Clark Gayton (Royal Navy officer)

Clark Gayton
Admiral Clark Gayton (John Singleton Copley, 1779)
Born	1712
Died	5 March 1785
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	Bien Aimé Mermaid Antelope Royal Anne Prince St George San Antonio Jamaica Station
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War

Admiral Clark Gayton (1712 – 5 March 1785) was an admiral in the British Royal Navy serving in the American Revolutionary War and in the West Indies before retiring to his home in Fareham, England. His brother George Gayton was also in the navy and achieved the rank of vice-admiral. He was born in Portsmouth, England, the third son of John Gayton who was postmaster of Portsmouth and Eleanor Clark. He was christened in St Thomas' Church, Portsmouth, Hampshire on 18 April 1712.

He served as Midshipman to Captain Peter Warren aboard the Squirrel off the coast of North America when he was in his twenties and thereafter in the West Indies under Commodore Knowles who promoted him to command the storeship Bien Aimé on 12 August 1744.

He was based in Boston in July 1745 again under Commodore Peter Warren when he was placed in command of the Mermaid and also in charge of a convoy returning to England in March 1746. He remained in command of the Mermaid based in Portsmouth until September 1747.

We was then without a ship and on half pay until he was given the command of and commissioned the Antelope in May 1756, transferring to the Royal Anne guardship based in Spithead in August of the same year. Six months later he served as Flag-Captain under Admiral Henry Osborn in command of the Prince. In 1758 he was appointed to the St George and it was in command of this vessel that he departed for the West Indies joining the squadron under the command of Commodore Moore. Engagements at this time included the failed attack on Martinique and the invasion of Guadeloupe in 1758/1759.