John Laforey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
John Laforey
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 1729 |
| Died | 14 June 1796 HMS Majestic, Atlantic Ocean |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1748–1796 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Ontario HMS Hunter HMS Echo HMS Levant HMS Pallas HMS Ocean HMS Invincible Resident Commissioner Antigua Commissioner of the Navy Leeward Islands Station Resident Commissioner Plymouth HMS Trusty Leeward Islands Station |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | Baronet |
Sir John Laforey (1729 – 14 June 1796) was an important British naval officer in the 1700s. He spent most of his long career serving in North America and the West Indies. Laforey faced some challenges in his career, but he became a high-ranking admiral when the French Revolutionary Wars began in 1793.
Contents
Early Life and the Seven Years' War
John Laforey was born in 1729. His family came from France and moved to England in the 1690s. Many of his family members became important military figures.
In 1748, John Laforey joined the Royal Navy as a lieutenant. Seven years later, during the early part of the Seven Years' War, he was promoted to commander. His first ship was HMS Ontario.
Key Battles and Promotions
In 1758, Laforey commanded HMS Hunter during the Siege of Louisbourg in French Canada. He showed great bravery on July 25, 1758. He led a small group of sailors and marines into the harbor. They burned a French warship called Prudent and captured another, the Bienfaisant.
Because of his actions, Laforey was promoted to captain. He then took command of HMS Echo. He also took part in the capture of Quebec in 1759.
By 1762, Captain Laforey was serving in the West Indies. He helped capture the French island of Martinique. After the war ended, he stayed in the West Indies. He married Eleanor Farley, whose father owned a lot of land in Antigua. Their son, Francis Laforey, also became an admiral. John Laforey returned to naval duty in 1770, briefly commanding the ship HMS Pallas. He then took a break from service until the American Revolutionary War started in 1776.
American Revolutionary War Service
When the American Revolutionary War began, Laforey took command of a new ship, HMS Ocean. He served on this ship for three years. He fought in the First Battle of Ushant.
After this battle, Laforey was sent to Antigua. He was put in charge of the Leeward Islands Station. There, he made many improvements to the dockyard at English Harbour. He made cleaning and repair operations much better. However, some higher-ranking officers did not want to follow his orders. To help with this, he was promoted to Commodore in 1780.
Later, Laforey had some disagreements with other admirals. Because of these issues, he was sent back to England. He became a commissioner at Devonport Dockyard. He stayed in this role for several years.
French Revolutionary Wars and Later Life
In 1789, after some legal discussions, Laforey was promoted to admiral. He was also given the title of Baronet. This was a special honor. With his new rank, Laforey returned to the Leeward Islands Station as its commander.
When the French Revolutionary Wars began in 1793, Laforey was still in command. He used the local militia from Antigua to invade and capture the French colony of Tobago. This was a very successful mission. His son, Francis Laforey, helped in this operation and was rewarded with a promotion to captain.
In 1795, Laforey returned to the Leeward Islands as a full admiral. He led the forces that captured the Dutch colonies of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice in South America. He also helped put down slave rebellions on St Vincent, Grenada, and Dominica.
In early 1796, Laforey started planning an invasion of St Lucia. However, his health was getting worse. He was replaced by another admiral, Sir Hugh Christian. Sir John Laforey began his journey back to England on HMS Majestic. Sadly, he died on the way from Yellow Fever on June 14, 1796. He was buried in Portsmouth when the ship arrived.
His son, Francis Laforey, later became an admiral himself. He fought as captain of HMS Spartiate at the famous Battle of Trafalgar. Francis inherited his father's estates and title, but he passed away in 1835 without children.
