George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, KB
PC (27 January 1663 – 17 January 1733) was a British naval officer and statesman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career included service as First Lord of the Admiralty during the reign of King George II
.
, Kent
, England
. In 1678, he entered the Royal Navy
as a King's Letter Boy
. He left the navy for a brief time to join an army garrison stationed at Tangier
, but in 1683 Byng rejoined the navy as a lieutenant
, and shipped for the East Indies
. In 1688 he was instrumental in instigating the Royal Navy to switch allegiance to William III
, Prince of Orange
. This naval force took part in the Glorious Revolution
of 1688, and William was installed as King of England, thus insuring Byng's rapid rise in rank and fortune.
In 1702, Byng was given command of a vessel, the Nassau, and took part in the capture and burning of the French Fleet at Vigo
. The next year Byng was promoted to Rear-Admiral. In 1704 he was in the Mediterranean under the command of Sir Cloudesley Shovell
, and led the bombardment squadron during Admiral Rooke's capture of Gibraltar
. Byng took part in the Battle of Malaga
, for which he received a knighthood.
In 1707, Sir George Byng served again under Shovell and took part in the unsuccessful Battle of Toulon
. Sailing aboard his flagship HMS Royal Anne
, he was present during the great naval disaster off the Isles of Scilly
when Shovell and four of his ships were lost, claiming the lives of nearly 2,000 sailors.
In 1708 Byng was promoted to full admiral, and took part in the struggle against the Jacobite uprising in Scotland
. In 1718 he was made Admiral of the Fleet
and commanded the fleet which routed the Spanish Fleet at the Battle of Cape Passaro
, thwarting the attempt of the Spanish to take Sicily
.
Byng was rewarded handsomely for this victory by George I
and given full power to negotiate with the various princes and states of Italy
, on behalf of the English crown. In 1719 he assisted the Germans in taking Messina, and destroyed the remaining Spanish ships which forced the Spanish king to accept the terms of the Quadruple Alliance
. On his return to England in 1721 he was made rear-admiral of Great Britain, a member of the privy council
, Baron Byng of Southill in the county of Bedford
, and 1st Viscount Torrington
in Devon
.
In 1725 Byng was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath
and in 1727, on the accession of George II, he was made First Lord of the Admiralty.
Byng's administration of the Admiralty was distinguished by the establishment of the Royal Naval College
at Portsmouth
. He died in 1733 and is buried at Southill
, Bedfordshire
.
Byng had 15 children, and two of his 11 sons — Pattee (1699–1747) and George
(1701–1750) — became respectively the second and third Viscounts Torrington. His fourth-eldest son was Admiral Hon. John Byng
, who was controversially court-martial
led and shot at the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
in Europe. His fourth son Hon. Robert Byng was the grandfather of the soldier John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford
.
The first Viscount Torrington's descendants retain the title to the present day.
Torrington Road in Portsmouth
is named after him.
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Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, KB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
PC (27 January 1663 – 17 January 1733) was a British naval officer and statesman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career included service as First Lord of the Admiralty during the reign of King George II
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
.
Naval career
Byng was born at WrothamWrotham
Wrotham is a village situated on the Pilgrims' Way in Kent, at the foot of the North Downs. It is located one mile north of Borough Green and approximately five miles east of Sevenoaks. It is within the junction of the M20 and M26 motorways....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In 1678, he entered the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
as a King's Letter Boy
Volunteer-per-order
Volunteer-per-order was a name for a rating for young boys in the Royal Navy for young gentlemen who were training to become officers. The rating was introduced by Samuel Pepys in 1676 and the recipient received £24 a year and a letter from the crown which virtually guaranteed him promotion after...
. He left the navy for a brief time to join an army garrison stationed at Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
, but in 1683 Byng rejoined the navy as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
, and shipped for the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
. In 1688 he was instrumental in instigating the Royal Navy to switch allegiance to William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
, Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange is a title of nobility, originally associated with the Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France. In French it is la Principauté d'Orange....
. This naval force took part in the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
of 1688, and William was installed as King of England, thus insuring Byng's rapid rise in rank and fortune.
In 1702, Byng was given command of a vessel, the Nassau, and took part in the capture and burning of the French Fleet at Vigo
Battle of Vigo Bay
The Battle of Vigo Bay, also known as the Battle of Rande , was a naval engagement fought on 23 October 1702 during the opening years of the War of the Spanish Succession. The engagement followed an Anglo-Dutch attempt to capture the Spanish port of Cádiz in September in an effort to secure a naval...
. The next year Byng was promoted to Rear-Admiral. In 1704 he was in the Mediterranean under the command of Sir Cloudesley Shovell
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
, and led the bombardment squadron during Admiral Rooke's capture of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Byng took part in the Battle of Malaga
Battle of Malaga
The Battle of Málaga was the largest naval battle in the War of the Spanish Succession. It took place on 24 August 1704, south of Málaga, Spain.-The battle:...
, for which he received a knighthood.
In 1707, Sir George Byng served again under Shovell and took part in the unsuccessful Battle of Toulon
Battle of Toulon (1707)
The Battle of Toulon was fought from July 29 to August 21, 1707 at Toulon, France during the War of the Spanish Succession. During the battle, a French and Spanish force defeated one from Austria, the Dutch Republic, Savoy and Great Britain....
. Sailing aboard his flagship HMS Royal Anne
HMS St Andrew (1670)
HMS St Andrew was a 96-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built at Woolwich Dockyard by Christopher Pett until his death in March 1668, and then completed by Jonas Shish, and launched in 1670....
, he was present during the great naval disaster off the Isles of Scilly
Scilly naval disaster of 1707
Scilly naval disaster of 1707 is an umbrella term for the events of 22 October 1707 that led to the sinking of a British naval fleet off the Isles of Scilly. With four large ships and more than 1,400 sailors lost in stormy weather, it was one of the greatest maritime disasters in the history of...
when Shovell and four of his ships were lost, claiming the lives of nearly 2,000 sailors.
In 1708 Byng was promoted to full admiral, and took part in the struggle against the Jacobite uprising in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In 1718 he was made Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
and commanded the fleet which routed the Spanish Fleet at the Battle of Cape Passaro
Battle of Cape Passaro
The Battle of Cape Passaro was the defeat of a Spanish fleet under Admirals Antonio de Gaztañeta and Fernando Chacón by a British fleet under Admiral George Byng, near Cape Passero, Sicily, on 11 August 1718, four months before the War of the Quadruple Alliance was formally...
, thwarting the attempt of the Spanish to take Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
Byng was rewarded handsomely for this victory by George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
and given full power to negotiate with the various princes and states of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, on behalf of the English crown. In 1719 he assisted the Germans in taking Messina, and destroyed the remaining Spanish ships which forced the Spanish king to accept the terms of the Quadruple Alliance
Quadruple Alliance
The term "Quadruple Alliance" refers to several historical military alliances; none of which remain in effect.# The Quadruple Alliance of August 1673 was an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Spain, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, and the United Provinces of the Netherlands, in...
. On his return to England in 1721 he was made rear-admiral of Great Britain, a member of the privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
, Baron Byng of Southill in the county of Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
, and 1st Viscount Torrington
Viscount Torrington
Viscount Torrington is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1721 for the statesman Sir George Byng, 1st Baronet, along with the subsidiary title Baron Byng, of Southill in the County of Bedford, also in the Peerage of Great Britain. He had already been created a Baronet, of...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
In 1725 Byng was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
and in 1727, on the accession of George II, he was made First Lord of the Admiralty.
Byng's administration of the Admiralty was distinguished by the establishment of the Royal Naval College
Royal Naval Academy
The Royal Naval Academy was established at Portsmouth Dockyard as a facility to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders' intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, education and admission.-Training:In 1773, a shore side...
at Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. He died in 1733 and is buried at Southill
Southill
Southill may refer to:*Southill, Bedfordshire, England*Southill, Limerick, Ireland*Southill, Weymouth, Dorset, EnglandSouthill may also refer to:*Viscount Torrington, Lord Byng of Southill...
, Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
.
Byng had 15 children, and two of his 11 sons — Pattee (1699–1747) and George
George Byng, 3rd Viscount Torrington
Major General George Byng, 3rd Viscount Torrington , styled The Honourable from 1721 to 1747, was a British Army officer and peer. He was the son of Admiral George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington. He married Elizabeth Daniel, granddaughter of Sir Peter Daniel, on 21 August 1736...
(1701–1750) — became respectively the second and third Viscounts Torrington. His fourth-eldest son was Admiral Hon. John Byng
John Byng
Admiral John Byng was a Royal Navy officer. After joining the navy at the age of thirteen he participated at the Battle of Cape Passaro in 1718. Over the next thirty years he built up a reputation as a solid naval officer and received promotion to Vice-Admiral in 1747...
, who was controversially court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
led and shot at the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
in Europe. His fourth son Hon. Robert Byng was the grandfather of the soldier John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford
John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford
Field Marshal John Byng, 1st Earl of Strafford, GCB, GCH, PC was a British peer, politician and soldier.-Early years:...
.
The first Viscount Torrington's descendants retain the title to the present day.
Torrington Road in Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
is named after him.
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