George Walker ( privateer ) George Walker ( died 1777 ) was an English privateer active against French shipping . Early life . Walker , as a lad and a young man , served in the Dutch navy , and was employed in the Levant for the protection of trade against Turkish or Greek pirates . Later on he became the owner of a merchant ship and commanded her for some years . In 1739 , he was principal owner and commander of the ship " Duke William " , trading from London to South Carolina , and , the better to prepare for defence , took out letters of marque . His ship mounted 20 guns , but had only thirty - two men . The coast of the Carolinas was infested by Spanish privateers , and , in the absence of any English man - of - war , Walker put the " Duke William " at the service of the colonial government . His offer was accepted ; he increased the number of his men to 130 , and succeeded in driving the Spanish ships off the coast . Towards the end of 1742 he sailed for England with three merchantmen in convoy . But in a December gale , as they drew near the Channel , the ship ' s seams opened . Walker , with her crew , managed to get on board one of the merchantmen , which was only just kept afloat . When finally Walker arrived in town , he learned that his agents had allowed the insurance to lapse , and that he was a ruined man . For the next year he was master of a vessel trading to the Baltic Sea . Privateer . In 1744 , when the War of the Austrian Succession broke out , he was offered the command of the " Mars " , a private ship of war of 26 guns , to cruise in company with another , the " Boscawen " , somewhat larger and belonging to the same owner . They sailed from Dartmouth in November , and on one of the first days of January 1744 – 5 fell in with two homeward - bound French ships of the line , which captured the " Mars " after the " Boscawen " had hurriedly deserted her . Walker was sent as a prisoner on board the " Fleuron " . On 6 January the two ships and their prize were sighted by an English squadron of four ships of the line , which separated and drew off without bringing them to action . Walker with civility , and he was landed at Brest as a prisoner at large ; within a month he was exchanged . On returning to England Walker was put in command of the " Boscawen " , and sent out in company with the " Mars " , which had been recaptured and bought by her former owners . The two cruised with little success during the year , and , coming into the English Channel in December , the " Boscawen " , a weakly built ship , iron - fastened , almost fell to pieces ; Walker managed run it ashore on the coast of Cornwall . He was almost immediately offered a larger command . This was a squadron of four ships — " King George " , " Prince Frederick " , " Duke " , and " Princess Amelia " — known collectively as the " Royal Family " , which carried in the aggregate 121 guns and 970 men . In the summer of 1745 , off Louisbourg , Nova Scotia , it had made a very rich prize ; the ships were consequently well manned . After cruising for nearly a year , and having made prizes for over £200 , 000 the Royal Family put into Lisbon ; and , sailing again in July 1747 , had been watering in Lagos Bay , when on 6 October a large ship was sighted standing in towards Cape St . Vincent . This was the Spanish 70 - gun ship " Glorioso " , recently come from the Spanish Main with treasure on board . The treasure , however , had been landed at Ferrol , and she was now on her way to Cadiz . Walker took for granted that she had treasure , and attacked her in the " King George " , a frigate - built ship of 32 guns . She was nearly beaten ; but on the " Prince Frederick " s coming up , the " Glorioso " , catching the same breeze , fled to the westward , where she was met and engaged by , a ship of 50 guns . The " Dartmouth " blew up during the exchange , with the loss of most of her crew ; but some hours later the 80 - gun ship brought the " Glorioso " to action and succeeded in taking her . The " Russell " was only half manned , and was largely dependent on the privateers to take the prize into the River Tagus . The Royal Family continued cruising , with moderate success , to the end of the war . Altogether , the prizes taken by the Royal Family under Walker ' s command were valued at about £400 , 000 . Later life . After the peace Walker commanded a ship in the North Sea trade , but either lost or squandered the money he had made in the Royal Family . He got involved , too , in a dispute with the owners about the accounts , and was imprisoned for debt shortly after the outbreak of the Seven Years ' War . He died on 20 September 1777 .