Francis Holburne
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Francis Holburne (1704 – 15 July 1771) was a Royal Navy
officer who also served as a Member of Parliament
.
Francis was appointed commodore and commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands
in 1748. In 1749, after the War of the Austrian Succession
, he was sent to Barbados
to help secure the execution of the treaty terms.
Admiral Holburne was still ambitious and keen to make plans for his future. He aroused some resentment amongst his peers with Admiral Lord Boscawen
describing him in a private letter to his wife as being ‘Rich and contrived to insinuate himself into the good graces of Lord Anson’.
Francis had known Lord Morton as an intimate family friend and may well have owed his advancement in the Navy to Archibald Campbell
, Duke of Argyll
who "took him by the hand in his younger days and made him a Captain.
In 1757 as Vice Admiral of the Blue Holburne embarked on a command at Halifax, Nova Scotia
to capture Louisbourg as part of the Louisbourg Expedition
led by Lord Loudon
. There were many delays, and fever had struck his fleet, causing much of it to remain in port. On the night of 24 September they were caught up in a violent storm which drove several of his ships onto the shore and dismasted most of the fleet under his command, causing further delays and difficulties requiring a major refit.
Shortly after eventually returning to England he was appointed to the post of Port Admiral at Portsmouth
which largely discontinued his active service at sea. He held this post more or less continuously for the unusually long term of eight years.
He was appointed a member of the court-martial
that was convened to try Admiral John Byng
. The trial began in December 1756 and ran until March 1757. When the Tribunal was examined before the House of Lords, "all the court martial seemed terrified....except old Admiral Holbourne, who cursed and swore at the bar of the House, because Byng was not shot out of the way, without giving him the trouble of coming from Portsmouth".
In July 1761, some three years after the loss of HMS Invincible
, the 70-gun ran aground on the Horse Sands. Her loss caused Holborne to issue an order to all naval shipping masters, "...to sound out the channels, which they should do several times by way of refreshing their memories, this being the second great ship they have run ashore lately." His orders did not have the effect he had intended as in October that year, just four months later, the 50-gun ran aground off Ryde
.
In November 1764 Holburne ordered a secret investigation into an apparent plot to set fire to Portsmouth Dockyard.
in his native lands at Inverkeithing
. It is reported that he unscrupulously brought in armed press gangs to a trades meeting and with his sword drawn and by intimidation and bribery secured the return of his party.
As his port commission progressed, and encouraged by his friend and patron Lord Argyll, he contested the seat of Stirling Burghs
at the 1761 General Election, beginning a career in politics. He was returned as MP for Stirling and in 1768 he represented Plymouth
, holding the seat until his death in 1771. He was made a Lord of the Admiralty under the North administration
, holding office until he was made Governor of Greenwich Hospital, by way of retirement, in January 1771. He died several months later, in July 1771 at the age of 67, and was buried at Richmond, in Surrey
.
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 who also served 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,...
.
Naval career
Francis entered the Navy in 1720 as a volunteer aboard , passing his examinations in 1725. He began his career in 1727 with a promotion to lieutenant and was promoted to Captain in 1739.Francis was appointed commodore and commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
in 1748. In 1749, after 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...
, he was sent to Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
to help secure the execution of the treaty terms.
Admiral Holburne was still ambitious and keen to make plans for his future. He aroused some resentment amongst his peers with Admiral Lord 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...
describing him in a private letter to his wife as being ‘Rich and contrived to insinuate himself into the good graces of Lord Anson’.
Francis had known Lord Morton as an intimate family friend and may well have owed his advancement in the Navy to Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll
Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll, 1st Earl of Ilay was a Scottish nobleman, politician, lawyer, businessman and soldier...
, Duke of Argyll
Duke of Argyll
Duke of Argyll is a title, created in the Peerage of Scotland in 1701 and in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1892. The Earls, Marquesses, and Dukes of Argyll were for several centuries among the most powerful, if not the most powerful, noble family in Scotland...
who "took him by the hand in his younger days and made him a Captain.
In 1757 as Vice Admiral of the Blue Holburne embarked on a command at Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
to capture Louisbourg as part of the Louisbourg Expedition
Louisbourg Expedition (1757)
The Louisbourg Expedition was a failed British attempt to capture the French fortress of Louisbourg on Île Royale during the Seven Years' War ....
led by Lord Loudon
John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun
Major-General John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun was a British nobleman and army officer.-Early career:Campbell inherited the peerage on the death of his father in 1731, becoming Lord Loudoun. The earl raised a regiment of infantry that took part in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 on the side of the...
. There were many delays, and fever had struck his fleet, causing much of it to remain in port. On the night of 24 September they were caught up in a violent storm which drove several of his ships onto the shore and dismasted most of the fleet under his command, causing further delays and difficulties requiring a major refit.
Shortly after eventually returning to England he was appointed to the post of Port Admiral at Portsmouth
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
which largely discontinued his active service at sea. He held this post more or less continuously for the unusually long term of eight years.
He was appointed a member of the 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...
that was convened to try 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...
. The trial began in December 1756 and ran until March 1757. When the Tribunal was examined before the House of Lords, "all the court martial seemed terrified....except old Admiral Holbourne, who cursed and swore at the bar of the House, because Byng was not shot out of the way, without giving him the trouble of coming from Portsmouth".
In July 1761, some three years after the loss of HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (1747)
The Invincible was a 74-gun French ship of the line, later a third-rate of the Royal Navy.During the early part of the 18th century British ship designers had made few significant advances in design, whereas French shipbuilding benefited from a remarkably creative period. At the time of the capture...
, the 70-gun ran aground on the Horse Sands. Her loss caused Holborne to issue an order to all naval shipping masters, "...to sound out the channels, which they should do several times by way of refreshing their memories, this being the second great ship they have run ashore lately." His orders did not have the effect he had intended as in October that year, just four months later, the 50-gun ran aground off Ryde
Ryde
Ryde is a British seaside town, civil parish and the most populous town and urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 30,000. It is situated on the north-east coast. The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower...
.
In November 1764 Holburne ordered a secret investigation into an apparent plot to set fire to Portsmouth Dockyard.
Politics
In 1760 Francis made political capital of his position as Port Admiral when he stood for ProvostProvost (civil)
A provost is the ceremonial head of many Scottish local authorities, and under the name prévôt was a governmental position of varying importance in Ancien Regime France.-History:...
in his native lands at Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing
Inverkeithing is a town and a royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, located on the Firth of Forth. According to population estimates , the town has a population of 5,265. The port town was given burgh status by King David I of Scotland in the 12th century and is situated about 9 miles north from...
. It is reported that he unscrupulously brought in armed press gangs to a trades meeting and with his sword drawn and by intimidation and bribery secured the return of his party.
As his port commission progressed, and encouraged by his friend and patron Lord Argyll, he contested the seat of Stirling Burghs
Stirling Burghs (UK Parliament constituency)
Stirling Burghs was a district of burghs constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1708 to 1918. The constituency comprised the burghs of Stirling in Stirlingshire, Dunfermline, and Inverkeithing in Fife, Queensferry, in Linlithgowshire , and Culross, which...
at the 1761 General Election, beginning a career in politics. He was returned as MP for Stirling and in 1768 he represented Plymouth
Plymouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Plymouth was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1298 and again from 1442 until 1918, when the borough was merged with the neighbouring Devonport and the combined area divided into three single-member constituencies.-In the...
, holding the seat until his death in 1771. He was made a Lord of the Admiralty under the North administration
North Ministry
The North Ministry governed the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1770 until 1782. Overseeing in this time the Falklands Crisis, the Gordon Riots and much of the American War of Independence. It was headed by the Tory politician Lord North and served under George III.-Membership:...
, holding office until he was made Governor of Greenwich Hospital, by way of retirement, in January 1771. He died several months later, in July 1771 at the age of 67, and was buried at Richmond, in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
.