George Darby

George Darby
George Darby
	Vice-Admiral George Darby, by George Romney, c.1784
Born	c.1720
Died	1790
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service / branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1742–1782
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	HMS Aldborough; HMS Seahorse; HMS Norwich; HMS Devonshire; Channel Fleet
Battles / wars	Seven Years' War; American Revolutionary War

Vice Admiral George Darby (c.1720 – 1790) was a Royal Navy officer. He commanded HMS Norwich at the capture of Martinique in 1762 during the Seven Years' War. He went on to command the Western Squadron during the American Revolutionary War and later in that war served as First Naval Lord when he commanded the force that relieved Gibraltar from its siege by the Spanish in April 1781.

Naval career

Early career

Darby was the second son of Jonathan Darby (III) (d.1742/3) and Anna Marie Frend both of Leap Castle, in King's County, Ireland. He joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in September 1742.^[1] Promoted to post-captain on 12 September 1747, he received his first command, the sixth-rate HMS Aldborough.^[2] He went on to become commanding officer of the sixth-rate HMS Seahorse in 1756 and of the fourth-rate HMS Norwich in 1757 in which he served under Admiral Rodney at the capture of Martinique in 1762 during the Seven Years' War.^[1] After that he became commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Devonshire in 1760.^[2]

American War of Independence

In the American Revolutionary War of 1775 to 1783, Admiral Keppel's resignation during the crisis following the Battle of Ushant in 1778 left a vacancy for command of the Western Squadron. On 23 January 1778 Darby became a rear-admiral^[3] and on 19 March 1779 he was promoted to vice-admiral,^[4] thanks to his association with Lord Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, during the court martial of Admiral Palliser. Thus he unexpectedly came to command the Channel Fleet in 1780 at a time of grave danger for the kingdom.^[1]

Darby was appointed to the Board of Admiralty^[5] as First Naval Lord in the North ministry in September 1780.^[6] In April 1781 he relieved Gibraltar from its siege by the Spanish,^[1] for the second time during that war. This event is recorded in a full-length portrait by George Romney, painted 1783–6, which hangs in the National Maritime Museum. On the change of ministry in April 1782 he resigned his command and did not again serve at sea; he also resigned his seat on the Admiralty Board. He was Member of Parliament for Plymouth, from 1780 to 1784.^[1] He lived at Newtown House at Newtown in Hampshire^[7] and died in 1790.^[1]

Personal life

When in England he lived at Newtown House, Newtown, Hampshire and had five children. Darby was married to Mary, daughter of Sir William St Quintin, 4th Baronet and then to Ann Bridges, a widow whose brother was colonial agent and MP, Richard Jackson.^[8] Darby's male issue achieved high military rank and held significant wealth:

William Thomas St Quentin (1769-1805) lived at Darby House, Sunbury on Thames and later at Scampston Hall, Malton, Yorkshire
- Colonel Matthew Chitty Downes St. Quintin (his son)
Major-General Matthew Chitty Darby-Griffith (1772–1823) lived at Padworth House, Berkshire

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "George Darby". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7140. Retrieved 23 July 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ ^a ^b "George Darby (1720-1790)". Three Decks. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
^ "No. 11843". The London Gazette. 24 January 1778. p. 2.
^ "No. 11962". The London Gazette. 16 March 1779. p. 2.
^ "Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660-1870, Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660-1870 (1975), pp. 18–31". Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
^ Rodger, p. 69
^ "George Darby". More than Nelson. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
^ Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976.

Sources

Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Offices of State. Lavenham: T. Dalton Ltd. ISBN 0900963948.
Laughton, John Knox (1888). "Darby, George" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 14. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

External links

Media related to George Darby at Wikimedia Commons

History of Parliament: George Darby

Military offices
Preceded by Robert Man	First Naval Lord 1780–1782	Succeeded by Sir Robert Harland
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Rodney	Rear-Admiral of Great Britain 1781–1790	Succeeded by Lord Bridport

[odnb-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "George Darby". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/7140. Retrieved 23 July 2017. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[decks-2] "George Darby (1720-1790)". Three Decks. Retrieved 24 July 2017.

[3] "No. 11843". The London Gazette. 24 January 1778. p. 2.

[4] "No. 11962". The London Gazette. 16 March 1779. p. 2.

[5] "Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660-1870, Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660-1870 (1975), pp. 18–31". Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2009.

[6] Rodger, p. 69

[7] "George Darby". More than Nelson. Retrieved 6 August 2017.

[8] Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. Burke's Irish Family Records. London, U.K.: Burkes Peerage Ltd, 1976.

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v t e First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
Senior Naval Lords (1689–1771)	Arthur Herbert Sir John Chicheley Edward Russell Henry Priestman Earl of Orford Sir George Rooke Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Sir John Leake Sir George Byng Matthew Aylmer Sir George Byng Sir John Jennings Sir John Norris Sir Charles Wager Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Harry Powlett Lord Archibald Hamilton Lord Vere Beauclerk Lord Anson Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen Sir William Rowley Edward Boscawen John Forbes Earl Howe Sir Charles Saunders Augustus Keppel Sir Peircy Brett Sir Francis Holburne
First Naval Lords (1771–1904)	Augustus Hervey Sir Hugh Palliser Robert Man George Darby Sir Robert Harland Sir Hugh Pigot John Leveson-Gower Lord Hood Sir Charles Middleton James Gambier Sir Thomas Troubridge James Gambier John Markham James Gambier Sir Richard Bickerton William Domett Sir Joseph Yorke Sir Graham Moore Sir William Johnstone Hope Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
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