John Montagu (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral John Montagu (1719–1795) was an English naval officer and colonial governor of Newfoundland.
John Montagu | |
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| Born | 1719 Lackham, Wiltshire |
| Died | 1795 (aged 75–76) Fareham, Hampshire |
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| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | North American Station Portsmouth Command |
| Battles/wars | War of the Austrian Succession American Revolutionary War |
Naval career
He was born in 1719, son of James Montagu of Lackham, Lacock, Wiltshire (died 1747), and great-grandson of James Montagu of Lackham (1602–1665), third son of Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester.[1] Montagu began his naval career in the Royal Naval Academy, Portsmouth on 14 August 1733.[2]
He was promoted lieutenant in 1740 and served on HMS Buckingham and, in 1744, was present at the Battle of Toulon.[2] In 1757 he was present at the execution of Admiral John Byng.[2] Promoted to Rear-Admiral in 1770, he served as Commander-in-Chief of the North American Station from 1771 to 1774.[2]
He was promoted Vice-Admiral in 1776 and then appointed Governor and commander-in-chief of Newfoundland.[2] Montagu captured St. Pierre and Miquelon for the British and defended Newfoundland from both French and American privateers.[2] By his swift actions he had prevented the French from capturing Carbonear and Harbour Grace.[2]
In 1783 he was made Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.[3] His honorary appointments included Admiral of the Blue in 1782 and Admiral of the White in 1787.[2]
Family
Montagu married Sophia Wroughton on 2 December 1748 and had one daughter and four sons. Of his sons, George and James became naval officers, while Edward became a lieutenant-colonel in the Royal Artillery. His daughter Sophia lived at Dale Park and the house there was constructed for her and her husband.[4]
References
- Laughton, John Knox (1894). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 38. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- Biography at Government House The Governorship of Newfoundland and Labrador
- History in Portsmouth Archived 27 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- Jacob M. Price, ‘Smith, John Abel (1802–1871)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 accessed 16 April 2017
See also
- Governors of Newfoundland
- List of people of Newfoundland and Labrador
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Montagu Kelland Courtenay |
Member of Parliament for Huntingdon 1748–1754 With: Edward Montagu |
Succeeded by Edward Montagu Robert Jones |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by James Gambier |
Commander-in-Chief, North American Station 1771–1774 |
Succeeded by Samuel Graves |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Robert Duff |
Commodore Governor of Newfoundland 1776–1778 |
Succeeded by Richard Edwards |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Pye |
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth 1783–1786 |
Succeeded by Viscount Hood |
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| Proprietary Governors (1610–1660) | |
| French Gouverneurs (1655–1713) | |
| Commodore-Governors (1729–1825) |
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| Civil Governors (1825–1855) | |
| Colonial Governors (1855–1907) | |
| Dominion Governors (1907–1934) | |
| Commission Governors (1934–1949) | |
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