Edward Montagu , 1st Earl of Sandwich Edward Montagu , 1st Earl of Sandwich , KG ( 27 July 1625 – 28 May 1672 ) was an English Infantry officer who later became a naval officer and a politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1645 and 1660 . Life . Montagu was the only surviving son of Sir Sidney Montagu , by his wife Paulina Pepys of Cottenham ( great - aunt of Samuel Pepys ) and was brought up at Hinchingbrooke House . He served the Cause of Parliament by raising a regiment of infantry in June 1643 . In 1645 , he was elected Member of Parliament for Huntingdonshire as a recruiter to the Long Parliament . He was nominated MP for Huntingdonshire in 1653 for the Barebones Parliament and was elected MP for Huntingdonshire in 1654 for the First Protectorate Parliament . He continued to serve in the army for the Commonwealth of England and , in 1656 he became a General at Sea . In 1656 he was re - elected MP for Huntingdonshire in the Second Protectorate Parliament . In 1660 Montagu was elected MP for Dover and Weymouth and Melcombe Regis and chose to sit for Dover in the Convention Parliament . At the Restoration he served Charles II as Admiral , commanding the fleet that brought him back from exile in May 1660 . Two months later , on 12 July 1660 , he was created Baron Montagu of St Neots , Viscount Hinchingbrooke , and Earl of Sandwich . King Charles also made him a Knight of the Garter and appointed him Master of the Great Wardrobe , Admiral of the narrow seas , and Lieutenant Admiral to The Duke of York , Lord High Admiral of England . He carried St . Edward ' s staff at Charles ' subsequent coronation . In the Second Anglo - Dutch War of 1665 to 1667 he fought at the Battle of Lowestoft but defeat at the Battle of Vågen led to him being removed from service . During his absence from battle Edward Montagu served as England ' s ambassador to Spain . After the Great Fire of London Montagu downplayed the damage to the Spanish King claiming that London ' s slums were the only thing in ashes . This slant on the events was also practiced by England ' s ambassadors throughout Europe . He was subsequently reappointed however , and by 1672 at the start of the Third Anglo - Dutch War he was Vice - Admiral of the Blue with the " Royal James " as his flagship . At the Battle of Solebay his ship was attacked by a group of fire ships and was destroyed with the loss of many lives , including Sandwich himself , whose charred body was found washed ashore and only recognizable from the remains of his clothing . On Wednesday 3 July 1672 he was buried in Westminster Abbey after a state funeral that started with a procession along the River Thames of five decorated barges from Deptford . The body was landed at Westminster at about 5 . 00pm and carried to the Abbey in a grand procession . Family . On 7 November 1642 , Montagu married Jemima Crew , daughter of John Crew , 1st Baron Crew , whom Pepys in his Diary refers to with great affection as " My Lady " , and by whom he had ten children : Montagu was the first cousin of the father of Samuel Pepys . Pepys started his career as a minor member of the Montagu household and owed his appointments first to the Wardrobe and then as Clerk of the Acts to the Navy Board to Montagu ' s influence . Pepys ' diary provides a detailed primary source for Montagu ' s career in the 1660s . References . London Gazette # 691 Monday 1 July , to Thursday 4 July 1672