John Lawford

Sir John Lawford KCB (c. 1756 – 22 December 1842) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.

He had a long and distinguished career, seeing action during the war with America at the Battle of the Saintes, and was commanding small ships during the interwar years and by the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France. He graduated to larger ships, despite the loss of a frigate under his command in 1794, and was commanding HMS Romney in British waters by 1798. His interception of a Swedish convoy in the English Channel further strained relations between Britain and Sweden, though Lawford was also to be involved in the breakup of the League of Armed Neutrality, when he formed part of Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson's fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen. Another highlight was the capture of a Spanish frigate carrying an immensely valuable cargo of specie. Lawford commanded several ships of the French and Spanish coasts throughout the rest of the wars, until being promoted to flag rank in 1811. He received further promotions throughout his long life, and the award of the KCB for his actions at Copenhagen, the only captain who fought at the battle to receive any honours related to it. He died three years later at the age of 86, having by then spent 65 years serving the navy.