Sir William Burnaby, 1st Baronet

"William Burnaby" redirects here. For other uses, see William Burnaby (disambiguation).
Sir William Burnaby, 1st Baronet
Born ca. 1710
Died 1776
Allegiance  Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Rank Rear-Admiral
Commands held HMS Thunder
HMS Lichfield
HMS Jersey
HMS Royal Anne
Jamaica Station

Sir William Burnaby, 1st Baronet (ca. 1710  1776) was a British naval officer who became Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station.

Naval career

Burnaby was the son of John Burnaby of Kensington.[1] He entered the navy and was promoted to lieutenant in 1732. In August 1741 he was given command of the bomb-ketch HMS Thunder and posted to Admiral Vernon's squadron in the West Indies. In 1742 he became captain of the fourth-rate HMS Lichfield.[2]

On his return to England he bought Broughton Hall in Oxfordshire in 1747, was knighted in 1754 and served as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire for 1755.[2]

On the outbreak of war with France he was given command of the fourth-rate HMS Jersey and then the first-rate HMS Royal Anne and in 1762 promoted to rear-admiral. In 1763 he was back in the West Indies in command of the fourth-rate HMS Dreadnought with orders to protect and exploit local trade. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station in 1764.[3] In 1765 he sailed to Belize at their request of the loggers there to protect them from Spanish attacks, drawing up a Civil Law for the colony called Burnaby's Code. He returned to England in 1767 and on 31 October 1767 was created a baronet. He was promoted to Vice-admiral of the White on 20 October 1770 and to Vice-admiral of the Red soon afterwards.

He died in 1776, and was succeeded by his son Sir William Chaloner Burnaby. He had married twice: firstly Margaret, widow of Tim Donovan of Jamaica (they had the son, William Chaloner, and a daughter, Elizabeth) and secondly Grace, daughter of Drewry Ottley with whom he had six children, including Edward, who followed his father into the Royal Navy.[2]

His six times great-grandson is actor Daniel Craig.[4]

References

  1. "Complete baronetage". Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Burnaby, Sir William (c.1710–1776), naval officer by Kenneth Breen". Oxford DNB. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  3. Cundall, p. xx
  4. "Je m'appelle Bond... James Bond". Genealogy Reviews. Retrieved 1 May 2015.

Sources

Military offices
Preceded by
Augustus Keppel
Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica Station
17641766
Succeeded by
William Parry
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