Samuel Barrington
Samuel Barrington (
1729—
1800),
British admiral, was the fourth son of the
1st Viscount Barrington. He entered the
Royal Navy at an early age and in
1747 had worked his way to a postcaptaincy. He was in continuous employment during the peace of
1748—
1756, and on the outbreak of the
Seven Years War served with Admiral
Edward Hawke in the
Basque roads in command of HMS
Achilles. In
1759 the "
Achilles" captured a powerful
French privateer, after two hours’ fighting. In the Havre-de-Grace expedition of the same year Barrington’s ship carried the flag of Rear-Admiral
George Brydges Rodney, and in
1760 sailed with
John Byron to destroy the Louisburg fortifications. At the peace in
1763 Barrington had been almost continuously afloat for twenty-two years.
He was next appointed in 1768 to the frigate HMS Venus as governor to the Duke of Cumberland, who remained with him in all ranks from Midshipman to Rear Admiral. On his return home, he was offered, but refused, the command of the Channel fleet. His last active service was the relief of Gibraltar in October 1782. As admiral he flew his flag for a short time in 1790, but was not employed in the French revolutionary wars. He died in 1800.