Francis Laforey

Sir Francis Laforey
Born	(1767-12-31)31 December 1767 Colony of Virginia
Died	17 June 1835(1835-06-17) (aged 67) Brighton, Sussex, England
Allegiance	Great Britain  United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1780s–1835
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Fairy HMS Carysfort HMS Aimable HMS Scipio HMS Hydra HMS Powerful HMS Spartiate Leeward Islands Station
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars  • Frigate action of 29 May 1794 Napoleonic Wars  • Battle of Trafalgar
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (1815)

Admiral Sir Francis Laforey, 2nd Baronet, KCB (31 December 1767 – 17 June 1835) was an officer of the British Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, whose distinguished service record included numerous frigate commands in Home waters and in the West Indies. He is best known however for his service in command of the ship of the line Spartiate at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. During the action, Laforey was heavily engaged and his ship suffered heavy casualties. Five years after Trafalgar, Laforey was promoted to rear-admiral and commanded the Leeward Islands squadron, before retiring in 1814.

Son of the notable and highly controversial naval officer Sir John Laforey, Francis Laforey joined the Navy at a young age and enjoyed patronage throughout his career. His exploits in command of frigates during the French Revolutionary Wars and his capture of Dutch colonies in South America garnered wealth and esteem among his colleagues, and his later success as a battleship captain only continued this trend.