Robert Digby | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Digby | |
| Born | 20 December 1732 Water Orton |
| Died | 25 February 1815(1815-02-25) (aged 82) |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | North American Station |
| Conflicts | American Revolutionary War |
AdmiralRobert Digby (20 December 1732 – 25 February 1815) was aRoyal Navy officer who also served briefly as aMember of Parliament (MP). He is the namesake ofDigby, Nova Scotia.
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Digby was the third son of Charlotte Fox and theHon. Edward Digby, eldest son ofWilliam Digby, 5th Baron Digby.[2] He entered the navy aged twelve or thirteen, and became Captain ofHMS Solebay (1742) at the age of 23 in 1755, and was present at the 1757Raid on Rochefort the 1758Raid on St Malo, andCapture of Gorée, and at theBattle of Quiberon Bay 1759 November 20 as Captain ofHMS Dunkirk (1754). He transferred to HMS Trident in March 1777, and the following month toHMS Ramillies, in which he was present at theBattle of Ushant.
Rising to Second-in-Command of theChannel Fleet in 1779,[2] he was madeRear-Admiral of the Blue, and transferred toHMS Prince George, in which he was present at theattack on the Caracas Convoy and theBattle of Cape St. Vincent in January 1780.
Digby was appointed in 1781 asRear-Admiral of the Red and given the command of theNorth American Station.[2]
After the surrender ofNew York City in 1783, Digby helped toorganise the evacuation of some 1,500United Empire Loyalists to the small port ofConway inNova Scotia.[2] The settlement he led transformed the tiny village into a town, which in 1787 was renamedDigby.[2] The town's museum was also named theAdmiral Digby Museum in his honor.
He was recalled to home waters in 1787, was promoted toAdmiral of the Blue, and retired from the navy in 1794.[2]
His father died before inheriting the family's title,Baron Digby (in thepeerage of Ireland), and on the death in 1752 of the5th Baron, the title passed to the admiral's oldest brotherEdward. When Edward died in 1757, the title was inherited by their brotherHenry, and Robert was elected to succeed Edward as MP forWells inSomerset, holding the seat from 1757 to 1761. (Because the family's title was in the peerage of Ireland, it did not confer a seat in theHouse of Lords, and did not disqualify the holder from election to theBritish House of Commons).
He married Eleanor Jauncey (née Elliot), daughter ofAndrew Elliot,Lieutenant-Governor of New York. They had no children.
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forWells 1757–1761 With:Charles Tudway | Succeeded by |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, North American Station 1781–1783 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
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