Search Results - Byron, John, 1723-1786

John Byron

Vice-Admiral John Byron (8 November 1723 – 1 April 1786) was a Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. He earned the nickname "Foul-Weather Jack" in the press because of his frequent encounters with bad weather at sea. As a midshipman, he sailed in the squadron under George Anson on his voyage around the world, though Byron's ship, HMS ''Wager'', made it only to southern Chile, where it was wrecked. He returned to England with the captain of the ship.

He was governor of Newfoundland following Hugh Palliser, who left in 1768. He circumnavigated the world as a commodore with his own squadron in 1764–1766. He fought in battles in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolution. He rose to Vice Admiral of the White before his death in 1786. His grandsons include the poet Lord Byron and George Anson Byron, admiral and explorer, who were the 6th and 7th Baron Byron, respectively. One of his great-granddaughters was the mathematician and informatics pioneer Ada Lovelace. Provided by Wikipedia