John Moutray

John Moutray of Roscobie
John Moutray of Roscobie
Born	c.1722
Died	22 November 1785; Bath, Somerset
Buried	Bath Abbey
Allegiance	Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	c.1744–1785
Rank	Captain
Commands	HMS Thetis; HMS Emerald; HMS Thames; HMS Warwick; HMS Britannia; HMS Ramillies; HMS Edgar; HMS Vengeance; Resident Commissioner Antigua
Battles/wars	War of the Austrian Succession First Battle of Cape Finisterre; ; Seven Years' War Battle of Fort Beauséjour; ; American Revolutionary War Battle of Cape Spartel; ;
Memorials	Bath Abbey
Spouse(s)	Mary Moutray
Children	John and Catherine

John Moutray of Roscobie (c.1722 – 22 November 1785) was an officer of the Royal Navy.^[1] He reached the rank of post-captain and served as the Royal Commissioner for English Harbour in Antigua.^[2]^[3]^[4]

^ John Knox Laughton (1894). "Moutray, John" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
^ R. J. B. Knight (2005). The pursuit of victory: the life and achievement of Horatio Nelson. ISBN 9780465037643. This pennant represented the intention of the resident commissioner of the dockyard, Captain John Moutray (a civilian appointment without an Admiralty commission), to be recognized as the senior officer at English Harbour, ...
^ Court Martial of Captain John Moutray. Great Britain Navy Court. 1990.
^ William Laird Clowes (1899). The Royal Navy: A History From the Earliest Times to the Present. On July 29th, a convoy of sixty-three valuable ships, bound for the East and West Indies, left Great Britain under the care of Captain John Moutray in the BamiUies, 74, with the frigates Thetis and Southampton, both of 36 guns.' On August 8th, in lat. 36^ 40' N., long. 15' W., strange sails were seen, and Captain Moutray signalled his ships to alter course and follow him close to the wind. They paid no attention to his orders, and by daylight of the 9th the bulk of the convoy found themselves close to the enormous combined Franco-Spanish fleet. The warships, watch eight of the convoy, alone escaped ; the other fifty-five merchantmen, with 2805 prisoners, and cargo worth a million and a half, were captured. It was a terrible blow to British commerce, and especially to the forces in the West Indies, which lost a vast quantity of military stores. The merchants at home were so enraged that Captain Moutray had to be made a scapegoat. He was tried by court-martial and dismissed his ship, but w'as again employed before long. Early in July, the outward bound Quebec fleet was attacked on the Newfoundland Banks by privateers, and about fourteen of its richest ships were carried off.

[1] John Knox Laughton (1894). "Moutray, John" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 39. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

[2] R. J. B. Knight (2005). The pursuit of victory: the life and achievement of Horatio Nelson. ISBN 9780465037643. This pennant represented the intention of the resident commissioner of the dockyard, Captain John Moutray (a civilian appointment without an Admiralty commission), to be recognized as the senior officer at English Harbour, ...

[martial-3] Court Martial of Captain John Moutray. Great Britain Navy Court. 1990.

[clowes-4] William Laird Clowes (1899). The Royal Navy: A History From the Earliest Times to the Present. On July 29th, a convoy of sixty-three valuable ships, bound for the East and West Indies, left Great Britain under the care of Captain John Moutray in the BamiUies, 74, with the frigates Thetis and Southampton, both of 36 guns.' On August 8th, in lat. 36^ 40' N., long. 15' W., strange sails were seen, and Captain Moutray signalled his ships to alter course and follow him close to the wind. They paid no attention to his orders, and by daylight of the 9th the bulk of the convoy found themselves close to the enormous combined Franco-Spanish fleet. The warships, watch eight of the convoy, alone escaped ; the other fifty-five merchantmen, with 2805 prisoners, and cargo worth a million and a half, were captured. It was a terrible blow to British commerce, and especially to the forces in the West Indies, which lost a vast quantity of military stores. The merchants at home were so enraged that Captain Moutray had to be made a scapegoat. He was tried by court-martial and dismissed his ship, but w'as again employed before long. Early in July, the outward bound Quebec fleet was attacked on the Newfoundland Banks by privateers, and about fourteen of its richest ships were carried off.

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