Alexander Schomberg

Sir Alexander Schomberg
Sir Alexander Schomberg, 1763, by William Hogarth (NMM) - Alexander's brother Isaac was a friend of Hogarth.
Born	1720 London
Died	1804 Dublin
Allegiance	Great Britain  United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1743-1804
Rank	Captain
Commands held	HMS Diana, Essex, Dorset
Battles/wars	Seven Years' War, French and Indian War (Siege of Louisburg, Plains of Abraham)
Awards	Knighthood, 1777

Captain Sir Alexander Schomberg (1720, London – 19 March 1804, Dublin) was an 18th-century Royal Navy officer.

His father, Meyer Löw Schomberg (1690–1761), was a German-Jewish doctor and settled in England c. 1720 and set up a flourishing practice in Fenchurch Street, London. Two of Alexander's brothers followed their father's profession - the eldest, Isaac, and Ralph or Raphael - and two others (Moses and Solomon) went into the law, but Alexander instead opted for the navy.

Like his brothers, however, he was brought up a Jew but attended St Paul's School, London, and renounced the Jewish faith by publicly receiving the sacrament according to the Anglican rites and thus being able to enter on public careers without impediment from the Test Act. Joining the Navy in 1743 as a midshipman under Captain Edward Pratten on HMS Suffolk (70 guns), he passed his examination for lieutenant on 3 December 1747, entering the sloop Hornet on 11 December and transferring from there to Speedwell, another sloop, in the West Indies in spring 1750. The latter ship, however, returned to England, and was paid off in July 1751, with Schomberg and her other officers placed on half pay.

Schomberg's next appointment came in February 1755, under Captain Peter Denis on the Medway. This ship, however, was only in the home fleet and on the Bay of Biscay station and he was put on half pay again from June to October 1756. He then was appointed to the Intrepid (formerly the French ship Serieux, 64 guns), under Captain Pratten again.