William Bentinck ( governor ) Vice - Admiral of the Blue William Bentinck ( 17 June 1764 - 21 Februari 1813 ) was a commander in the British Royal Navy and during the years 1798 – 1802 Governor of St . Vincent and the Grenadines . Family . His father was Captain John Bentinck and his mother was Renira van Tuyll van Serooskerken . John ' s mother and thus William ' s grandmother was Charlotte Sophie of Aldenburg , the ruler of Aldenburg 1738 – 1748 . She was the cousin to the mother of Catherine the Great and had good connections to the Russian court . Probably William also had a good relation with Duke George of Oldenburg who was referred to as a prince in Russia . He married Frances Augusta Pierrepont in 1802 and together they had eight children but only four survived to adult age . His oldest son George Bentinck ( 1803 - 1886 ) became an MP . Navy service . At the age of nineteen he was given the command of HMS Assistance ( Sept 1783 to Jan 1784 ) during the end of the American War of Independence . Shortly after the peace with USA , a part of the crew deserted and escaped to land on Sandy Hook . A cutter was sent after them but they ran aground on a salt march and the crew together with its commander Hamilton Halyburton died of exposure to the cold . Logbooks written by W . Bentinck has been preserved from a journey with HMS Atalanta from Halifax , Nova Scotia , to Charlotte Town , Prince Edward Island , July – August , 1784 . A journey is also documented with HMS Felicity from Halifax to Cape Breton Island in 1784 , conveying Governor of Cape Breton Island DesBarres and his suite . In the War of the First Coalition he was first given the command of HMS Adamant ( April 1793 to spring 1794 ) and later the command of HMS Phaeton ( Spring of 1794 to Aug 1794 ) . With this ship he participated in the battle of the Glorious First of June against the French navy . Shortly after the battle he was transferred to the larger HMS Tremendous ( July 1794 to Mars 1795 ) . Later career . Governor of St . Vincent and the Grenadines . He was the Governor of St . Vincent and the Grenadines during the years 1798 – 1802 . During this time he made some journeys as a partial log exists with sailing instructions for a number of North American and West Indian harbors , February – July 1800 , written by W . Bentinck . Promotion to admiral . In 1802 he married and probably moved back to England . In 1805 he was commanding the Sea Fencibles from Cromer to Fosdyke Wash - RV Lynn which was close to his estate . The Sea Fencibles was a costal defence force that would defend against any invasion from France . During the following years he was rapidely promoted first to Rear - Admiral of the Blue in 1805 , then Rear - Admiral of the White in 1808 and finally Vice - Admiral of the Blue in 1810 . Little is known about his commands during these years . Peace negotiations with Sweden and Russia 1812 . Treaty of Orebro on the 18 July 1812 was the end of both the Anglo - Russian War ( 1807 – 1812 ) and the Anglo - Swedish War ( 1810 – 1812 ) . The French armies was at the same time advancing into Russia and it was necessary to end the wars and instead create a union against France and its allies . Bentinck had family connections in the Russian court and he also seems to have had a good relation to the Swedish Crown Prince Carl Johan Bernadotte . He made several journeys between St Petersburg and Stockholm . It is not known if he had a mission from the British government or if he acted on his own . The US ambassador in St Petersburg John Quincy Adams writes to the Secretary of state James Monroe in August 1812 : " " A circumstance not a little extraordinary is , that the conclusion of peace with England , if accomplished , has not yet been made public . An Admiral Bentinck was at the Emperor Alexander ' s headquarters , dispatched , it is said , by Admiral Saumarez from the British Fleet in the Baltic , to which he has again returned . All the prohibitions against the admission of English vessels , and of vessels from England still subsist in form , and no vessels have yet entered at Cronstadt directly from an English port ; or cleared from Cronstadt to an English port . At Archangel , I am informed by Mr . Hazard , that vessels entering from English ports have been admitted . " " He died shortly afterwards of Typhus in St . Petersburg 21 Februari 1813 .