, having on board a body of land forces under colonel Bland. This force was intended to be sent to the East Indies, on an expedition against the valuable Spanish fettlement of Manilla or Luconia, one of the Philippine islands. This force, taking its fuccefs as an abfolute certainty, was to be there joined by a fquadron of equal force, commanded by the brave and unfortunate captain Cornwall, who was to have proceeded to the weftward round Cape Horn; and after attacking and deftroying as far as poffible the Spanish fettlements on the Western coaft of America, was to have formed the junction juft ftated; they were then jointly to attempt any enterprize ftill greater, which their own prudence and ability might fuggeft to them the power of carrying into execution with effect.

This plan, which appeared exceeding feasible and likely to have been productive of the most folid advantages to the nation, was in part fuddenly abandoned by adminiftration, for reafons which have never yet been made public; the original deftination of Mr. Anfon was changed, and he was ordered to purfue the route and plan which had been intended for the fquadron under Mr. Cornwall. He received his commiffion on the 10th of January,