Lord Augustus FitzRoy

Lord Augustus FitzRoy (16 October 171624 May 1741) was a British officer of the Royal Navy. He served during the War of the Austrian Succession, and was involved in the capture of the Spanish ship of the line, Princesa, a major prize in the war. He was also the father of Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, who became Prime Minister of Great Britain. Early life Lord Augustus FitzRoy was born in England, the second son of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton and Henrietta Somerset. His grandfather, Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, was the illegitimate son of King Charles II. Lord Augustus was educated at Eton College in 1728. Early naval service and love life FitzRoy served in the Royal Navy and had risen to the rank of lieutenant by 1734. He was commissioned as a captain in 1736. In 1733 he was stationed in the North Atlantic, and in a visit to New York City, by virtue of his high birth, he was welcomed by the Governor of New York, William Cosby. He also met the Governor's daughter, Elizabeth, who married Lord Augustus in March 1734. Despite being married, he was still apparently of a "very amorous disposition", as his biographer, John Charnock wrote. He had earlier contracted a marriage at the age of 17, which his father, the Duke, had refused to recognize. Acknowledging him as a "brave and gallant young man", Charnock nonetheless admitted that FitzRoy had apparently told his wife "the night before he left her to go to sea that he had received with much transport a letter" from Sir William Morice's wife "that she would lie with him the following night and go to sea with him". This the couple apparently did, as they were discovered in flagrante delicto at an inn on the road to the harbour where FitzRoy's ship was anchored. Lady Morice was apprehended but escaped to France, while Sir William sued FitzRoy, obtaining £5,000 in damages and a divorce. FitzRoy's father, the Duke, shocked by his son's actions, promised his daughter-in-law "that he would be kind to her and never let her want while he lived." FitzRoy's first command was the 40-gun fifth-rate . He was appointed captain of the Eltham on 2 November 1736, and held this command until November 1739. Eltham was a part of George Clinton's squadron in the Mediterranean as part of the buildup of forces during the War of Jenkins' Ear. Due to increased hostilities, Nicholas Haddock was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean squadron, reinforcing it with more ships.