John Ross (naval officer)
Encyclopedia
Sir John Lockhart-Ross, 6th Baronet (11 November 1721 – 9 June 1790), known as John Lockhart from 1721 to 1760, was an officer of the Royal Navy
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
, Seven Years' War
, and the American War of Independence, and served for a time as a Member of Parliament
.
Lockhart was born into a gentry family in 1721 and embarked on a naval career. He served on a number of ships during the War of the Austrian Succession
, seeing action at both the First
and Second Battles of Cape Finisterre
, having by then risen to the rank of lieutenant. He had his own commands by the outbreak of the Seven Years' War
, and enjoyed particular success as a frigate captain, cruising against privateer
s while in command of . Further commands followed, including roles in detached squadrons and at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
. Taking the additional name Ross after he inherited some a deceased relative's estates, he served as a member of parliament and undertook land reforms and improvements during the years of peace before the outbreak of the American War of Independence.
Lockhart-Ross returned to sea on the outbreak of war, commanding a ship at the Battle of Ushant
, and later being promoted to flag rank. He served in several actions as a junior commander of Rodney's
fleet, including the capture of the Caracas convoy
, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent
and the relief of Gibraltar
. He then retired ashore, devoting himself to his estates until his death in 1790. He was succeeded in the baronetcy he had inherited in 1778 by his son.
, the fifth son of Sir James Lockhart, 2nd Baronet. His mother, Grizel, was the third daughter of William Ross, 12th Lord Ross
. Lockhart joined the navy in September 1735, serving first aboard the 50-gun under Captain Henry Osborne. He transferred to the 50-gun under Captain Charles Knowles in the West Indies between 1737 and 1738, and went on to serve aboard the 54-gun under Captain Henry Medley
in 1739, and the 14-gun sloop
under Captain Frogmere in 1740. Lockhart followed Frogmere to several of his ships, serving under him aboard the 20-gun and then the 54-gun . He passed his lieutenant's examination on 28 September 1743, and received his commission with a posting on 21 October that year to the 44-gun in the North Sea
, and afterwards on the coast of North America. While serving on the North American station he was moved into the 50-gun and returned to England with her in late 1746.
Lockhart's next appointment was to the 66-gun in April 1747. Devonshire was the flagship
of Rear-Admiral Peter Warren, under whom Lockhart saw action at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre
on 3 May 1747. He was then appointed to his first command, that of the fireship , in which he saw action with Sir Edward Hawke's
fleet at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
on 16 October 1747. One of the captains in the battle, Thomas Fox of the 64-gun , was later relieved of his command after controversy over his actions in the engagement, and Lockhart was given temporary command of Kent in his place. During 1748 Lockhart was first lieutenant of the Portsmouth
guardship , and for the next few years was on half pay in Scotland. In January 1755 he was appointed first lieutenant of the 90-gun with Captain Charles Saunders, and on 22 April 1755 he was promoted to command the 8-gun sloop , attached during the year to the western squadron cruising under the command of Sir Edward Hawke or Vice-Admiral John Byng
.
s of equal or superior force, among them the 22-gun Cerf with 211 men, the 26-gun Grand Gideon with 190 men, and the 20-gun Mont-Ozier of Rochelle
with 170 men. Lockhart was severely wounded in the capture of the Mont-Ozier on 17 February 1757, and had to be invalided on shore for the next two months. He rejoined the Tartar and on 15 April, off Dunnose, he captured the 26-gun Duc d'Aiguillon of St. Malo with 254 men; and on 2 November the 36-gun Melampe with 320 men. The latter ship was added to the navy as the 36-gun frigate .
As a reward for Lockhart's services, the Admiralty
offered him the command of the 50-gun , which was then nearing completion, and making several promotions from Tartars crew. He was also presented by the merchants of London
and of Bristol
with pieces of plate
‘for his signal service in supporting the trade;’ and by the corporation of Plymouth
with the freedom of the borough
in a gold box. Lockhart spent the next few months recuperating at Bath and waiting for the Chatham to be launched. She was duly launched in April 1758 and Lockhart took command, taking many of his officers and men from Tartar to crew her, with the Admiralty's permission. Lockhart had her fitted for sea by May, and spent June to September cruising against privateers in the North Sea.
Chatham was then ordered into the Channel and later joined the fleet under Sir Edward Hawke. She spent the summer detached off Le Havre
under Rear-Admiral George Brydges Rodney
, rejoining Hawke in October, and then being sent to join a squadron under Commodore Robert Duff, to watch the French in Quiberon Bay
. The squadron observed the French fleet sail out, and were chased by them as they rushed to report the news to Hawke. Hawke brought his fleet against them and decisively defeated them at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
on 20 November 1759. Four days later Hawke appointed Lockhart to command in the place of Captain John Campbell, who was sent home with the despatches. In the end of January 1760 the Royal George came to Spithead
, and a month later Lockhart was appointed to command the 64-gun , forming part of the fleet under Hawke or Edward Boscawen
.
, but it does not appear that he took any active interest in parliamentary business. He devoted himself principally to the improvement of his estates and the condition of the peasantry, and became known as ‘the best farmer and the greatest planter in the country; his wheat and turnips showed the one, his plantation of a million of pines the other’. He was MP for Lanark Burghs from 1761 to 1768 and in 1762, he initiated land tenure reform which would later evolve into the Highland Clearances
. He was MP for Lanarkshire
from 1768 to 1774.
In 1777, when war with France appeared imminent, Ross returned to active service, and was appointed to the 74-gun , joining the fleet under Admiral Augustus Keppel
in the Battle of Ushant
on 27 July 1778. On 13 August, by the successive deaths of his elder brothers without male issue, he succeeded to the baronetcy
. On 19 March 1779 he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral, and during the summer, with his flag in the Royal George, he was fourth in command in the Channel. In September he was sent with a small squadron into the North Sea to look out for John Paul Jones
, but Jones, after capturing
the Serapis
in 1779, made good his escape. Continuing in the Channel Fleet
, Ross was with Rodney at the capture of the Caracas convoy
, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent
and the relief of Gibraltar
in January 1780; with George Darby
at the relief of Gibraltar in April 1781; and with Lord Howe
during the early summer of 1782. On the return of the fleet to Spithead in August he resigned his command, and had no further employment afloat. He became a vice-admiral on 24 September 1787, and died at Balnagown Castle
in Ross-shire
on 9 June 1790. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dundas the younger
, of Arniston
, in 1762 and had a number of children. Among them was his eldest son, Charles Lockhart-Ross, an army officer who inherited the baronetcy on his father's death, and George Ross, father of distinguished legal writer George Ross.
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...
who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.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...
, and the American War of Independence, and served for a time 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,...
.
Lockhart was born into a gentry family in 1721 and embarked on a naval career. He served on a number of ships during the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
, seeing action at both the First
First battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The First Battle of Cape Finisterre saw 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson attack a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière during the War of the Austrian Succession. The British captured 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour...
and Second Battles of Cape Finisterre
Second battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The Second Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle which took place on 25 October 1747 during the War of the Austrian Succession...
, having by then risen to the rank of lieutenant. He had his own commands by 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...
, and enjoyed particular success as a frigate captain, cruising against privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s while in command of . Further commands followed, including roles in detached squadrons and at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St. Nazaire...
. Taking the additional name Ross after he inherited some a deceased relative's estates, he served as a member of parliament and undertook land reforms and improvements during the years of peace before the outbreak of the American War of Independence.
Lockhart-Ross returned to sea on the outbreak of war, commanding a ship at the Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
, and later being promoted to flag rank. He served in several actions as a junior commander of Rodney's
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
fleet, including the capture of the Caracas convoy
Action of 8 January 1780
The Action of 8 January 1780 was a naval encounter off Cape Finisterre between a British Royal Naval fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney, and a fleet of Spanish merchants sailing in convoy with seven warships of the Caracas Company, under the command of Commodore Don Juan Augustin de Yardi....
, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)
The naval Battle of Cape St Vincent, took place off the coast of Portugal on 16 January 1780 during the American War of Independence. A British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney defeated a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Lángara. The battle is sometimes referred to as the Moonlight Battle,...
and the relief of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
. He then retired ashore, devoting himself to his estates until his death in 1790. He was succeeded in the baronetcy he had inherited in 1778 by his son.
Family and early life
Lockhart was born on 11 November 1721 at Lockhart Hall, LanarkshireLanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, the fifth son of Sir James Lockhart, 2nd Baronet. His mother, Grizel, was the third daughter of William Ross, 12th Lord Ross
William Ross, 12th Lord Ross
William Ross, 12th Lord Ross , was a Scottish nobleman, soldier and politician.-Origins:Ross was born in about 1656. He was the son and heir of George Ross, 11th Lord Ross, who died in 1682, by Grizel, daughter of William Cochrane, 1st Earl of Dundonald...
. Lockhart joined the navy in September 1735, serving first aboard the 50-gun under Captain Henry Osborne. He transferred to the 50-gun under Captain Charles Knowles in the West Indies between 1737 and 1738, and went on to serve aboard the 54-gun under Captain Henry Medley
Henry Medley
Henry Medley was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served as Commodore Governor of Newfoundland.Medley entered the Royal Navy in 1703 and was appointed Governor of Newfoundland in 1739 and served for two seasons.Service history:...
in 1739, and the 14-gun sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
under Captain Frogmere in 1740. Lockhart followed Frogmere to several of his ships, serving under him aboard the 20-gun and then the 54-gun . He passed his lieutenant's examination on 28 September 1743, and received his commission with a posting on 21 October that year to the 44-gun in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, and afterwards on the coast of North America. While serving on the North American station he was moved into the 50-gun and returned to England with her in late 1746.
Lockhart's next appointment was to the 66-gun in April 1747. Devonshire was the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Rear-Admiral Peter Warren, under whom Lockhart saw action at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre
First battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The First Battle of Cape Finisterre saw 14 British ships of the line under Admiral George Anson attack a French 30-ship convoy commanded by Admiral de la Jonquière during the War of the Austrian Succession. The British captured 4 ships of the line, 2 frigates and 7 merchantmen, in a five-hour...
on 3 May 1747. He was then appointed to his first command, that of the fireship , in which he saw action with Sir Edward Hawke's
Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke
Admiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
fleet at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre
Second battle of Cape Finisterre (1747)
The Second Battle of Cape Finisterre was a naval battle which took place on 25 October 1747 during the War of the Austrian Succession...
on 16 October 1747. One of the captains in the battle, Thomas Fox of the 64-gun , was later relieved of his command after controversy over his actions in the engagement, and Lockhart was given temporary command of Kent in his place. During 1748 Lockhart was first lieutenant of the 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...
guardship , and for the next few years was on half pay in Scotland. In January 1755 he was appointed first lieutenant of the 90-gun with Captain Charles Saunders, and on 22 April 1755 he was promoted to command the 8-gun sloop , attached during the year to the western squadron cruising under the command of Sir Edward Hawke or Vice-Admiral 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...
.
Command
On 23 March 1756 Lockhart was posted to the 28-gun , which he commanded for several cruises in the Channel, capturing several large privateerPrivateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
s of equal or superior force, among them the 22-gun Cerf with 211 men, the 26-gun Grand Gideon with 190 men, and the 20-gun Mont-Ozier of Rochelle
Rochelle
Rochelle is a French name derived from rocher, which means "rock."Rochelle may refer to:-Places:*Rochelle, Florida*Rochelle, Georgia*Rochelle, Illinois*Rochelle, Texas*Rochelle, Virginia-People:...
with 170 men. Lockhart was severely wounded in the capture of the Mont-Ozier on 17 February 1757, and had to be invalided on shore for the next two months. He rejoined the Tartar and on 15 April, off Dunnose, he captured the 26-gun Duc d'Aiguillon of St. Malo with 254 men; and on 2 November the 36-gun Melampe with 320 men. The latter ship was added to the navy as the 36-gun frigate .
As a reward for Lockhart's services, the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
offered him the command of the 50-gun , which was then nearing completion, and making several promotions from Tartars crew. He was also presented by the merchants of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
with pieces of plate
Silver (household)
Household silver or silverware includes dishware, cutlery and other household items made of sterling, Britannia or Sheffield plate silver. The term is often extended to items made of stainless steel...
‘for his signal service in supporting the trade;’ and by the corporation of Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
with the freedom of the borough
Freedom of the City
Freedom of the City is an honour bestowed by some municipalities in Australia, Canada, Ireland, France, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Rhodesia to esteemed members of its community and to organisations to be honoured, often for service to the community;...
in a gold box. Lockhart spent the next few months recuperating at Bath and waiting for the Chatham to be launched. She was duly launched in April 1758 and Lockhart took command, taking many of his officers and men from Tartar to crew her, with the Admiralty's permission. Lockhart had her fitted for sea by May, and spent June to September cruising against privateers in the North Sea.
Chatham was then ordered into the Channel and later joined the fleet under Sir Edward Hawke. She spent the summer detached off Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
under Rear-Admiral George Brydges Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
, rejoining Hawke in October, and then being sent to join a squadron under Commodore Robert Duff, to watch the French in Quiberon Bay
Quiberon Bay
The Baie de Quiberon is an area of sheltered water on the south coast of Brittany. The bay is in the Morbihan département.-Geography:The bay is roughly triangular in shape, open to the south with the Gulf of Morbihan to the north-east and the narrow peninsular of Presqu'île de Quiberon providing...
. The squadron observed the French fleet sail out, and were chased by them as they rushed to report the news to Hawke. Hawke brought his fleet against them and decisively defeated them at the Battle of Quiberon Bay
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The naval Battle of Quiberon Bay took place on 20 November 1759 during the Seven Years' War in Quiberon Bay, off the coast of France near St. Nazaire...
on 20 November 1759. Four days later Hawke appointed Lockhart to command in the place of Captain John Campbell, who was sent home with the despatches. In the end of January 1760 the Royal George came to 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...
, and a month later Lockhart was appointed to command the 64-gun , forming part of the fleet under Hawke or Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
.
Later naval and parliamentary career
With the death of his brother James in September 1760 Lockhart succeeded to the Ross estate of Balnagowan, the entail of which obliged him to take the name of Ross; this he formally did in the following spring, announcing the change to the admiralty on 31 March 1761. He was then at Lockhart Hall, where he seems to have passed the winter on leave, but afterwards rejoined the Bedford during the summer. In September he applied to be relieved from the command, and on 27 September was placed on half pay. In the previous June he had been elected member of parliament for Lanark BurghsLanark Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Lanark Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1832, representing a seat for one Member of Parliament ....
, but it does not appear that he took any active interest in parliamentary business. He devoted himself principally to the improvement of his estates and the condition of the peasantry, and became known as ‘the best farmer and the greatest planter in the country; his wheat and turnips showed the one, his plantation of a million of pines the other’. He was MP for Lanark Burghs from 1761 to 1768 and in 1762, he initiated land tenure reform which would later evolve into the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
. He was MP for Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Lanarkshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1868. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-Boundaries:...
from 1768 to 1774.
In 1777, when war with France appeared imminent, Ross returned to active service, and was appointed to the 74-gun , joining the fleet under Admiral Augustus Keppel
Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel
Admiral Augustus Keppel, 1st Viscount Keppel PC was an officer of the Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War and the War of American Independence...
in the Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
on 27 July 1778. On 13 August, by the successive deaths of his elder brothers without male issue, he succeeded to the baronetcy
Lockhart-Ross Baronets
The Lockhart, later Lockhart-Ross Baronetcy, of Carstairs in the County of Lanark, was a title in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia. It was created on 28 February 1672 for William Lockhart. The fourth Baronet used the surname Ross-Lockhart, which was also borne by the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth...
. On 19 March 1779 he was promoted to the rank of rear-admiral, and during the summer, with his flag in the Royal George, he was fourth in command in the Channel. In September he was sent with a small squadron into the North Sea to look out for John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
, but Jones, after capturing
Battle of Flamborough Head
The Battle of Flamborough Head was a naval battle that took place on 23 September 1779, in the North Sea off the coast of Yorkshire between an American Continental Navy squadron led by John Paul Jones and the two British escort vessels protecting a large merchant convoy...
the Serapis
HMS Serapis (1779)
HMS Serapis was a Royal Navy two-decked, Roebuck-class fifth rate. Daniel Brent built her at Greenland South Dockyard, Rotherhithe and launched her in 1779. She was armed with 44 guns . Serapis was named after the god Serapis in Greek and Egyptian mythology...
in 1779, made good his escape. Continuing in the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, Ross was with Rodney at the capture of the Caracas convoy
Action of 8 January 1780
The Action of 8 January 1780 was a naval encounter off Cape Finisterre between a British Royal Naval fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney, and a fleet of Spanish merchants sailing in convoy with seven warships of the Caracas Company, under the command of Commodore Don Juan Augustin de Yardi....
, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)
The naval Battle of Cape St Vincent, took place off the coast of Portugal on 16 January 1780 during the American War of Independence. A British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney defeated a Spanish squadron under Don Juan de Lángara. The battle is sometimes referred to as the Moonlight Battle,...
and the relief of Gibraltar
Great Siege of Gibraltar
The Great Siege of Gibraltar was an unsuccessful attempt by Spain and France to capture Gibraltar from the British during the American War of Independence. This was the largest action fought during the war in terms of numbers, particularly the Grand Assault of 18 September 1782...
in January 1780; with George Darby
George Darby
Vice Admiral George Darby was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the second son of Jonathan Darby III Esq. , of Leap Castle, in King's County, Ireland.-Early career:Darby joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer...
at the relief of Gibraltar in April 1781; and with Lord Howe
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...
during the early summer of 1782. On the return of the fleet to Spithead in August he resigned his command, and had no further employment afloat. He became a vice-admiral on 24 September 1787, and died at Balnagown Castle
Balnagown Castle
Balnagown Castle is located beside the village of Kildary in Easter Ross, part of the Highland area of Scotland. There has been a castle on the site since the 14th century, although the present building was remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries...
in Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
on 9 June 1790. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dundas the younger
Robert Dundas of Arniston
-Background:Part of a remarkable Scottish legal and political dynasty, Dundas was the son of Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the younger. His great-grandfather Robert Dundas had been an MP and judge, as were his grandfather Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the elder....
, of Arniston
Arniston
Arniston may refer to: * Arniston, Western Cape, a small seaside settlement also known as Waenhuiskrans, South Africa* Arniston , East Indiaman ship wrecked in 1815 at the above location* Arniston, Midlothian, a village in Scotland...
, in 1762 and had a number of children. Among them was his eldest son, Charles Lockhart-Ross, an army officer who inherited the baronetcy on his father's death, and George Ross, father of distinguished legal writer George Ross.