Stafford Fairborne
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir Stafford Fairborne (1666 – 11 November 1742) was a Royal Navy
officer and politician who represented Rochester
as a Member of Parliament
from 1705 to 1710.
, governor of Tangiers. In June 1685 Stafford was lieutenant of the Bonadventure
at Tangiers, and during the illness of his captain commanded the ship in a successful encounter with some Sallee vessels at Mamora. On 12 July 1686 he was promoted to command the Half Moon, a Sallee prize, and in August 1688 was appointed to HMS Richmond, from which he was moved into the HMS Fairfax
, and, after the Glorious Revolution
, into the HMS Warspite
of 70 guns, which he commanded at the Battle of Beachy Head
, 30 June 1690.
At the siege of Cork
, in September 1690, he served on shore under the Duke of Marlborough
, probably with a naval brigade; in 1692 he commanded the HMS Elizabeth
of 70 guns at the battle of Barfleur
, and in 1693 the HMS Monck
of 52 guns in the fleet under Sir George Rooke, which on 19 June, while in charge of the Smyrna convoy, was scattered by the French
off Cape St. Vincent
. In 1695 he commanded the HMS Victory
, a first-rate, and was moved out of her into the HMS Defiance
, a third-rate, on 3 February 1696, to command the outward-bound trade in the Downs
. On 22 March he was moved back again to the Victory; in June into the HMS London
, also a first-rate; and shortly after into the HMS Albemarle
, a second-rate. The system then in place was of paying a captain according to the rate of the ship he commanded. Fairborne was assured at the time that, as they were made for the advantage of the service, they should not be any prejudice to him; but three years later he was still petitioning the admiralty for compensation for the loss he had sustained in pay.
In May 1699 he was appointed to the HMS Torbay
, but that ship was not nearly ready, and he was transferred to the HMS Suffolk, which he commanded till the end of the year as senior officer in the Downs or at Spithead
. In January 1700 he was appointed to the HMS Tilbury
, in which he went to Newfoundland in charge of convoy, and to clear the coast of pirates. Then he went with convoy to Cadiz
, and into the Mediterranean. By March 1701 he was back at Cadiz, and thence returned to England. In the following June he was promoted to be rear-admiral of the blue, and a short time later he was knighted.
In 1702 he was appointed, with his flag in the HMS St George
, to a command in the fleet under Rooke, which failed in the attempt on Cádiz
, and achieved a success at Vigo
, on which occasion he moved into the Essex
, a ship of lighter draught, but does not seem to have been personally engaged. He was afterwards left under Sir Clowdisley Shovell to bring the prizes home, which was safely accomplished by 17 November in spite of exceptionally bad weather. In the following year Fairborne was promoted to be vice-admiral of the red, and appointed to serve in the grand fleet during the short command of Admiral George Churchill, after which, with his flag in the Association, he joined Shovell in the Mediterranean, and with him returned to England in November. From the Downs the squadron was ordered into the River Thames
, and on the evening of the 25th anchored for the night off the Gunfleet. There a great storm
, which broke out the next day, found them. They were unable to weigh anchor, but in the early morning of the 27th the Association was blown violently from her anchors, and, with the wind at west-south-west, was driven helplessly across the North Sea to the coast of Holland. She at last reached Gothenburg
, and, after refitting, was able, with difficulty, to return to the Thames.
In the following year Fairborne hoisted his flag on board the Shrewsbury
, in the fleet under Shovell at Lisbon, and, on Shovell's going to the Mediterranean, remained in command of the ships in the English Channel
. In 1705 he accompanied Shovell to the Mediterranean, and was present at the siege and capture of Barcelona
in September and October. In 1706 he was again employed on the home station, commanding the squadron sent off La Rochelle
in May, and at the reduction of Ostend
in June.
He was Member of Parliament
for Rochester
from 1705 to 1710. In June 1707 he was appointed a member of the council of the lord admiral, retiring in June 1708. On the death of Sir Clowdisley Shovell in October 1707 he was promoted to be admiral of the white, on 7 January 1708, and on 21 December 1708 to be admiral of the fleet
; but he had no further employment at sea, though in 1713 he was appointed a commissioner for disbanding the marine regiments. From this time he retired from service. In lieu of half-pay a special pension of £600 a year was settled on him from 1 January 1715. He died aged 76.
He married in 1708 Rebecca, daughter of Colonel Thomas Paston. In his petition of 6 June 1699 he describes himself as having a large family.
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....
Sir Stafford Fairborne (1666 – 11 November 1742) was a 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...
officer and politician who represented Rochester
Rochester (UK Parliament constituency)
Rochester was a parliamentary constituency in Kent. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from 1705 to 1710.
Naval career
He was the eldest son of Sir Palmes FairbornePalmes Fairborne
-Early life:Fairborne was the son of Colonel Stafford Fairborne of Newark-on-Trent. When young he fought as a soldier of fortune in Crete at the siege of Candia by the Ottoman Turks; a Turk's head was afterwards included in his arms...
, governor of Tangiers. In June 1685 Stafford was lieutenant of the Bonadventure
HMS Bonaventure (1650)
President was a 38-gun fourth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, originally built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England by Peter Pett I at Deptford Dockyard, and launched in 1650....
at Tangiers, and during the illness of his captain commanded the ship in a successful encounter with some Sallee vessels at Mamora. On 12 July 1686 he was promoted to command the Half Moon, a Sallee prize, and in August 1688 was appointed to HMS Richmond, from which he was moved into the HMS Fairfax
HMS Fairfax
Several ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Fairfax:*Fairfax, a 52-gun frigate launched in 1650, and accidentally burnt in 1653., a 52-gun Speaker-class frigate launched in 1653, and wrecked in 1682....
, and, after 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...
, into the HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite (1666)
HMS Warspite was a 70-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1666 at Blackwall Yard. This second Warspite was one of the five ships designed to carry more provisions and lower deck guns higher above the water than French and Dutch equivalents...
of 70 guns, which he commanded at the Battle of Beachy Head
Battle of Beachy Head (1690)
The Battle of Beachy Head was a naval engagement fought on 10 July 1690 during the Nine Years' War. The battle was the greatest French tactical naval victory over their English and Dutch opponents during the war...
, 30 June 1690.
At the siege of Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, in September 1690, he served on shore under the Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
, probably with a naval brigade; in 1692 he commanded the HMS Elizabeth
HMS Elizabeth (1679)
HMS Elizabeth was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Deptford in 1679.Elizabeth was rebuilt as another 70-gun third rate at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1704, but was captured later that year....
of 70 guns at the battle of Barfleur
Battle of Barfleur
This article deals in detail with the action on 19 May 1692. For an overview of the battle, its background and aftermath, see Battles of Barfleur and La Hogue...
, and in 1693 the HMS Monck
HMS Monck (1659)
HMS Monck was a 52-gun third rate frigate built for the navy of the Commonwealth of England at Portsmouth, and launched in 1659. She retained her name after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660. By 1677 her armament had been increased to 60 guns....
of 52 guns in the fleet under Sir George Rooke, which on 19 June, while in charge of the Smyrna convoy, was scattered by the French
Battle of Lagos (1693)
The Battle of Lagos was a sea battle during the Nine Years' War on 1693-06-27 , when a French fleet under Tourville defeated an Anglo-Dutch fleet under George Rooke...
off Cape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent
Cape St. Vincent , next to the Sagres Point, on the so-called Costa Vicentina , is a headland in the municipality of Sagres, in the Algarve, southern Portugal.- Description :This cape is the southwesternmost point in Portugal...
. In 1695 he commanded the HMS Victory
HMS Royal James (1675)
HMS Royal James was a 100-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, designed by Sir Anthony Deane and built by his successor as Master Shipwright at Portsmouth Dockyard, Daniel Furzer, and launched in 1675. She was renamed HMS Victory on 7 March 1691 as the old second rate Victory of 1666...
, a first-rate, and was moved out of her into the HMS Defiance
HMS Defiance (1675)
HMS Defiance was a 64-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Phineas Pett II at Chatham Dockyard, and launched in 1675.In the summer of 1678, Defiance was under the command of John Ernle....
, a third-rate, on 3 February 1696, to command the outward-bound trade in the Downs
The Downs
The Downs are a roadstead or area of sea in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast, between the North and the South Foreland in southern England. In 1639 the Battle of the Downs took place here, when the Dutch navy destroyed a Spanish fleet which had sought refuge...
. On 22 March he was moved back again to the Victory; in June into the HMS London
HMS London (1766)
HMS London was a 90-gun second-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 24 May 1766 at Chatham Dockyard.London was originally launched as a 90-gun ship, as was standard for second rates at the time, but was later increased to 98-guns when she had eight 12 pounders installed on her...
, also a first-rate; and shortly after into the HMS Albemarle
HMS Albemarle (1680)
HMS Albemarle was a 90-gun second rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1680 at Harwich.She was rebuilt in 1704 at Chatham Dockyard, remaining a 90-gun second rater. She was also renamed HMS Union at this time...
, a second-rate. The system then in place was of paying a captain according to the rate of the ship he commanded. Fairborne was assured at the time that, as they were made for the advantage of the service, they should not be any prejudice to him; but three years later he was still petitioning the admiralty for compensation for the loss he had sustained in pay.
In May 1699 he was appointed to the HMS Torbay
HMS Torbay (1693)
HMS Torbay was an 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard on 16 December 1693. In 1707, she served as flagship of Rear-Admiral of the Blue Sir John Norris and belonged to Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell's fleet...
, but that ship was not nearly ready, and he was transferred to the HMS Suffolk, which he commanded till the end of the year as senior officer in the Downs or at Spithead
Spithead
Spithead is an area of the Solent and a roadstead off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds, except those from the southeast...
. In January 1700 he was appointed to the HMS Tilbury
HMS Tilbury (1699)
HMS Tilbury was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Chatham Dockyard in 1699.Tilbury served until 1726, when she was broken up....
, in which he went to Newfoundland in charge of convoy, and to clear the coast of pirates. Then he went with convoy to Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, and into the Mediterranean. By March 1701 he was back at Cadiz, and thence returned to England. In the following June he was promoted to be rear-admiral of the blue, and a short time later he was knighted.
In 1702 he was appointed, with his flag in the HMS St George
HMS Charles (1668)
HMS Charles was 96-gun first-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Christopher Pett at Deptford Dockyard until his death in March 1668, then completed by Jonas Shish after being launched in the same month. Her name was formally Charles the Second, but she was known simply as Charles,...
, to a command in the fleet under Rooke, which failed in the attempt on Cádiz
Battle of Cádiz (1702)
The Battle of Cádiz, fought in August/September 1702, was an Anglo-Dutch attempt to seize the southern Spanish port of Cádiz during the War of the Spanish Succession. The Andalusian city of Cádiz was the great European centre of the Spanish–American trade...
, and achieved a success 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...
, on which occasion he moved into the Essex
HMS Essex (1679)
HMS Essex was a 70-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Blackwall Yard in 1679.She was rebuilt at Rotherhithe in 1700, retaining her 70-gun armament. She underwent a second rebuild in 1713, and on 20 May 1736 she was ordered to be taken to pieces and rebuilt at Woolwich as...
, a ship of lighter draught, but does not seem to have been personally engaged. He was afterwards left under Sir Clowdisley Shovell to bring the prizes home, which was safely accomplished by 17 November in spite of exceptionally bad weather. In the following year Fairborne was promoted to be vice-admiral of the red, and appointed to serve in the grand fleet during the short command of Admiral George Churchill, after which, with his flag in the Association, he joined Shovell in the Mediterranean, and with him returned to England in November. From the Downs the squadron was ordered into the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, and on the evening of the 25th anchored for the night off the Gunfleet. There a great storm
Great Storm of 1703
The Great Storm of 1703 was the most severe storm or natural disaster ever recorded in the southern part of Great Britain. It affected southern England and the English Channel in the Kingdom of Great Britain...
, which broke out the next day, found them. They were unable to weigh anchor, but in the early morning of the 27th the Association was blown violently from her anchors, and, with the wind at west-south-west, was driven helplessly across the North Sea to the coast of Holland. She at last reached Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, and, after refitting, was able, with difficulty, to return to the Thames.
In the following year Fairborne hoisted his flag on board the Shrewsbury
HMS Shrewsbury (1695)
HMS Shrewsbury was a three-decker 80-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 6 February 1695.Shrewsbury narrowly escaped destruction on the Goodwin Sands during the Great Storm on 26 November 1703...
, in the fleet under Shovell at Lisbon, and, on Shovell's going to the Mediterranean, remained in command of the ships in the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. In 1705 he accompanied Shovell to the Mediterranean, and was present at the siege and capture of Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in September and October. In 1706 he was again employed on the home station, commanding the squadron sent off La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
in May, and at the reduction of Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
in June.
He was Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Rochester
Rochester (UK Parliament constituency)
Rochester was a parliamentary constituency in Kent. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of England from 1295 to 1707, then to the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800, and finally to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
from 1705 to 1710. In June 1707 he was appointed a member of the council of the lord admiral, retiring in June 1708. On the death of Sir Clowdisley Shovell in October 1707 he was promoted to be admiral of the white, on 7 January 1708, and on 21 December 1708 to be admiral of the fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
; but he had no further employment at sea, though in 1713 he was appointed a commissioner for disbanding the marine regiments. From this time he retired from service. In lieu of half-pay a special pension of £600 a year was settled on him from 1 January 1715. He died aged 76.
He married in 1708 Rebecca, daughter of Colonel Thomas Paston. In his petition of 6 June 1699 he describes himself as having a large family.