John MacBride ( Royal Navy officer ) John MacBride ( c . 1735 – 17 February 1800 ) was an officer of the Royal Navy and a politician who saw service during the Seven Years ' War , the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars , eventually rising to the rank of Admiral of the Blue . MacBride entered the navy after serving on merchant vessels and distinguished himself in a number of actions during the Seven Years ' War , including cutting out a privateer , which secured him the rank of post - captain by the end of the conflict . He was instrumental in establishing and securing a British settlement on the Falkland Islands in the years of peace which followed , and also performed service to the Royal Family by transporting the King ' s sister , Caroline Matilda . Still in active service by the outbreak of war with the American colonies , MacBride took command of a ship of the line and saw action in engagements under Keppel and Rodney . He was also active against privateers , capturing the " Comte d ' Artois " in a heated battle off the Irish coast . Further service followed with Parker ' s fleet against the Dutch and with Barrington in the Channel . MacBride ended the war serving ashore in Ireland , and in 1784 embarked on a political career , becoming MP for Plymouth . Promoted to flag rank with the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France , he commanded squadrons off the enemy coasts , and transported troops to support land operations on the continent . His last active service was in 1795 , though he was promoted to Admiral of the Blue shortly before his death in 1800 . Family and early life . John MacBride was born in Scotland around 1735 , the second son of the Presbyterian minister Robert MacBride . The MacBrides moved to Ireland shortly after John ' s birth , when Robert became minister of Ballymoney , in County Antrim . John ' s brother , David MacBride , became a noted medical writer . John MacBride initially went to sea with the merchant service in 1751 , and joined the navy as an able seaman three years later , in 1754 . He served first aboard the 24 - gun in the West Indies for a number of years , before returning to British wars and serving aboard , the flagship in the Downs for a few months . MacBride passed his lieutenant ' s examination on 6 October 1758 , and received his commission on 27 October . He was moved into the hired cutter , and in August 1761 came across a French privateer anchored in the Dunkirk roadstead . MacBride made contact with the frigate and asked her captain for four armed and manned boats . " Maidstone " s captain readily agreed , and at 10 o ' clock that night the boats left the British ships and approached the privateer with muffled oars . They came within pistol shot and hailed the French vessel , and on receiving no reply , boarded her . The British boarded on both sides of the vessel , and carried the ship with two men wounded . MacBride himself shot and killed the French lieutenant as he aimed a gun at the British boat . The total French losses were two dead and five wounded . Having secured the vessel , the British took her out to sea under the guns of a French battery . MacBride ' s good service brought him a promotion to master and commander on 7 April 1762 , and an appointment to command the fireship . From there he moved to command the sloop on 27 May 1763 , still at the rank of commander . After some time spent on the Home station , MacBride received a promotion to post - captain on 20 June 1765 , and took command of the 30 - gun . This was followed in August 1765 with command of the 32 - gun , and a mission to establish a colony on the Falkland Islands . Falkland Islands . MacBride arrived with " Jason " , and the storeship , in January 1766 , with orders to secure a settlement and to inform any existing inhabitants that the islands were a British possession . The British consolidated Port Egmont , made several cruises in the surrounding waters , and in December came across the French settlement . In a cordial meeting MacBride informed the French governor M . de Neville of the British claim , which the French politely rejected . Unbeknownst to both de Neville and MacBride , Louis Antoine de Bougainville , who had established the French settlement , had agreed to sell the colony to Spain . The resulting tensions between the Spanish and British claims would nearly lead to war in 1770 , but in the meantime MacBride returned home , reporting the situation to the government . He later published a 13 - page monograph , probably in 1770 , entitled " A Journal of the Winds and Weather . . . at Falkland Islands from 1 February 1766 to 19 January 1767 " . Interwar years . After his return to Britain MacBride was given command of the 22 - gun in August 1767 and employed to cruise in the English Channel . He spent several years aboard " Seaford " , before transferring to take command of the 32 - gun in March 1771 , followed by the 32 - gun in August that year . He was in command of " Southampton " in May 1772 when he received orders to command a small squadron tasked with transporting Caroline Matilda , former Queen of Denmark and Norway and sister of King George III , from Elsinore to Stadt . The squadron consisted of " Southampton " , and two of MacBride ' s former commands , " Seaford " , and " Cruizer " . In April 1773 he took command of . American War of Independence . With the outbreak of war with the American colonies , MacBride was appointed to take command of the 64 - gun on 6 November 1776 . He was present at the Battle of Ushant on 28 July 1778 , but did not become heavily engaged in the confused action . In the ensuing argument over the outcome of the battle , MacBride gave evidence in favour of Admiral Keppel that was an important factor in Keppel ' s acquittal at his court - martial . MacBride was less supportive of Sir Hugh Palliser . He remained in command of " Bienfaisant " , and in December joined Sir George Rodney ' s fleet to relieve Gibraltar . During the voyage the British fleet came across a Spanish convoy transporting naval stores from San Sebastián to Cádiz , and engaged it . The British succeeded in capturing the convoy , while MacBride distinguished himself in engaging the Spanish flagship " Guipuscoana " , which surrendered to him . On 16 January the fleet again encountered Spanish ships , this time off Cape St . Vincent . The Spanish fleet , under Admiral Juan de Lángara , were engaged in the Battle of Cape St . Vincent , and again MacBride was in the thick of the action . He took his ship in to engage the " San Domingo " , with the " Bienfaisant " narrowly escaping significant damage after her opponent blew up . He then went on to chase down and capture Lángara ' s flagship , the 80 - gun " Fenix " . MacBride sent Lieutenant Thomas Louis aboard to take possession , but as a smallpox outbreak was raging on the " Bienfaisant " , MacBride did not take the usual step of transferring some of the captured officers and men aboard his own ship . Instead he reached an agreement with de Lángara , that should the ships encounter a French or Spanish force , he would allow the " Fenix " to be defended against them . If the " Bienfaisant " escaped but the " Fenix " was retaken , de Lángara and his men would consider themselves to still be prisoners of war , but if " Fenix " escaped and " Bienfaisant " was taken , then de Lángara and his men would be freed . In any event both ships made it to Gibraltar without incident , after which MacBride was given the honour of taking Rodney ' s despatches back to Britain . MacBride set off at once , but was delayed by adverse winds . Consequently his despatches arrived several days after an identical set had reached London , delivered by Captain Edward Thomson , who had left Rodney later than MacBride , but who had had a faster voyage . MacBride and the Artois connection . Rodney ' s fleet returned to Britain in March , and MacBride rejoined the " Bienfaisant " . In early August a large French privateer , the 64 - gun " Comte d ' Artois " , was reported to have sailed from Brest to cruise off the Irish south coast . MacBride was ordered to sail in company with the 44 - gun and to capture the dangerous vessel . After several days in search of the vessel , a mysterious sail was finally sighted early on 13 August , chasing after some of the ships of a convoy departing from Cork . MacBride ranged up and fell in with the unidentified ship , which hoisted English colours . Both ships came within pistol shot , and it was not until there was some communication between the two ships , that MacBride could be satisfied of her identity . By now the two ships were so close , with " Bienfaisant " off the " Comte de ' Artois " s bow , that neither ship could bring their main guns to bear . Instead both ships opened fire with musket s until MacBride could manoeuvre away and a general action ensued . After an hour and ten minutes the French vessel surrendered , having had 21 killed and 35 wounded , while " Bienfaisant " had three killed and 20 wounded . The " Charon " had only joined the action towards the end of the engagement and had a single man wounded . The capture had an unusual sequel , for just over a year later , and under a different captain , " Bienfaisant " captured another privateer , this time named " Comtesse d ' Artois " . In a further coincidence MacBride was appointed in January 1781 to command the 40 - gun , a former French ship captured in 1780 by . MacBride served in the North Sea with Sir Hyde Parker ' s fleet , and fought against the Dutch at the Battle of Dogger Bank on 5 August 1781 . After the battle Parker temporarily moved MacBride into the 80 - gun , whose captain , John MacCartney , had been killed during the battle . MacBride resumed command of " Artois " after the fleet ' s return to port , and continued to cruise in the North Sea . On 3 December he engaged and captured two large 24 - gun Dutch privateers , the " Hercules " and " Mars " . Nine men were killed and fifteen wounded on " Mars " , while 13 were killed and 20 wounded on " Hercules " . " Artois " had one man killed and six wounded . By 1782 MacBride was operating in the Channel , and in April was sent out as a scout ahead of the main force under Admiral Samuel Barrington , which aimed to intercept a French squadron that had left Brest bound for the East Indies . He sighted the force on 20 April and alerted Barrington . The British moved in and that day and the following captured over half of the French force . After this success MacBride was appointed to the Irish station in June , where he worked in the impress service while " Artois " cruised under her first lieutenant . Years of peace . At the end of the war with America , MacBride left the " Artois " , but in June was able to obtain command of the 32 - gun . He commanded her until the end of the year , after which he was temporarily unemployed at sea . MacBride took this opportunity to enter politics , and in 1784 he was elected as MP for Plymouth , holding the seat until 1790 . He gave several speeches on naval matters , and sat on the Duke of Richmond ' s commission into the defences of Portsmouth and Plymouth between 1785 and 1786 . He opposed a plan for fortifying the naval dockyards , both on the commission and in parliament . In 1788 he returned to an active , though not a seagoing command , when he took over the Plymouth guardship , the 74 - gun . By 1790 , with the threat of the Spanish Armament looming , MacBride took " Cumberland " to Torbay to join the fleet assembling there under Lord Howe . French Revolutionary Wars . MacBride was promoted to rear - admiral on 1 February 1793 , as part of the general promotion following the outbreak of war . He became commander - in - chief on the Downs station , commanding a frigate squadron with his flag in " Cumberland " , later transferring his flag to the 32 - gun . He took possession of Ostend after the French retreat in early 1793 , and in October transported reinforcements under General Sir Charles Grey to assist in the defence of Dunkirk . He took command of the 36 - gun at the end of the year and sailed from Portsmouth on 1 December carrying an army under the Earl of Moira to support French royalists in Brittany and Normandy . Following this service he took command of a small squadron in the Western Approaches , flying his flag in a number of different vessels , including the sloop , the 74 - gun and the 64 - gun . The squadron did not achieve any significant successes , and MacBride had the misfortune to break his leg while mounting his horse , forcing him to temporarily relinquish his duties . He was promoted to rear - admiral of the red on 11 April , and on 4 July to vice - admiral of the blue . Promoted to vice - admiral of the white on 1 June 1795 , MacBride became commander of the squadron in the North Sea assigned to watch the Dutch fleet in the Texel , flying his flag in the 74 - gun . He stepped down from the post in late 1795 , and was not actively employed at sea again . He was promoted to admiral of the blue on 14 February 1799 . Admiral John MacBride died of a paralytic seizure at the Spring Garden Coffee House , London on 17 February 1800 . Family and issue . MacBride married early in his career , but no details are known , other than that his wife was the daughter of a naval officer . She is presumed to have died , for MacBride married Ursula Folkes , eldest daughter of William Folkes of Hillington Hall , Norfolk on 14 July 1774 . Their son , John David MacBride , became principal of Magdalen Hall , Oxford . MacBride ' s daughter , Charlotte , married Admiral Willoughby Thomas Lake in 1795 .