Sir William Burnaby, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Wiiliam Burnaby, 1st Baronet (ca. 17101776) was a British naval officer.
He was the son of John Burnaby of Kensington.
He entered the navy and was promoted to lieutenant in 1732. In August 1741 he was given command of the bomb-ketch Thunder and posted to Admiral Vernon's squadron in the West Indies. In 1742 he was made Captain of the warship Lichfield.
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.
On the outbreak of war with France he was given command of the Jersey and then the Royal Anne and in 1762 made a Rear-admiral. In 1763 he was back in the Weat Indies in command of the Dreadnought
with orders to protect and exploit local trade. 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 made a baronet. He was promoted Vice-admiral of the White on 20 October 1770 and Vice-admiral of the Red soon afterwards. At the end of 1771 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in Jamaica, soon handing over to Admiral Rodney.
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.
He was the son of John Burnaby of Kensington.
He entered the navy and was promoted to lieutenant in 1732. In August 1741 he was given command of the bomb-ketch Thunder and posted to Admiral Vernon's squadron in the West Indies. In 1742 he was made Captain of the warship Lichfield.
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.
On the outbreak of war with France he was given command of the Jersey and then the Royal Anne and in 1762 made a Rear-admiral. In 1763 he was back in the Weat Indies in command of the Dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
with orders to protect and exploit local trade. 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 made a baronet. He was promoted Vice-admiral of the White on 20 October 1770 and Vice-admiral of the Red soon afterwards. At the end of 1771 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief in Jamaica, soon handing over to Admiral Rodney.
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.