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Admiral of the Fleet John Forbes (17 July 1714 – 10 March 1796), styled The Honourable from 1734, was a Royal Navy officer. After taking part in an expedition to Lisbon to support the Portuguese in the face of a Spanish threat, he saw action as captain of the third-rate HMS ''Norfolk'' at the Battle of Toulon during the War of the Austrian Succession. He was one of the few captains who really bore down on the enemy. Forbes went on to serve as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty under successive Governments. In that role, he was convinced of the illegality of the sentence of death on Vice-Admiral John Byng and refused to sign Byng's death warrant. He also served as Member of Parliament for St Johnstown and then as Member of Parliament for Mullingar in the Parliament of Ireland. ==Early career== Born the second son of George Forbes, 3rd Earl of Granard and Mary (the eldest daughter of William Stewart, 1st Viscount Mountjoy), Fornes joined the Royal Navy in the 70-gun third-rate HMS ''Burford'' on 31 May 1726.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=John Forbes )〕 He served as a volunteer under the command of his maternal uncle, the Honourable Charles Stewart. He served with HMS ''Burford'' in the Mediterranean, before moving with his uncle to the third-rate HMS ''Lion'', and the two sailed together to the West Indies in 1729. Stewart promoted Forbes to lieutenant, while serving there, on 16 March 1731.〔Heathcote, p. 86〕 Forbes became third lieutenant in the 60-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Kingston'' on 13 January 1733.〔 He became fourth lieutenant on the larger 70-gun third-rate HMS ''Edinburgh'' early in 1734 and then joined the 100-gun first rate HMS ''Britannia'' as sixth lieutenant on 21 July, rising to third lieutenant by May 1735.〔 The ''Britannia'' was at this time the flagship of Admiral Sir John Norris, and Forbes sailed with him on an expedition to Lisbon to support the Portuguese in the face of a Spanish threat.〔 Norris promoted Forbes to commander on 7 March 1737 and appointed him commanding officer of the 32-gun fifth-rate HMS ''Poole''.〔 Forbes returned to England with Norris, escorting HMS ''Britannia''. Promoted to captain on 24 October 1737, Forbes became commanding officer of the 20-gun sixth-rate HMS ''Port Mahon'' and was sent to serve on the Coast of Ireland Station in 1738.〔 Forbes was appointed to command the fourth-rate HMS ''Severn'' at Plymouth in Summer 1739 and then moved to the fourth-rate HMS ''Tyger'' on 30 June 1740.〔 He transferred to the 50-gun fourth-rate HMS ''Guernsey'' on 10 August 1740, just before she was relaunched at Chatham, and sailed her to the Nore.〔 Forbes was given command the 80-gun third-rate HMS ''Norfolk'' in 1742 and saw action at the Battle of Toulon on 11 February 1744 during the War of the Austrian Succession.〔Heathcote , p. 87〕 He followed the example of Admiral Thomas Mathews, who was aboard the second-rate HMS ''Namur'', and was one of the few captains who really bore down on the enemy.〔 In Summer 1746 he was called upon to give evidence at the court-martial of Vice-Admiral Richard Lestock during the recriminations after the battle.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「John Forbes (Royal Navy officer)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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