Joseph Peyton

Joseph Peyton was a Royal Navy officer who became commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.

Naval career

Peyton joined the Royal Navy on 4 June 1743. Promoted to commander in March 1756, he took command of the sloop HMS Savage in 1756 and the second-rate HMS [Duke (1682)|HMS Prince George] in 1757. Promoted to captain in December 1757, he went on to command the second rate HMS [Triumph (1698)|HMS Prince] in 1759 and saw action at the Battle of Lagos in August 1759 during the Seven Years' War.
Peyton went on to command the fifth-rate HMS Minerva in 1762, the third-rate HMS [Belleisle (1761)|HMS Belleisle] in 1766 and the third-rate HMS Cumberland in 1777. In HMS Cumberland he saw action at the Battle of [Ushant (1778)|Battle of Ushant] in July 1778 and at the first Battle of Cape [St. Vincent (1780)|Battle of Cape St Vincent] in 1780, during the Anglo-French [War (1778–1783)|Anglo-French War]. He became commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1789 and commander-in-chief of the Downs in 1794.