Lord George Graham
| Lord George Graham | |
|---|---|
Captain Lord George Graham, detail from William Hogarth's Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin, 1745
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| Born | 26 September 1715 |
| Died | 2 January 1747 (aged 31) Bath, Somerset |
| Allegiance | Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | – 1747 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Commands held |
HMS Mercury HMS Lark HMS Bridgewater HMS Nottingham |
| Battles/wars |
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| Relations | James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose (father) |
Lord George Graham (26 September 1715 – 2 January 1747) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the Wars of the Quadruple Alliance and Austrian Succession. He embarked on a political career, and was a Member of Parliament.
Graham was born into the nobility, the younger son of a duke, and embarked on a naval career early in his life. Rising through the ranks, he was given his first commands early in the War of the Austrian Succession, and served in the Mediterranean and in escorting convoys. He entered parliament through the influence of his father, and represented the Scottish constituency of Stirlingshire from 1741 until his death. He was a Whig and a political supporter of the Duke of Argyll.
Turning down the command of a ship of the line in favour of a frigate, Graham won renown for a victory over several powerful privateers and their prizes. Rewarded with a larger ship, he also commissioned a painting from William Hogarth to commemorate the event, Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin. He continued in the navy, intercepting privateers and enemy ships, but was struck down with a severe illness, and despite moving ashore, died in 1747.
Lord George Graham was born on 26 September 1715, the son of James Graham, 1st Duke of Montrose, and his wife Christian, the daughter of David Carnegie, 3rd Earl of Northesk. He entered the navy at an early age and served at first as a midshipman from 1730, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1734. He was given a command in 1739, when he was appointed to the fireship HMS Mercury and sent out to the Mediterranean to join Sir Nicholas Haddock's fleet. He held the command until 15 March 1740, when he was promoted to captain. He was appointed to command the 40-gun HMS Lark in 1741 with orders to escort a convoy of merchants bound for Turkey. He does not appear to have held the command long, for by late 1741 Lark was under the command of Captain Rupert Waring, escorting a convoy to the West Indies.
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