Family and Early Life
Lockhart was born on 11 November 1721 at Lockhart Hall, Lanarkshire, the fifth son of Sir James Lockhart, 2nd Baronet. His mother, Grizel, was the third daughter of William Ross, 12th Lord Ross. Lockhart joined the navy in September 1735, serving first aboard the 50-gun HMS Portland under Captain Henry Osborne. He transferred to the 50-gun HMS Diamond under Captain Charles Knowles in the West Indies between 1737 and 1738, and went on to serve aboard the 54-gun HMS Romney under Captain Henry Medley in 1739, and the 14-gun sloop HMS Tryall under Captain Frogmere in 1740. Lockhart followed Frogmere to several of his ships, serving under him aboard the 20-gun HMS Lively and then the 54-gun HMS Ruby. He passed his lieutenant's examination on 28 September 1743, and received his commission with a posting on 21 October that year to the 44-gun HMS Dover in the North Sea, and afterwards on the coast of North America. While serving on the North American station he was moved into the 50-gun HMS Chester and returned to England with her in late 1746.
Lockhart's next appointment was to the 66-gun HMS Devonshire in April 1747. Devonshire was the flagship of Rear-Admiral Peter Warren, under whom Lockhart saw action at the First Battle of Cape Finisterre on 3 May 1747. He was then appointed to his first command, that of the fireship HMS Vulcan, in which he saw action with Sir Edward Hawke's fleet at the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre on 16 October 1747. One of the captains in the battle, Thomas Fox of the 64-gun HMS Kent, was later relieved of his command after controversy over his actions in the engagement, and Lockhart was given temporary command of Kent in his place. During 1748 Lockhart was first lieutenant of the Portsmouth guardship HMS Invincible, and for the next few years was on half pay in Scotland. In January 1755 he was appointed first lieutenant of the 90-gun HMS Prince with Captain Charles Saunders, and on 22 April 1755 he was promoted to command the 8-gun sloop HMS Savage, attached during the year to the western squadron cruising under the command of Sir Edward Hawke or Vice-Admiral John Byng.
Read more about this topic: John Lockhart-Ross
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