Byng, JOHN

Byng, JOHN, an ill-fated British admiral, fourth son of the preceding, was born in 1704, entered the navy at fourteen, in 1727 was appointed to a frigate, and for the next eight years served mainly in the Mediterranean. Rear-admiral in 1745, he went as second in command to the Mediterranean in 1747, but the death of Vice-admiral Medley soon gave him the chief command, which he retained until the peace. In March 1756 he was promoted to be admiral of the blue, and sent in command of a poorly equipped squadron of ten ships of the line to the Mediterranean to relieve Minorea, at that time blockaded by a French fleet under La Gallissonière. Byng arrived off the Castle of St Philip on the 19th May, and next day gave the signal to engage the enemy's fleet, almost equal in number of ships and weight to his own. The van under Rear-admiral West at once bore down on the French ships, which stood entirely on the defensive, but the rear, under Byng, got into some disorder and hardly came within gunshot. The van suffered great loss, and Byng, feeling himself unable to renew the action, after a council of war, sailed away to Gibraltar and left Minorea to its fate. When the news reached England the public became furious, and the ministers, to avert the public odium from themselves, ordered the unfortunate Byng to be at once brought home under arrest. He reached the Spithead on the 26th July, and was confined at Greenwich until his trial by court-martial began five months later. He was acquitted of cowardice or disaffection, but was found guilty of neglect of duty in not having done everything in his power to save Minorea, and was condemned to death by the 12th article of war, but recommended to mercy. The king refused to pardon him, and Byng was shot on board the Monarque at Portsmouth, 14th March 1757, 'to encourage the others,' in Voltaire's phrase. He met his fate with great courage.