British Admiral John Byng was born in Southill, Bedfordshire, a son of Admiral Sir George Byng. He followed his father into the navy, becoming a Vice Admiral in 1747. When the Seven Years War broke out in 1756, Byng was assigned to relieve Minorca from seige by the French. Byng sailed from England on May 8, with an undermaned fleet of ten ships which he felt was inadequate to relieve Fort St. Philip where the British garrison was stationed. Before he arrived, the French landed 15,000 men on the island. Byng arrived on May 19, but before he could land soldiers to reinforce the garrison, the French fleet arrived. At the time, Byng had 19 ships and the French 17. On May 20, a battle was fought with the French getting the better of it. Byng then decided that his fleet was in no shape to do anything effective and decided to go to Gibralter to make repairs. While doing this, a ship arrived from Britain, whose commander took over, arrested Byng and sent him back to Great Britain.
Fort St. Philip fell on June 29, which caused public outcry against the Government. To protect themselves, the Government decided to make Byng the scapegoat. He was charged with "failing to do his utmost" to relieve the garrison and defeat the enemy. He was tried, court-martialed and found guilty. The automatic penalty was death, though it was recommended that the Lords of the Admiralty ask King George II for clemency. The king did not exercise the royal perogative and Byng was executed by firing squad on the deck of the Monarch, anchored in Portsmouth harbor. Byng's controversial execution has been condemned by historians. As recently as 2007, descendants of Byng have unsuccessfully petitioned the British Ministry of Defence for a posthumous pardon. The inscription on his grave in All Saints Church in Southill, reads:
To the perpetual Disgrace
of PUBLICK JUSTICE
The Honble JOHN BYNG Esqr
Admiral of the Blue
Fell a MARTYR to
POLITICAL PERSECUTION
March 14th in the year 1757 when
BRAVERY and LOYALTY
were insufficinet Securities
For the
Life and Honour
of a
NAVAL OFFICER
Fort St. Philip fell on June 29, which caused public outcry against the Government. To protect themselves, the Government decided to make Byng the scapegoat. He was charged with "failing to do his utmost" to relieve the garrison and defeat the enemy. He was tried, court-martialed and found guilty. The automatic penalty was death, though it was recommended that the Lords of the Admiralty ask King George II for clemency. The king did not exercise the royal perogative and Byng was executed by firing squad on the deck of the Monarch, anchored in Portsmouth harbor. Byng's controversial execution has been condemned by historians. As recently as 2007, descendants of Byng have unsuccessfully petitioned the British Ministry of Defence for a posthumous pardon. The inscription on his grave in All Saints Church in Southill, reads:
To the perpetual Disgrace
of PUBLICK JUSTICE
The Honble JOHN BYNG Esqr
Admiral of the Blue
Fell a MARTYR to
POLITICAL PERSECUTION
March 14th in the year 1757 when
BRAVERY and LOYALTY
were insufficinet Securities
For the
Life and Honour
of a
NAVAL OFFICER
British Admiral John Byng was born in Southill, Bedfordshire, a son of Admiral Sir George Byng. He followed his father into the navy, becoming a Vice Admiral in 1747. When the Seven Years War broke out in 1756, Byng was assigned to relieve Minorca from seige by the French. Byng sailed from England on May 8, with an undermaned fleet of ten ships which he felt was inadequate to relieve Fort St. Philip where the British garrison was stationed. Before he arrived, the French landed 15,000 men on the island. Byng arrived on May 19, but before he could land soldiers to reinforce the garrison, the French fleet arrived. At the time, Byng had 19 ships and the French 17. On May 20, a battle was fought with the French getting the better of it. Byng then decided that his fleet was in no shape to do anything effective and decided to go to Gibralter to make repairs. While doing this, a ship arrived from Britain, whose commander took over, arrested Byng and sent him back to Great Britain.
Fort St. Philip fell on June 29, which caused public outcry against the Government. To protect themselves, the Government decided to make Byng the scapegoat. He was charged with "failing to do his utmost" to relieve the garrison and defeat the enemy. He was tried, court-martialed and found guilty. The automatic penalty was death, though it was recommended that the Lords of the Admiralty ask King George II for clemency. The king did not exercise the royal perogative and Byng was executed by firing squad on the deck of the Monarch, anchored in Portsmouth harbor. Byng's controversial execution has been condemned by historians. As recently as 2007, descendants of Byng have unsuccessfully petitioned the British Ministry of Defence for a posthumous pardon. The inscription on his grave in All Saints Church in Southill, reads:
To the perpetual Disgrace
of PUBLICK JUSTICE
The Honble JOHN BYNG Esqr
Admiral of the Blue
Fell a MARTYR to
POLITICAL PERSECUTION
March 14th in the year 1757 when
BRAVERY and LOYALTY
were insufficinet Securities
For the
Life and Honour
of a
NAVAL OFFICER
Fort St. Philip fell on June 29, which caused public outcry against the Government. To protect themselves, the Government decided to make Byng the scapegoat. He was charged with "failing to do his utmost" to relieve the garrison and defeat the enemy. He was tried, court-martialed and found guilty. The automatic penalty was death, though it was recommended that the Lords of the Admiralty ask King George II for clemency. The king did not exercise the royal perogative and Byng was executed by firing squad on the deck of the Monarch, anchored in Portsmouth harbor. Byng's controversial execution has been condemned by historians. As recently as 2007, descendants of Byng have unsuccessfully petitioned the British Ministry of Defence for a posthumous pardon. The inscription on his grave in All Saints Church in Southill, reads:
To the perpetual Disgrace
of PUBLICK JUSTICE
The Honble JOHN BYNG Esqr
Admiral of the Blue
Fell a MARTYR to
POLITICAL PERSECUTION
March 14th in the year 1757 when
BRAVERY and LOYALTY
were insufficinet Securities
For the
Life and Honour
of a
NAVAL OFFICER
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