Robert Manners Sutton

1754-94. He was the third son of the politician Lord George Manners Sutton, and of his wife, Diana Chaplin. One younger brother, Charles Manners Sutton, was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1805-1828, and another younger brother, Thomas Manners

Captain Sutton was the brother of Charles Manners Sutton, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1805 until his death in 1828.

Sutton, became lord-lieutenant of Ireland. He was the cousin of Captain Lord Robert Manners and of the illegitimate Captain Evelyn Sutton.

Sutton was posted captain with effect from 25 August 1779, but just over two weeks later on 10 September his Sphinx 20 was captured by the French frigate Amphitrite 32 in the Leeward Islands after a gallant two hour struggle.

Having joined the Tartar 28 earlier in the year and seen service in the North Sea, he was detached in escort of the Baltic convoy in the hours before the Battle of the Doggersbank on 5 August 1781. The Tartar was later present in Rear-Admiral Richard Kempenfelt s brilliant attack upon a French convoy on 12 December, and Sutton joined the Dolphin 44 shortly afterwards, taking her out to Jamaica in January 1782 via Ireland before leaving her in October.

In May 1790 Sutton recommissioned the Minerva 38, going out to the East Indies in December and returning to England in May 1792 in command of the Crown 64.

In February 1793 he was appointed to the recommissioned Ardent 64, going out to the Mediterranean in May, and he commanded her at the occupation of Toulon from August 1793, and in Commodore Robert Linzee s assault on Forneilli, Corsica. Sadly the Ardent was lost with all five hundred of her officers and men in April 1794, it being assumed that she had caught fire and blown up off Villefranche-sur-mer whilst monitoring two French frigates and their convoy.