Sir William Batten | |
---|---|
Master of Trinity House | |
In office June 1663 – June 1664 | |
Member of Parliament for Rochester | |
In office May 1661 – October 1667 | |
Surveyor of the Navy | |
In office 1638 to 1648 – 1660 to 1667 | |
Personal details | |
Born | c. 1601 Easton in Gordano, Somerset, England |
Died | 5 October 1667 London, England | (aged 65–66)
Resting place | St. Mary's Church, Walthamstow |
Spouse(s) | (1) Margaret Browne (1625–her death) (2) Elizabeth Turner (1659–his death) |
Children | (1) William (1626–after 1675); Benjamin (1644-1684); Mary; Martha (1637–after 1667) |
Occupation | Naval officer and administrator |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Parliamentarian 1642–1648; Royalist 1648 |
Rank | Vice-admiral |
Battles/wars |
|
Sir William Batten (c. 1601 – 5 October 1667) was an English naval officer and administrator from Somerset, who began his career as a merchant seaman, served as second-in-command of the Parliamentarian navy during the First English Civil War, then defected to the Royalists when the Second English Civil War began in 1648. After the 1660 Stuart Restoration, he was elected Member of Parliament for Rochester and re-appointed Surveyor of the Navy, a position he had previously held from 1638 to 1648. In this capacity, he was a colleague of the author Samuel Pepys, who mentions him frequently in his "Diary", often to his detriment.