Sir Stafford Fairborne | |
|---|---|
 Admiral Sir Stafford Fairborne by Godfrey Kneller | |
| Born | 1666 |
| Died | 11 November 1742 |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  England Great Britain |
| Service |  Royal Navy (1681–1707) Royal Navy (1707–1715) |
| Years of service | 1681–1715 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands | HMS Bonaventure HMS Half Moon HMS Richmond HMS Phoenix HMS Warspite HMS Elizabeth HMS Monck HMS Victory HMS Defiance HMS London HMS Albemarle HMS Torbay HMS Suffolk HMS Tilbury |
| Battles / wars | Nine Years' War War of the Spanish Succession |
| Other work | MP for Rochester |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Stafford Fairborne (1666 – 11 November 1742) was a Royal Navy officer and Whig politician. As a captain he saw action in command of various ships at the Battle of Beachy Head, at the Battle of Barfleur and at the Battle of Lagos during the Nine Years' War.
As a flag officer Fairborne was given command of the inshore squadron in a fleet sent to the Mediterranean during the War of the Spanish Succession. The fleet was defeated at the Battle of Cádiz but later achieved a victory at the Battle of Vigo Bay. He later became Second-in-Command, under Sir Cloudesley Shovell, of the Mediterranean Fleet and was present at the siege and capture of Barcelona. After that he was given command of a squadron sent to La Rochelle and took part in the capture of Ostend.
Fairborne represented Rochester as a Member of Parliament from 1705 to 1710 and also served as a member of the council of the Lord High Admiral (an office vested at that time in Prince George of Denmark).