author
John Byron
1723–1786
A hard-traveling Royal Navy officer and explorer, he survived shipwreck, circumnavigated the globe, and became famous as “Foul-Weather Jack.” His dramatic life at sea also left a literary mark through the memoirs and voyages that helped shape his reputation far beyond the navy.
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About the author
John Byron was a British naval officer, explorer, and colonial administrator born in 1723. As a young midshipman he sailed with George Anson’s squadron, and after the wreck of the Wager off the coast of South America he survived a long and brutal ordeal that later became the basis of his best-known narrative.
He went on to build a substantial Royal Navy career and is especially remembered for his 1764–1766 voyage around the world in HMS Dolphin. That expedition helped strengthen his reputation as both a seaman and an explorer, while his repeated battles with storms earned him the memorable nickname “Foul-Weather Jack.”
Byron also served as governor of Newfoundland and later rose to the rank of vice-admiral. He is often noted today not only for his adventurous naval life, but also as the grandfather of the poet Lord Byron.