Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
Henry Osborn (
baptized
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
27 August 1694 – 4 February 1771) was a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
naval officer who served as
Commodore-Governor of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
. He was a younger son of
Sir John Osborn, 2nd Baronet.
Naval career
Osborn joined the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
as a volunteer in 1710. He was promoted
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
in 1717, and his first command was
HMS ''Squirrel'' in 1728.
On 14 May 1729, Osborn was appointed the first commodore-governor of Newfoundland, when
Lord Vere Beauclerk
Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere (14 July 1699 – 21 October 1781), known as Lord Vere Beauclerk until 1750, was a Royal Navy officer, United Kingdom, British peerage, peer and politician who sat in the British Hou ...
, the naval commander of Newfoundland had declined.
He visited all of the notable places on the island and divided it into six districts. Within each of the districts he appointed
magistrates
The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...
and
constables
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other peop ...
.
[ He served as Port Admiral at Portsmouth from 1756 to 1757.
In 1757, he was promoted ]Admiral of the Blue
The Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Admiral of the White (see order of precedence below). From 1688 to 1805 this rank was in order of precedence third; after 1805 ...
and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet.
Battle of Cartagena
In late 1757 Osborn besieged the neutral port of Cartagena
The port of Cartagena ( es, Puerto de Cartagena) is the port located in Cartagena, Spain. It is the fourth nationwide port in freight traffic behind Algeciras, Valencia and Barcelona. It occupies the eighth place in relation to the number of crui ...
in Spain where a French squadron designed to go to the relief of Louisbourg
Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia.
History
The French military founded the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, ...
had taken shelter. While there he attacked a small French squadron under Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville
Michel-Ange Du Quesne de Menneville, Marquis Du Quesne (c. 1700 17 September 1778) was a French Governor General of New France. He was born in Toulon, France.
Du Quesne served from 1752 through 1755, and is best known for his role in the French ...
which was coming to the aid of the trapped force. Two French ships were captured, including Duquesne's flagship and it indirectly led to the successful British capture of Louisbourg later that year. The battle helped to restore the Royal Navy's reputation following the failed attempt to relieve Minorca two years earlier which had led to Admiral Byng's execution.
On 1 January 1763, he received the honorific post of Vice-Admiral of Great Britain
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. The title holder is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, Lord High Admiral, an honorary (although once op ...
.Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...
in a by-election, sitting until 1761.
See also
* List of people from Newfoundland and Labrador
This is a list of notable people who are from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, or have spent a large part or formative part of their career in that province. This list also includes people associated with the former English, and later British c ...
Notes
References
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Further reading
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Osborn, Henry
1694 births
1771 deaths
British MPs 1754–1761
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
Governors of Newfoundland Colony
Royal Navy admirals
Younger sons of baronets