George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viscount Torrington
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Coat of Arms of the Viscounts Torrington
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| Born | 5 January 1768 London |
| Died | 18 June 1831 |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain United Kingdom |
| Royal Navy | |
| Years of service | 1778–1831 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral of the White |
| Commands held | HMS Ferret HMS Artois HMS Redoubt HMS Mercury HMS Galatea HMS Texel HMS Malabar HMS Belliqueux HMS Warrior |
| Battles/wars | American Revolutionary War |
| Awards | Military Order of William Doctor of Civil Law Fellow of the Royal Society |
Vice-Admiral George Byng, 6th Viscount Torrington (born 5 January 1768 – died 18 June 1831) was an important officer in the Royal Navy. He is best known for commanding HMS Cumberland. This ship brought King William I back to the Netherlands from his time in London. For this special service, the king gave him an award called the Military Order of William.
Contents
Early Life and Education
George Byng was born in London on 5 January 1768. He was the oldest son of Colonel John Byng and his wife Bridget. From a young age, it was planned for him to join the Royal Navy. He first went to school in Greenwich. Later, he studied at a special school in Paddington to get ready for his naval career.
George Byng joined the Royal Navy on 23 February 1778. He started as a midshipman on a large warship called HMS Thunderer. His first battle was the Battle of Ushant in July 1778. This battle did not have a clear winner.
In 1780, he moved to the frigate HMS Active. He fought in the Battle of Porto Praya in April 1781. After this battle, his ship sailed to the East Indies. There, Byng joined HMS Superb. He was almost killed in a battle when a cannonball hit his gun crew. Luckily, he only got a small splinter injury.
When the war ended in 1783, Byng stayed in the East Indies. He served on HMS Defence. He finally returned home in December 1785. He passed his test to become a lieutenant. However, he had to wait for the promotion. On one ship, he even had to roll a die with another officer to see who would get a lieutenant spot first!
In September 1790, Byng finally became a lieutenant. He joined HMS Shark. Later, he became the first lieutenant on HMS Druid. He helped stop smuggling along the English coast. In 1794, he was supposed to fight in the Glorious First of June battle. But he became very sick and had to go ashore. He missed the battle but rejoined his ship when it returned. In October 1794, he was promoted to commander.
Commanding Ships
Byng soon took command of HMS Ferret. He also briefly commanded HMS Artois. In June 1795, he became a post-captain. He was given command of HMS Redoubt. While there, he helped stop a group of sailors who were causing trouble. The local merchants thanked him for his help.
Later, Byng commanded HMS Mercury. He served on the Newfoundland Station. In August 1796, French ships attacked the station. Even though the British had fewer ships, they stopped the French from fully invading.
In 1797, Byng moved to HMS Galatea. He patrolled the English Channel and Irish Sea. He captured several French ships and recaptured a valuable merchant ship. In 1801, his ship was caught in a terrible hurricane in the Bay of Biscay. The ship was badly damaged, but Byng managed to save it. Only one person on board died.
Napoleonic Wars Service
Byng's health got better, and he asked for a new command in May 1803. He was given HMS Texel. In 1805, he transferred to HMS Belliqueux. He sailed with a group of ships to the Dutch Cape Colony. In January 1806, they captured the settlement in the Battle of Blaauwberg. Byng even led a group of marines with cannons during the attack. He was praised for his "perseverance and determination."
After this, Byng joined a squadron in the East Indies. In November 1806, they attacked the Dutch settlement of Batavia. They captured or destroyed many enemy ships. Byng was highly praised by his commander for his "zeal."
In 1809, Byng became a commodore. He led a group of ships carrying an invasion force to attack Rodriguez Island. This was the start of the Mauritius campaign. The government thanked him with a gift of £300.
Returning King William
In 1811, Byng returned to England. He was given command of HMS Warrior. In January 1813, he became the Viscount Torrington after his father passed away. He continued to serve in Warrior, mostly in the Baltic Sea and North Sea.
In November 1813, the Netherlands became free again. Byng was chosen for a very important job: to take King William back home. Warrior picked up the king in England on 25 November. They landed the royal party in the Netherlands on 30 November. Byng then went with the king to the Hague. For his great service, King William made him a Knight of the Military Order of William.
After this, Byng escorted merchant ships to the West Indies. While on this long trip, he was promoted to rear-admiral on 4 June 1814. He did not serve at sea again after the Napoleonic Wars ended. He turned down a command position in 1818. He felt his health was not good enough after so many years at sea. He also wanted to spend more time with his growing family.
Family Life
George Byng was married two times:
- His first marriage was on 8 February 1793 to Elizabeth Langmead. She passed away in 1810.
- His second marriage was on 5 October 1811 to Frances Harriet Barlow. They had several children, including:
- George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington (1812–1884), who was his oldest son and heir. He became a British diplomat and served as Governor of Ceylon from 1847 to 1850.
- Hilare Caroline Byng (1815–1889), who married William Hutcheon Hall in 1845.
