Lord Augustus FitzRoy

Captain Lord Augustus FitzRoy (16 October 1716 – 24 May 1741) was an officer in the Royal Navy. His service period includes the War of the Austrian Succession, during which he participated in notable naval engagements. FitzRoy was involved in the capture of the Spanish ship of the line, Princesa, which was regarded as a significant prize during the war.

He was born in England as the third son of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton, and Henrietta Somerset. His paternal grandfather was Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Grafton, who was an illegitimate son of King Charles II of England. FitzRoy received education at Eton College beginning in 1728.

In his early naval career, FitzRoy achieved the rank of lieutenant by 1734 and was commissioned as a captain in 1736. His early postings included service in the North Atlantic, notably during a visit to New York City where he was received by the Governor, William Cosby. During this visit, FitzRoy married Elizabeth Cosby in March 1734. Elizabeth was the daughter of William Cosby, then the Governor of New York. The marriage was conducted despite previous disruptions; FitzRoy had earlier contracted a marriage at age 17 which was not recognized by his father, and there were reports of an affair involving Lady Morice, which resulted in a lawsuit and divorce proceedings.

FitzRoy's first command was the 40-gun fifth-rate HMS Eltham, which he took command of on 2 November 1736. He commanded Eltham until November 1739 and served as part of George Clinton's squadron in the Mediterranean during the buildup of the War of Jenkins’ Ear. In September 1739, he was sent to reconnoitre the harbours of Cartagena and Barcelona; his reports indicated that an attack on either port was impractical due to strong defenses.

Politically, FitzRoy served as Member of Parliament for Thetford starting 10 February 1739, a seat controlled by his family. Although his naval duties occasionally conflicted with his parliamentary role, he voted with the government against the place bill in January 1740.

In late 1739, FitzRoy was appointed captain of the third-rate HMS Orford, a 70-gun ship. He participated in a fleet expedition from England to the West Indies under Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle, supporting Admiral Edward Vernon against Spain. During this expedition, FitzRoy was involved in several notable actions:

- He pursued and brought a vessel under French colors into the fleet.

- On 7 January 1740, he led a chase of five large ships, which were later identified as French men-of-war; he attempted to capture the commodore but ended the engagement after a brief exchange, under pretenses of mistaken identities.

- On 18 April 1740, FitzRoy's ship was among those that engaged and captured the Spanish ship Princesa off Cape Finisterre. FitzRoy was the first to reach the vessel to accept its surrender, which caused some controversy among his fellow officers, particularly HMS Lenox's commander.

Following this, HMS Orford participated in the blockade of Cartagena as part of Admiral Vernon’s fleet. FitzRoy maintained correspondence regarding the engagement and blockade efforts.

FitzRoy had two children with Elizabeth Cosby: Augustus FitzRoy, who became the 3rd Duke of Grafton and served as Prime Minister of Great Britain, and General Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton.

He died on 24 May 1741 in Jamaica, where he succumbed to tropical fevers and illnesses contracted during the West Indies campaign. The fleet returned to Jamaica from Cartagena on 19 May 1741, several days before his death.

References for FitzRoy’s life include the "History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715–1754," edited by R. Sedgewick, 1970.