John Graydon

He sailed with special orders to make the best of his way out, to collect such force, both of ships and troops, as might be available, and going north to reduce the French settlement of Placentia. A few days after he sailed, on 18 March, he fell in with a squadron of four French ships of force clearly inferior to the five with him. Graydon, however, considered that he was bound by his instructions to avoid all chances of delay; he allowed them to pass him unhindered, and did not pursue. He arrived at Barbados on 12 May, and at Jamaica on 4 June but the necessity of refitting, the condition of several of the ships, some of which had been long on the station, the want of stores, and the bad feeling with the locals, all combined to delay the expedition. It did not reach Newfoundland till the beginning of August. From that time for thirty days it was enveloped in a dense fog; it was 3 September before the fleet was again assembled, and then a council of war, considering the lateness of the season, the bad condition of the ships, the sickly state of the men, the want of provisions, and the strength of the enemy at Placentia, decided that the attack ought not to be made. On 24 September the fleet accordingly sailed for England; the weather was very bad, the ships were scattered, and singly reached home in the course of October.^[2]

The expedition had been an evident failure, and the neglect to engage the

Sources

• Cundall, Frank (1915). Historic Jamaica. West India Committee.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Graydon, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.