in 1757). When Parliament was dissolved in 1754, he
did not have this political seat to fall back on, and he
looked for additional work. He was given command of
the Fougueux, a captured French vessel, which was set to
guard the port of Portsmouth, allowing him to remain
at home with his family. With the outbreak of the Seven
Years’ War (1756–63), Rodney was given command first
of the Prince George, a 90-gun ship, and then the Dublin,
a 74-gun ship. On the second ship, he helped to trans-
port General Jeffrey amherst to Louisburg.
Rodney was promoted to rear admiral of the blue
in 1759, seeing action against the armed French trans-
ports intended to invade England and sinking several of
them off the coast of Normandy. He was elected as an
MP representing Okehampton in 1759, but two years
later his constituents did not choose him to stand for
reelection, and he lost the seat. Instead, he was selected
to represent Penryn, and he won in a close election. In
October 1761, he was appointed as commander in chief
of the Leeward Islands, and within several months he
forced the surrender of the French-controlled islands of
Martinique, Grenada, and St. Lucia while commanding
the 60-gun ship the Marlborough. In 1764, he was made
a baronet, and from 1765 to 1770, he served as the gov-
ernor of Greenwich Hospital.
In 1768, Rodney was elected as an MP from
Northampton with the help of his former brother-in-law,
the earl of Northampton. The election cost Rodney thou-
sands of pounds, and he remained in severe debt for many
years. Following a period of service as commander in chief
of the Jamaica squadron (1771–74), when he thwarted a
Spanish invasion of the Falkland Islands, Rodney was put
on half-pay, and he was forced to flee to France to avoid
being arrested for his debts. He was not able to return
until 1778, when he was named as admiral and again as
commander in chief of the Leeward Islands.
This began a period that saw Rodney become one of
Britain’s most important naval officers. He was involved
in fighting several countries that opposed Britain in the
American Revolution, including France and Spain. Off
Cape Finesterre (8 January 1780), his flotilla captured
a large Spanish fleet of 16 ships. A week later, off Cape
St. Vincent (16 January 1780), he defeated the famed
Spanish admiral Don Juan de Langara, destroying one
ship and capturing six others in the “Moonlight Battle,”
fought under a moonlit sky in the middle of the night.
Rodney’s fleet sailed to St. Lucia, where they joined
other English ships under Rear Admiral Sir Hyde Parker.
Consolidating their armada, they sailed to Martinique,
where they faced a French force commanded by Admiral
Luc Urbain de Bouexic, comte de Guichen. Parker faced
de Guichen on 9 April 1780, and then Rodney fought
the Frenchman on 19 May 1780, with both engage-
ments doing little except to force de Guichen’s return to
France. Rodney then turned his attention to the seizure
of the Dutch-controlled island of St. Eustatius, which he
accomplished on 3 February 1781. Following this vic-
tory, he wrote to his naval superior, Lord George Ger-
main, asking to be placed in charge of the British navy
fighting the American colonists, but Germain refused.
Rodney therefore continued his successful campaign in
the Caribbean, winning the “Battle of the Saints” off
the island of Dominica (now the Dominican Republic)
on 9 April 1782. Historian George Bruce writes that
the battle was “between the British fleet of 36 sail of
the line, under Admiral Rodney, with Admiral Lord
Hood second in command, and the French fleet of 33
sail under the Comte de Grasse. Rodney departed from
the usual tactics of ship-to-ship action, and broke the
enemy’s line, gaining a complete victory, and capturing
or destroying five ships, while two more were captured
within the next few days. The British lost 261 killed and
837 wounded. The French losses have been put as high
as 15,000, but it is probable that they lost about 3,000
killed and wounded, while 7,980 were taken in the cap-
tured ships.” Rodney was feted upon his return to En-
gland; Parliament thanked him and gave him a barony
and a pension of £2,000 a year. This was Rodney’s last
service. He retired to his home, dying in London on 24
May 1792 at the age of 73.
Historian Kenneth Breen writes:The esteem in which Rodney was held by his
contemporaries may be gauged from remarks
made in letters and speeches by supporters as in-
fluential as Lord Sandwich and by opponents as
articulate as [Charles] Fox and [Thomas Henry]
Burke. From the time he entered the navy in
1732, though influence played a part, Rodney
had impressed his superiors by his efficiency
and his understanding of naval principles; by his
vigour, determination and aggression when op-
posing the enemy; and by those qualities of lead-
ership which led him to care for the welfare of his
men. Consequently he had risen to post and then
flag rank very much on these merits.... [M]anyRoDney, geoRge bRyDgeS, FiRSt bARon RoDney oF Stoke-RoDney