George Carnegie, 6th Earl Of Northesk

Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk (2 August 1716 – 22 January 1792) was born the son of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk and Lady Margaret Wemyss on 2 August 1716. A career naval officer, he fought in the War of the Austrian Succession and the First Carnatic War, where in the East Indies he participated in the action of 6 July 1746. His service was curtailed by a series of debilitating illnesses and he never served at sea again after being promoted to rear-admiral in 1756. He died on 20 January 1792 at age 75.

Early life

George Carnegie was born on 2 August 1716 as the second son of David Carnegie, 4th Earl of Northesk and his wife Margaret, the daughter of James Wemyss, Lord Burntisland and Margaret Wemyss, 3rd Countess of Wemyss.Fraser, ''History of the Carnegies'', p. 397Charnock, ''Biographia Navalis Vol. V'', p. 109

Naval career

Carnegie became a lieutenant in the Royal Navy on 15 March 1737. His first appointment was as third lieutenant to his good friend Captain Curtis Barnett in the ship of the line HMS ''Dragon'', in the Mediterranean Fleet of Rear-Admiral Nicholas Haddock.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 589 Carnegie transferred to the ship of the line HMS ''Windsor'' on 29 April but in August 1738 was taken from ''Windsor'' with a debilitating illness while off Minorca, at one point coming so close to death that his funeral arrangements were made. Having recovered from his illness he was appointed as fourth lieutenant of the ship of the line HMS ''Marlborough'' on 2 February 1740 and transferred on 7 May to be second lieutenant of the ship of the line HMS ''Edinburgh''.

On 23 June 1741 Carnegie's elder brother David Carnegie, 5th Earl of Northesk died, leaving him to succeed as Earl of Northesk. On 25 August of the same year Carnegie was promoted to post captain and given command of the frigate HMS ''Bideford'' in which he served in the Western Approaches for the winter of 1741-42.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 1180 In January 1742 Carnegie left ''Bideford'' and was appointed to the command of the fifth rate HMS ''Looe'' in March. In ''Looe'' Carnegie was stationed in the Bay of Biscay; in June he chased a small privateer into Pontevedra where he was forced to call off the chase as the privateer entered the river, instead raiding the town and taking four guns from its battery.Charnock, ''Biographia Navalis Vol. V'', p. 110 Carnegie then put to sea again and on 7 July joined with the frigate HMS ''Deal Castle'' upon learning that a number of enemy ships were taking shelter in Vigo.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 810 The two warships anchored outside the town and sent their boats in to the harbour where they captured four ships, of which they burned two, while under considerable fire from the enemy ships and shore.

On 19 July Carnegie learned that the privateer he had chased at Pontevedra was still there in the river and so he armed one of the ships captured at Vigo and sent it in chase up the river. The ship failed to capture the privateer but did run ashore another vessel and destroy a town which privateers had been using as a base of operations. Carnegie returned to England in September 1742 and was immediately appointed to command the recently rebuilt ship of the line HMS ''Preston'' in the English Channel fleet of Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Norris.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 703 In April 1744 he was still serving as such and helping to protect convoys sailing from Lisbon.

Carnegie and ''Preston'' sailed to the East Indies Station on 5 May in the squadron of its first commander-in-chief, and Carnegie's friend, Commodore Barnett. The ships arrived at Porto Praya

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