Francis Holburne

Sir Francis Holburne (1704-1771) was a British admiral.

If he was really born in 1704, as stated in the ‘House of Commons’ lists, Francis would have been older than his brother James by two years, yet he is listed in the ‘History of Parliament’s list of Members between 1754-1790 as the third son of Sir James Holburne. William was the youngest son with James the eldest. James' second son was Alexander Holborne.

Francis entered the Navy in 1720 as a volunteer aboard the St. Albans, passing his examinations in 1725. He began his career in 1727 with a promotion to lieutenant and after seven years had progressed to captain. His appointment as Rear Admiral was made in 1740, a position he retained and improved over the following thirty years. He had begun to make a name for himself by 1742, with the capture of a Spanish ship. Francis was appointed commodore and commander-in-chief at the Leeward Islands in 1748. In 1749, after the war with Spain, he was sent to Barbados to help secure the execution of the treaty terms and during this time he met, and in 1750, married a rich widow, Frances, the daughter of Guy Ball, a member of the Barbados Council. Frances had been made widow of Edward Lacelles, Collector of Customs at Barbados where she and Sir Francis married. They returned to Britain in 1752.

Admiral Holburne was still ambitious and keen to make plans for his future. He aroused some resentment amongst his peers with Admiral Lord Boscowen describing him in a private letter to his wife as being ‘Rich and contrived to insinuate himself into the good graces of Lord Anson’.

Francis had known Lord Morton as an intimate family friend and may well have owed his advancement in the Navy to Archibald, Duke of Argyll who "took him by the hand in his younger days and made him a Captain

In 1757 as ‘Vice Admiral of the Blue’ Francis embarked on a command at Louisburg as part of the defence of the American colony from the interests of the French at that fort. Their were many delays and fever had struck his fleet, causing them to remain in port. On the night of the 24th of September they were caught up in a violent storm which drove several of his ships onto the shore and dismissed to some extent all of the fleet under his Command, causing further delays and difficulties requiring a major refit.

Shortly after eventually returning to England he was appointed to the post of Port Admiral at Portsmouth which pretty much discontinued his active service at sea. He held this post more or less continuously for the very unusual term of eight years.

He was appointed a member of the court martial that was convened to try the Admiral Byng which began in December 1756 and ran until March 1757. When the Tribunal was examined before the House of Lords, "all the court martial seemed terrified....except old Admiral Holboune, who cursed and swore at the bar of the House, because Byng was not shot out of the way, without giving him the trouble of coming from Portsmouth".

In 1760 Francis made political capital of his position when he stood for Provost in his native lands at Inverkeithing. It is reported that he unscrupulously brought in armed press gangs to a trades meeting and with his sword drawn and by intimidation and bribery secured the return of his party.

Lord Loudoun's attack on Louisburg having failed, the government of Pitt the elder was resolved to mount a second expedition with George Anson at the head of the Admiralty.

In July 1761, some three years after the loss of HMS Invincible, the 70-gun HMS 'Dorsetshire' was wrecked on the Horse Sands. Her loss caused the Port Admiral Francis Holborne, to issue an order to all Naval shipping masters, "...to sound out the channels, which they should do several times by way of refreshing their memories, this being the second great ship they have run ashore lately." His orders did not have the effect he had intended as just four months on that October, the Fourth Rate 50-gun HMS 'Portland' came to grief off Ryde.

In November 1764 investigations into an arson attempt at Portsmouth, where the Lord Francis was Port Admiral were carried out in total secrecy. The enquiry that was held because of an attempt, allegedly a plot, to set fire to the entire Dockyard.

As well as his port commission he progressed, encouraged by his friend and patron the Lord Argyll to contest the seat of Sterling at the General Election.

Thus begun his political career. By 1761 Sir Francis Holburn had become MP for Stirling and in 1768~71 he held the seat of Plymouth. He was made a Lord of the Admiralty under the North administration, holding this office until he was made the Governor of Greenwich Maritime Hospital, by way of retirement, in January of 1771, where he died several months later, that July. He was buried at Richmond in Surrey aged 67.