Portrait of Admiral John Byron

Portrait of John Byron (1723-1786), grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. Admiral John Byron set out in the 'Dolphin' on a voyage of discovery in the South Seas in 1764, and became Governor of Newfoundland two years later. He was appointed Vice-Admiral in 1778 and set out on an expedition to the West Indies to intercept the French. His failure to accomplish the mission contributed to the defeat of the British in the American War of Independence.