Sir George Bowyer | |
|---|---|
 George Bowyer as a post-captain | |
| Born | Baptised 3 May 1740 Denham, Buckinghamshire |
| Died | 6 December 1800 Radley Hall, Oxfordshire |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of Great Britain |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1751–1800 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Blue |
| Commands | HMS Swift HMS Sheerness HMS Burford HMS Albion HMS Irresistible HMS Bellona HMS Boyne |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Naval Gold Medal |
Admiral Sir George Bowyer, 5th and 1st Baronet (3 May 1740 – 6 December 1800), was a Royal Navy officer and politician of the eighteenth century. He participated in the Seven Years' War, fighting at the Battle of Minorca, Raid on Rochefort, and Siege of Louisbourg as a junior officer. Promoted to commander in 1761 his first command, the cutter HMS Swift, was captured by the French in June of the following year. Acquitted by his subsequent court martial, Bowyer was promoted to post-captain in October 1762.
During the American Revolutionary War he commanded the ship of the line HMS Albion and fought in the Battle of Grenada and Battle of Martinique, and also played a key role in a skirmish with Admiral de Guichen's fleet on 15 May 1780 where he drew the fire of fifteen enemy ships at once. Promoted to rear-admiral in 1793, Bowyer fought at the battle of the Glorious First of June on 1 June 1794 where he lost a leg. Unable to continue serving actively, he was rewarded for his service with a baronetcy and became an admiral in 1799. In the same year he also inherited his brother's baronetcy. Bowyer died in December 1800.